What do you want from a Spin class?

[Dogmama]

I will say I cannot STAND it when they talk too much, it's incredibly annoying.

Agree 100%. I use spin classes as an adjunct to meditation - I "close in on myself" and envision good pedal stroking, staying light on the handlebars by using glutes, etc. I also don't always follow the instructor - I see no need to do a standing climb at a cadence of over 100 because I'll never do that on my road bike.

Music is key. It needs to have a beat that can accompany a pedal stroke. I can't ride "off beat".

[traveller_62]

I see no need to do a standing climb at a cadence of over 100 because I'll never do that on my road bike.

To me this is the beauty of the spinn bike workout because I work on things to improve my cycling fitness that I could never do safely on my road bike like high cadence drills, leg isolations, and jumps.

The other great thing about spinn class is that the person next to me doesn't have to do any of these drills and yet we can still be in the same class and each get something out of it and enjoy the comradarie!

-traveller

[bcipam]

Bummer - its the new year. Got up for my regular 5:45am class, got to the gym at 5:30 and every bike, including the instructor's, was already taken. I hate New Year's Resolutions! Guess I just can't roll out of bed and go to class. Hopefully in a couple of week the fevor will die down.

[han-grrl]

Hey There

I have been teaching spin classes for several years as well. I think if you are going to teach in a gym like setting, you are going to have to balance "fun" stuff with saddle changes, and "real life" bike stuff, like long seated flats and hills.

The cyclists want to be trained for riding, but your average exerciser wants to have fun too.

What i do to balance the two is offer options, always options, options to remain standing for longer, or stay seated, or to try a different heart rate zone. Music, lighting and mood helps.

Personally i think instructors should be less wordy, and get to the point. I was listening to one instructor where i work, and all i could think is "shut up already!" She just kept going on and on it seemed in her explanations. So if it means to sit down before class and think of what you need to say (for example the list of safety issues, laces tucked in, knobs tighetened, water location, braking etc). Same thing for class objectives. if you are teaching an endurance class, and need to explain why, short explanations - builds aerobic base, your foundation for the rest of your training period. as you go through the class, you can add in some (short) physiology "you are increasing the capillaries in your legs, so next time you do this, it will feel easier" etc.

speaking of wordy...i have been that lots today...so i'm outty!

Cheers

Hannah

[bcipam]

Speaking of "wordy" nothing drives me up a wall more than an instructor that is constantly chattering through the ride - "GO! GO! GO!, feel the burn, WHoo-Hoo!" Instruction is OK but let the music motivate. Also again instructors, your music shouldn't be soooo loud you have to shout to be heard!

[anne_77]

What I like:

Low/Dark Lighting
Good ventilation
Good music (especially when there's a theme like motown, christmas, a particular band) (I hate techno though)
Music that isn't too loud
An instructor that isn't too loud (hey, this is supposed to be fun, not give me a headache!)
Options (like speeding up, standing)
An instructor who doesn't expect everyone to be on the same page (some instructors give you a hard time when you tune them out)
Not too much time spent on high resistance (I personally like to spin out after doing really heavy resistance but some instructors don't give me enough recovery time)

Pet peeve: I only went to one of her classes, but this one instructor tried to motivate us to spin faster by saying "think of something that you're always in a hurry to finish". I'm in grad school, stressed to the max, and couldn't take it. I had to leave. I don't go to spin class to be reminded of all the things that stress me out - I go to forget about them.

Unless people stop coming, just keeping doing what you're doing. You can never please everyone.

[latelatebloomer]

Oh yeah! I left out how important it is that the instuctor know how to use a microphone! So important, so rare! I HATE mic'ed shouting and whooping!

[Trek420]

pretty much what anne_77 sez:

Low/Dark Lighting
Air
Good music not too loud
An instructor that isn't too loud or tries too hard to be funny or cheery.
My favorite spin instructor left. Her philosophy is "same in spin as on a bike". Form, fit, hill climbing, it all built cycling skills. She taught me what little I know about HRM, that is what I didn't learn here. Best of all she told people to "get outside and ride". Current crop of instructors are ok, but none as good as her.

"Pet peeve:...one instructor tried to motivate us to spin faster by saying "think of something that you're always in a hurry to finish".... I don't go to spin class to be reminded of all the things that stress me out - I go to forget about them."

Right, above and aformentioned spin intructor was fond of saying "this is your time to relaxe and do something for yourself". Just like a ride, except indoors, going nowhere, with posers ;-)

What I want in a spin class is it should make me feel like I'm gonna die, should be very spent after. I like it when i can barely walk out.

[Crankin]

I appreciate an instructor just like you. This issue seems to be coming to a head at my club. They recently made the cycling instructors take a workshop on "Power Spinnning." This may not be the correct name, but a few did refuse to do the training. Why? It is a pre-packaged format, similar to Body Pump. Canned music that the instructor does not get to choose. All of our classes will not be in this format, but enough to make me have to limit which classes to go to, when my time is already limited. I am pretty upset over this. I am a cyclist who used to be an aerobics instructor (ten years). I understand the attraction of new formats, but a considerable amount of the people in spin class use it as a way to stay fit in the off season and work on certain cycling specific skills. I will never race; I'm a recreational cyclist. That said, maybe clubs should have 2 types of classes geared to the two different types of people who take them. I don't want to stand up in "position 2' and do high cadence running drills. It hurts my knees and back and it's not something i would ever do outside. Yes, it might improve my strength, but it just seems like something that would have been called "contra indicated" when I was teaching. I don't want to spin at a low resistance at a high cadence. Some of the people i see do this so much, they never use the resistance on their bike. Yet, they think they're tough because they are spinning at some crazy high cadence. Give me a nice mix of popular music, oldies, alternative rock and no disco or techno. I hate the lights being dim or being in the total dark. I can't see my heart rate monitor enough to press the light button and I end up pressing some other function button and messing up the settings. Who would ride their bike in the dark (without a good light)?

I know this is a rant, and being in class is not being outside, but I don't want all the silly, goofy stuff. I cringe when I hear people in class saying they "would NEVER ride on the road."

[bcipam]

Wow I hope that "Power Spinning" or whatever doesn't take over the gyms - I think I would hate it. I so dislike canned music. My favorite instructors have all made their own great tapes.

Thankfully I have never felt compelled to always follow the instructor. SOme dont understand cycling like I do. I won't do anything that risks injury (such as "piston jogs" which are real knee busters). I'm in class to build up my aerobics and fitness - I could care less about being able to do every spin, jump, jog the instructor can do. I know on the road, I can blow him/her away. OK I do have some instructors I know for a fact are cyclists and can truly blow me away! I love those classes!

[SadieKate]

I don't want to spin at a low resistance at a high cadence.

Robin, I know nothing at all about spinning classes. I use Spinervals DVDs at home. So, educate me. Why don't you want to do superspins? I find that used in interval training you'll learn high cadence and a smooth pedalling motion. Getting your cadence up over 120 or btter will reveal jerky pedalling pretty quickly. What is it you object to? Just curious.

[alpinerabbit]

Why don't you want to do superspins? I find that used in interval training you'll learn high cadence and a smooth pedalling motion. Getting your cadence up over 120 or btter will reveal jerky pedalling pretty quickly. What is it you object to? Just curious.

Coming back from an extremely frustrating class - the woman had mostly cadences of like 150, and I do not go there to chafe off my anatomy.
Not a single one could keep up her cadence so it was really stupid. Even she was basically bouncing off her saddle !?!

And besides the occasional "up", "forward" "back down" "harder" "3 minutes of cool-down" she said almost nothing.

We were guessing that she is getting paid for her private training sessions.

[bcipam]

Robin, I know nothing at all about spinning classes. I use Spinervals DVDs at home. So, educate me. Why don't you want to do superspins? I find that used in interval training you'll learn high cadence and a smooth pedalling motion. Getting your cadence up over 120 or btter will reveal jerky pedalling pretty quickly. What is it you object to? Just curious.

I don't mind periods of time in class where cadence is high but I always spin with resistance. I don't think there is anything to spinning fast with low resistance. I wouldn't ride my bike like that and wonder what physical benefit it is suppose to provide. I have attended classes where the instructor is spinning up above 120 rpms and literally bouncing off the saddle. I agree, the only thing this provides is chafing!

Don't mind drills where the instructor pushes 80 - 90 rpms up to 100 - 120 (always with some resistance) for short periods of time as that stimulates sprinting and can push up the heart rate but shouldn't last more than 30 seconds to a minute. If I need to sprint for more than a minute while riding my bike, well then I screwed up and jumped the gun too soon.

The secret to smoothing out pedal stroke (and I do need to work on this) is long sustained, fast paced (around 90 rpms) rides where you concentrate on a round, smooth stroke. My form tends to break down when I go over 90 rpms.

[SadieKate]

30 secs - that's all a superspin is. Learning to produce short bursts of speed with a fast stroke is beneficial. If you're bouncing off the saddle, you need to slow the cadence, practice a smooth stroke until you can get your cadence up fairly high for a short period of time. You don't have to hit the same high as anyone else but a superspin will show you where your stroke breaks down. Everyone has an optimum cadence for their body, but 90 is slow in some people's book.

If a class is "mostly cadences of like 150" the instructor needs some instruction.

[Jen]

I don't mind periods of time in class where cadence is high but I always spin with resistance. I don't think there is anything to spinning fast with low resistance. I wouldn't ride my bike like that and wonder what physical benefit it is suppose to provide. I have attended classes where the instructor is spinning up above 120 rpms and literally bouncing off the saddle. I agree, the only thing this provides is chafing!

Don't mind drills where the instructor pushes 80 - 90 rpms up to 100 - 120 (always with some resistance) for short periods of time as that stimulates sprinting and can push up the heart rate but shouldn't last more than 30 seconds to a minute. If I need to sprint for more than a minute while riding my bike, well then I screwed up and jumped the gun too soon.

The secret to smoothing out pedal stroke (and I do need to work on this) is long sustained, fast paced (around 90 rpms) rides where you concentrate on a round, smooth stroke. My form tends to break down when I go over 90 rpms.

I always tell the class when we sprint, " no resistance, no results" If you want to define your legs, you have to use resistance.