hehehe...
You'll be back.
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omigoodness! that lady was nuts! our instructor made us stand and pedal for at least 10 minutes, maybe more! and if that wasn't bad enough, the first thing she said, from a scale of 1 to 10, i want you pedaling 7! then 8! then 9!! we never did 1 -6!! But I like 1-6 what's wrong with these people?!?
good grief, when we were done i was wet from head to foot! who knew! the girl next to me kept begging for more while i was thinking; please ignore her, teacher, (and she did)
What a workout. ouch ouch ouch.
hehehe...
You'll be back.
2008 Trek FX 7.2/Terry Cite X
2009 Jamis Aurora/Brooks B-68
2010 Trek FX 7.6 WSD/stock bontrager
Sounds like the class was more advanced, or maybe the population in the class is such normally. That makes a diff sometimes, but the teacher should always state that you can modify, and demonstrate what that is. Especailly for new students. I was a spinner before a road cyclists, and consider myself to be with the crazies on the adreline junkie stuff, but I have my reasons and days that I do not follow the drill cued. That is perfectly ok, and really a good thing. It is a different work out from the road, even tho is is suppose to be like it. Before the road, and spinning, I was always a group exercise person for my cardio. Over 20years of doing classes, in my personal opinion, spinning is the toughest cardio class I have ever taken in my life, for whatever that's worth. But, you still don't have to kill yourself like some of the cult members, if that's not your goal for the day, to get a good work out.
Like Zen said; I went back.
The friday class has a different instructor. In fact; she was 28 minutes late for a 45 minute long class. That's okay; a fellow class member put in her ipod full of (ugh) Rap music and we all more or less did freestyle until the teacher showed up. So the workout wasn't near as hard.(we'd gotten numerous messages about her progress around a car wreck on I-5) She came in and seemed a lot more sensible than the M-W person. I look forward to having a full class with her next week.
She used a different numbering system than the first woman, instead of having us doing 7,8, and 9 we were doing 2, 3 and 4! who knows.
Mimi, where are you going?
The instructors are all different where I go. I have favorites, of course. They all respect that you need to do what is best for you. It's a rugged workout though. I love it![]()
so, is it anything like actual biking?
are you just standing and mashing like someone doing RAMROD on a single-speed?
"If Americans want to live the American Dream, they should go to Denmark." - Richard Wilkinson
2008 Trek FX 7.2/Terry Cite X
2009 Jamis Aurora/Brooks B-68
2010 Trek FX 7.6 WSD/stock bontrager
Teigyr's got it right. Spinning Instructors sometimes tend to make class the "me" show instead of the "you" show. Spinning is all about taking it at YOUR OWN pace. It all depends where you are in your workout week. The instructor you took the first time is clueless. You start each training session with a warm-up, gradually increasing cadence and resistance as you try and get your HR up to 65% of your max. You EASE the body into the session--you don't slam the body against a brick wall. That's not smart training. I'm a level 3 instructor. I taking continuing education courses to stay current with the spinning program and to further my education. So many instructors out there don't do this. The goal is that you feel good at the end of a session. If you are miserable the next day, moody, short tempered, then you worked yourself too hard and you tapped out your energy resources and didn't do anything but wreak havoc on your body. And there is no mashing of the pedals. The goal is to pedal in smooth ellipticals: not in squares.
Last edited by Zeek; 10-24-2007 at 11:02 AM.
The Journey is the Reward.
i love spinning! and mainly because i can tailor it to my own needs and condition. every so often i'll find an instructor who feels it is her place to tell me that i haven't added enough tension. but i know my surgical knee better than she does.the same instructor also likes to do things where she wants you to only pedal with one leg. again, i pass on that. so far, she's not said anything to me if she has noticed. i figure that i don't do that on my road bike, so i don't do it on my spin bike. and i'm sure my knee surgeon would be OK with that too.
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Do you wear your padded cycling shorts to spin class? I'm thinking about starting this winter, and don't want to look like a greenhorn.
What about shoes? Will spds work?
Last edited by redrhodie; 10-24-2007 at 09:40 AM.
i always have my padded shorts on. (well not always as i'm not sitting here in my office wearing them, but you get the idea). some folks scoff at me (mostly men it seems) but i don't care, no point hurting my tush, right? and i think more folks than not in the classes i've gone to have them on, though not usually the instructors now that i think about it, which is odd and now i want to hear from any of the instructors on the board. anyway, i wear the same shoes i ride my road bike in and i wouldn't spin without the shoes or the shorts. so no, you won't look like a greenhorn if you wear both of them to a class.
i don't tend to wear my cycling jerseys though, but that may just be me. i did chuckle at a guy who came to class once, and it was clear he was new since he didn't know how to set up the bike. he had on the full regalia (all but the helmet and i almost imagine he had it in his car just in case). he had on the gloves and the jersey (the two things i don't wear). then the spin instructor kicked his butt. he was literally draped over the handlebars (made my back ache just looking at him). i hate to say it was kinda funny, is that evil of me?
I wear my cycling shorts, and a spinning jersey and my gloves when I instruct. My palms sweat and the gloves help absorb the sweat so I don't slip all over the handlebars. Some spinning bikes now have more of a padded bar where you don't necessarily need gloves. It depends on the bikes in your studio. I also wear cycling shoes with SPD clips (note: not all spinning bikes have the SPD pedals--some only have the toe cages--you should check with the facility where you are going to spin).
As far as an spinning instructor "kicking" someone's butt, again, I reiterate, it's up to YOU what intensity level you take it to. You need to listen to your body, learn to relax, and let your legs carry you through. If you feel your form starting to suffer, that's your body telling you it's time to take a break. Sit back, relax, release some resistance and gain control of your breath and your pedal strokes. Join back in when you're ready to. It's all about YOU, the rider.
There's nothing wrong with riding in your full cycling gear. If that's what makes you feel like you're really riding outdoors, than go for it. No one should feel they are being judged in the cycling room. It's a non-competitive class. The competition is within yourself and not with anyone else (and especially not with the instructor).
The Journey is the Reward.
yay, i said she kicked someone else's butt, not mine. i don't let them do that to me, i ride to my own level and the level my surgical knee lets me. just saying, since it seems you are telling me to not let them do that and i've said i don't, and that's why i like spin, cause you tailor it to your own level.
the handlebars are padded at my gym, i didn't realize some aren't. that's why i don't feel the need to wear gloves. and i had no idea some bike's pedals don't have anything but the cage, that is good to know for anytime i travel and try to find a spin class in the area to take, now i will be sure to be prepared for that, thanks for the info!
today's the first class I missed, work got in the way; that happens sometimes. Knot, it's not much like bicycling, the tension is all wrong; on a stationary bike you can build up momentum and the thing spins easier, it's not really like that on a bike. I find it's easier to stand up and pedal than sit down; even though it does raise the heart rate some.
However, from where i am tired and sore; i would say it's going to help my bicycling in the long run! especially since when it gets crummy out i don't want to ride.
I went to spinning today! Didn't feel too much like a greenhorn, thanks to all your advice. It was really fun, but not AS fun as riding a real bike. I think I'm hooked. It's a great workout for bad weather days.