First Spin Class

daniellabella986

I signed up for my first class tomorrow morning (hello New Year) and I'm nervous!! I don't know why haha. I have always wanted to do a spin class and I figured it's now or never but I want to know...are there any tips you guys have on how to keep up and do well? Any special equipment you like to use? All I know as of right now is that I'll need a lifetime supply of water lol.

Thanks & Happy New Year!

Amestris

I took my first spin class last week. It was a great workout. I will warn you though that the seat is uncomfortable and caused my butt to be sore for a few days afterwards. Definitely just go at your own pace and adjust the resistance to meet your needs.

kdrayz

I recommend butt pads or pants with butt pads in them. They look crazy but will save you a lot of butt pain . Spinning is so much fun with the right teacher and "class" mates. Also, don't worry about trying to keep up with everyone else, go at your own pace. Most importantly... Have fun!

knightreader

been to about 10 spin classes. i wouldn't know anything about the seat being uncomfortable as we rarely sit.

my advice: get there early and try a few different adjustments on the bike to find out whats comfortable for you. the handle bars will adjust, as will the seat height and the seat will move front to back. find something that is comfortable, then find something that is not as comfortable to make sure the other position is good. tell the instructor it is your first class, and he/she may be able to help with the bike adjustments.

go at your own pace. who cares what the person next to you is doing. as long as you are trying your best, you are doing great.

stretch before and after. i usually ride a stationary bike for about 10 minutes just to warm up my legs prior to going in to the class. for me tho, my spin class is at my gym, so that might not be possible for everyone. stretch after, even more b/c it is your first class.

watch the instructor. for our class, the music is loud and while the instructor yells out what to do, i often can't tell what he is saying, so if i watch him, i know when to do what.

add resistance, but don't over do it. you will likely be tempted to add more resistance than you should, especially since it is the first class. your legs will be sore anyway after. the more resistance you add, the more sore they will be after. even light resistance provides a better workout.

have fun. it is a challenging workout, but i find it very motivational and fun to be a part of.

good luck!

daniellabella986

Thanks guys!!! I know I have to do my own thing but sometimes (and I'm sure we're all guilty of it), I push myself too far because I feel so frustrated when I don't do things perfectly on my first try. But I'm sure it'll be exciting just to try something new and different.

sjp_511

My first spin class, the instructor kept telling us to increase our resistance one turn or a half turn. I assumed one turn was a full 360 degrees. It wiped my out very quickly!

I miss spinning! I need to find a class and sign up. I used to go to my gym, but my husband and I cancelled our gym membership when we maoved last fall. We are trying to save money by doing at home workouts and not paying for a gym. I still get plenty of exercise but I miss spinning. He missed swimming, so we might try to get a New Years special at a gym.

Most of the instructors I have had are decent. They recognize the new people and give some guidance and bike set-up instruction. This time of year there are so many new people so the instructor should be pretty mindful of that.

Lower the resistance and take a break if you need to. It will be challenging but it is a great calorie burn. If you go regularly, it will only take about 3-4 classes to get used to the seat.

editorgrrl

I did my first class Sunday morning. My goal was to not fall off the bike, but I actually finished the entire hour. (Minus two breaks to refill my water bottle.) I couldn't keep up w/ the class (lots of coasting at 80-something RPMs), but I tried to do at least the first 10-15 secs. of each change.

It was exhilarating.

ka97

Get there early, introduce yourself to the instructor, let him/her know that you are now and ask for help in setting up your bike (seat, handlebars, etc should all be adjusted to fit your body).

Bring a sweat towel and plenty of water!

Always keep some resistance on the bike so that you are moving the wheel, as opposed to letting the wheel pull your legs.

Your goal should be to keep up with the pace of the instructor and the music. However in doing so, you adjust your resistance to what you can handle. That being said, on the sprint intervals there's no way I can ever keep up with the instructor; I just try to push as fast as I can while maintaining basic resistance on the bike.

Keep in mind that everyone in class is coming in with different experience and skill levels and that it is ok to back off the resistance or slow down if you need to. Push yourself, but not to the point of injury or throwing up. The nice thing about spin class is that it is dark and everyone is so focused on getting through their own workout, that nobody really notices what anyone else is doing.

daniellabella986

The nice thing about spin class is that it is dark and everyone is so focused on getting through their own workout, that nobody really notices what anyone else is doing.

That part literally made me feel 10x better haha

shurleec

I take spinning once a week. I was so afraid of going! The nice thing is no one knows what your resistance is set on, and it is dark, so no one can really judge you (everyone is usually so focused on their work out anyway) and you can go at your own pace. I have noticed the more resistance keeps me from bouncing in my seat, making my butt hurt less the next day. Good luck you'll do great!

dbmata

I signed up for my first class tomorrow morning (hello New Year) and I'm nervous!! I don't know why haha. I have always wanted to do a spin class and I figured it's now or never but I want to know...are there any tips you guys have on how to keep up and do well? Any special equipment you like to use? All I know as of right now is that I'll need a lifetime supply of water lol.

Thanks & Happy New Year!

Take a quart of water, and something to protect your gennies. Padded shorts are a must.

howardheilweil

I've been spinning for about six months... one or two classes per week. A couple of tips...
1) Do not think you have to, or even try, to keep up with the class. Hopefully the instructor will explain this, but one of the great things about spinning is you can go at your own pace.

2) Do not try to set up the spin bike yourself. Introduce yourself to the instructor and ask for help. They are trained to do this. I kept my settings in my phone until I had them memorized!

Other then that, have fun! It's a great workout.