Spinning Class - Questions

emmaleigh47

So I finally bit the bullet and tried my first spin class this week. During the class I kinda hated it ... and prayed for it to be over, but after I find myself wanting to go back. I really struggled though, especially with anything involving standing up.

I was able to keep my legs moving the whole class, but couldnt do alot of the standing up parts. I am rehabbing my back and it would seize up with the standing parts. It was alot harder than I thought...

Can anyone explain the terminology to me? Or offer any tips? Was it hard for you the first time?

StaceyL76

Emma,

I can't give you terminology - I can tell you the beauty of spin classes is that you work at your own fitness level. I LOVE spin, I love that is it challenging and gives me room to grow my fitness level. I have not been to a class in a long while, mostly because there is only one good instructor at my YMCA - and I have been doing other things.

I suggest stick with it for a few more classes.. after a while, the seat doesn't hurt because you build muscles and if you like it, spin shoes ROCK!!!

Just make sure you are pushing and pulling... keeping your toes relaxed and centering on the middle of your foot.

Good Luck lady - you amaze me!

pilotgirl2007

Stick with it for a bit. Try as many instructors as you can. Each one has a different teaching style. What terminology do you have questions about? If you take a few classes you will get used to the terminology but I can't imagine that an instructor would explain some of it as the class is going on. I always teach with the idea that there is at least one person who is knew to spinning in the room so a lot of my regulars probably get pretty tired of me explaining how to do jumps or what I expect during sprints.

bluiz13

i love spin...i do it once a week....

position 1 is hands right in front of you on the handle bars - used for seated or "running"/standing sprints....
position 2 is hands on the middle sides of the handle bars - used for seated or standing regular push...
position 3 is hands at the top/front part of the handle bars - used for "climbing" either seated or standing....

resistance is the tightness you have the wheel/knob turned....
my instructor says 1 is very very very loose and 10 is soooo hard you feel like you are pushing with all your might.....
you usually tighten up to about a 4-6 for most workouts and then add heavier for climbing and to raise your heartrate...
you should never be at a 1 because you have NOOO control over the bike and your spinning....there should always be some resistance - like you are going against the wind a little.....

we are told to keep our heals pushed down as we spin....do your best to keep spinning no matter what and slow down if you need a "rest" but keep moving....it should be a "struggle" in order for you to get the most out of the class....

i thought i was going to hate spin but i have come to love it....hope my "novice" descriptions help....good luck and have a great time SPINNING....

denise

slp2112

Hi Emma!

I'm a huge spin fan and I'll do my best to tackle your questions.

First, be comfortable on your bike! Setting up your saddle - when the peddle is at its lowest position, there should still be a slight bend in your knee. I then set the handlebars to whatever feels most comfortable. ALWAYS bring a water bottle. Or two. And a towel or two. I like to put a towel over the handlebars to make them more comfortable.

Terminology 101
-position 1: you're seated, hands on the handle bars where they curve at a 90ish degree angle (though you can move around to whatever feels comfortable). Shoulders relaxed!!
-position 2: you're standing up straight, back straight, core engaged, hands where they were in position 1. You should be in control. If you're bouncing around, there's not enough tension on your fly wheel. (i've noticed this definition varies depending on who you talk to).
position 3: your hands are at the tips of the handlebars. Your hips are pushed back as far as you can. Your core is SUPER engaged and is pretty much responsible for controlling your movement up there. There should be little weight on your hands.
-jumps: involves coming in and out of the saddle, usually to the rhythm of the music.
-sprints/hills - i'm guessing you know this

When standing, it is HUGELY important that there is enough tension on your fly wheel. Too little, and your whole body, and particularly your joints, will hate you. When you're sitting, the seat is taking weight off your legs. But standing, your whole body weight is driving into your legs and feet so adding tension to the bike will help alleviate some of the pressure. Sounds exhausting, I know, but it's really really important.

What I recall most from my first spin class was being incredibly saddle sore the day after. But that will go away eventually. Even after two years of spinning, I'll be sore the day after if the instructor was good. The key to spinning is to remember that the instructor is there to guide you. You need not do exactly what they're saying. If you need to recover, recover. If you want your tension lower, set it lower. You'll discover that as you continue, you'll get stronger and build endurance and be able to follow the class more and more.

I hope you end up loving it as much as I do!!! It's way more accurate to biking than stationary bikes. I've used it to train for triathlons and duathlons. Plus, who doesn't love having someone else in charge of your workout? All you have to do is show up to class!

kklemencic

I have been cycling for almost 3 years and I love the cardio work out it gives me. I can always up the tension or decrease depending on what my body needs. If you can take a beginner class at the Y I am at they have them for 6 weeks, meeting once a week for an hour. It will build you up and also make sure you learn all the correct positions for all the different moves available on the cycle. I struggled at first also but you build up some great muscles and it is good for your heart and lungs. I did invest in cycle shoes and those are great and keep the bottom of your foot very stable. If your back is hurting you may be positioning yourself wrong, maybe leaning to far forward onto the handlebars. Keep all your weight in your legs, your arms on the bars are just for balance. Make sure you have enough tension when you stand up so as not to hurt your knees but the tension is all yours to have as hard or easy as your body needs.
I have turned four of my work out buddies onto cycle, they now love it and want to go 2-3 times or more a week. It is the best workout and burns a lot of calories. Hang in there you will build up your strength and when you see the benefits it is all worth it.
I even go cycle on my own and kick my own butt! You can send me questions if you like.

javamonster

That is exactly the joy of spinning - you do what you can. Know one else needs to know you didn't add in when the instructor said to! The classes I used to take were in a dark room which was great - kind of let you get into your own world and forget those around you.

I was okay with the standing up parts because I ride horses, and found it used a lot of the same muscles, which was a huge advantage. I would just do what you can with the standing up bits and gradually your strength will improve. With your back I wouldn't try to sustain standing up until it seizes up, just do a few strides and sit down again and pedal for a bit, then repeat, and eventually you'll be able to stand up for longer periods. I also find adjusting my hand position will help ease tension on my back. Also don't worry about pedaling very fast standing up to start out with, that will probably help too. :-)

smilebhappy

Hi Emma!

stick with it.....give yourself a few classes.
I was the same way after my first class but I went back
I absolutely LOVE it now!!!!!! ADDICTED!!!

good luck!

felicityksr

I have never taken spin classes but they are adding them to my gym in the next few months. I can't wait to at least try it. I hope I do like it. :bigsmile:

MLeigh18

Hey i have lower back problems too and hovering over the saddle (seat) and standing used to bother me every time, and after a few months of spin class my back doesn't hurt all the time now. it's only occasional, typically depending on what i did the day before.

Keep your abs engaged while standing, but don't keep them so tight that your back starts to curve. Just keep the engaged, like, um... if you were standing in front of the mirror and wanted to suck in just a little bit of that lower belly so your dress lays a little flatter over your tummy. not so much that you're really flexing your abs.

Secondly, don't push back and hover over the saddle until you've got better control of your standing. I learned the hard way. This hurt my back pretty bad and i was down for almost a week.

When you're on the bike, since you've got back problems, the handle bars should sit at or above your hips when youre sitting. that way you're not leaning over to hold the handle bars. Don't tighten your abs, again, so much while sitting on the bike that your lower back curves upward and don't straight your back so much that it begins to curve inward.

I sit up straight on the bike first then lean over grab my handle bars, and relax so there's a more natural and neutral spine curve. Also, the biggest thing is remember to hinge from your hips NOT your back. My spin instructor told me to think of my upper body, (everything from my hips up) as one piece and my legs are two different pieces. Essentially like an irish dancer that NEVER moves their upper body and it looks like their legs are not apart of their body-- meaning the only bending/movement should come from your hips not your back.

hope this helps.

crazyellybean

Stick with it!! I promise you it will get easier... I started back when I was 30lbs heavier and i could not finish the class and now I am in LOVE with Spin and and do 3-4 classes per week! It gets easier, don't give up.

If you can't do the whole standing part do it in intervals, stand until you have to sit, and then get back up when your rested. It's YOUR class so do what you need to get yourself comfortable!

Gemmageldmacher

Lots of really great advice here!! I am also a spin convert - I think it is truly one of the best cardio exercises out there in terms of calorie burn. It gets easier to do all the things that are currently hard (standing up gets easier, staying on the seat gets easier) but it is still a HARD workout and you can push yourself as much or as little as you want using the resistance. A couple of pointers:

1, I have read that those classes that incorporate upper body training using barbells or dumbbells are not good for you. If you want to incorporate an upper body workout, try going to a 45 min class or 30 min class and then doing some lifting afterwards.

2, As soon as you can, invest in spin shoes. They have them on sale at sports outlets all the time. They REALLY make a difference in the workout because you can both push AND pull the pedal, which helps work more parts of your legs.

Good luck and have fun!!!

Puffins1958

I agree with all the people above me, you have to take more than one class to see if it's for you. The first few classes my *kitten* never left the seat, I always felt like I was going to fall over. I think I have terrible balance. I used to go once a week, now I go to two classes. It gives me a better work out for cardio as opposed to the treadmill. After a few weeks, I am able to almost keep up with the class, as far as sprints and climbs. I find the workout great, and love to see the calories I burn at the end of the class. I'd go a few more times to see if it's for you, if not at least you can say that you've tried your best. All that matters, is that you have FUN in the process. Good luck.....

lindalee0315

I love Spin classes and attend 3x a week, including one two-hour Endurance Spin on Sundays. I'm using them to train for my first triathlon. I'll do my best to answer your questions, but first, your instructor should be available before class to assist in setting up the bike. If the bike isn't set up properly, you will be uncomfortable. Typically, people set the seats too low, because they are unaccustomed to how high a properly seated bike is. If you're at the right height, your legs should be nearly straight (a very slight bend) at the lowest part of the pedal stroke.

Position 1: Seated, in the saddle, hands directly in front of you on either side of the "U" bar, or if you prefer on the "U" bar itself. Totally your preference.

Position 2: Sometimes called a "standing run", You're standing upright, with your hands directly in front of you, gently resting on the bar. Most of your weight should be in your legs. Don't hunch over, and do engage your core, otherwise you may hurt your back.

Position 3: Also standing, thumbs at the end of the handle bars, so you are lower in your bike. Your rear should be barely above the saddle here. It is important here to engage your core as well.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have enough tension on the bike when you are standing. The motion should be fluid when you pedal. If it's jerky, then you should dial up the tension a bit until it smooths out. Without enough resistance, your knees will likely ache after a class.

I hope that helps. It's a great calorie burner, but there are many good classes and exercises if you find that spinning just isn't for you.

Violet319

I love Spin its made me stronger & given me much more endurance!! Stick with it..My instructor told me it takes 3 classes to really love it.

Rocking_Robin

Great post, Great comments! I am trying to work up trying a class next week Emma.....trainer wants me to try yoga, spin and bodypump and bodyattack. I think BP and BA are only at Gold;s.....one is with a dumbell and the other is between a scuplting class and aerobics....Eeeekkk!

emmaleigh47

Wow! Thank you for all of the great ideas and encouragement. For those of you who made comments about my back, I dont think normally it would hurt but I am nursing 3 hernaited discs. Although I am proud of myself for going to the class, now may have not been the best time.... but I am very much looking forward to going again.

They do have a basics class... but its Tuesday at 5:15 and I am in clinic until 5 pm (45 minutes away) so that is not an option at all!