My new obsession...Spinning!

Spinning is my favorite cardio. I never bothered with the padded seat or shorts. You do fine after a couple of classes. What did make a nice difference for me was the shoes. I made sure I really liked spinning before making the investment. Now I wouldn't spin without them.

I am a Spinning addict. Most classes run 45 minutes to an hour. During "race" season, when I can ride outdoors, I take two Spin classes a week, each for an hour. In the winter the Y offers an additional fee class called endurance Spin, which is two hours long each Sunday for 3 months.

As others have said, your rear does adjust. Make sure that you have the instructor fit you to the bike so it's set up correctly. That minimizes discomfort and also allows you to get the most out of the workout. If you find you're going to do it often, you can invest in clips. This helps you on the upstroke, and allows you to engage more muscles. If you ride outside, you find that you have more power. Go to any bike shop and tell them you want clips for a Spin bike and they'll know what to do. (These also work on pedals for outdoor bikes). Padded shorts are great. I don't need them for the hour long class, but definitely use them for the two hour class and whenever I go on a long ride.

Spin is addicting! I love it. I burn between 700-850 in a class, depending on the intensity. Our instructor is geared toward triathletes, so we do different workouts in different training zones. In the two hour class I usually burn about 1300 calories.

I would have to agree that after the first couple of classes your butt does get used to the seat. I never really used my pad in the past because I became used to it and my past instructors had us out of the seat a lot.

I took a Spin class for the first time last night and I am hooked! I was dripping sweat, my legs were killing and I loved it! Thinking I need a padded cushion for the seat though OUCH! Anyone else out there doing Spin classes?

YES! I Spin 4x/week! I started almost a year ago, and I got hooked. It also helps that I go to an awesome studio (all they do is Spinning), and the instructors and other riders have become like family. I'm a bit spoiled there.

I wouldn't waste your money on a padded seat or padded shorts; by your third or fourth class, the soreness will be gone. Before long you won't even notice it anymore. Save your money to buy cycling shoes, which will change your life!

I love all the great input on Spinning! I'm a certified instructor and teach a few classes a week. What others said about the rear - it definitely will get used to it. It also helps to sit those "sit bones' further back on the seat. For anyone who is hesitant to try it, please know that the ride is customizable - meaning you do what you can when you can. The instructor is there to lead the way and provide the direction. You choose your intensity. I recommend showing up a few minutes early and asking the instructor to help you set up the bike so it fits you. They can also give you ways to modify the ride at times when the exertion levels are higher.

^This, especially the part about the "sit bones." A lot of people lean too far forward and rest their weight on their arms, which is not only incorrect form but puts a lot of stress plus creates a lot of friction on your crotch. It's not very comfortable for men or women. If you sit back a bit and let your legs do the work, you'll be much more comfortable.

I meant to add earlier that my legs have become much more defined due to Spinning. My husband is impressed

I am afraid to try it. I have weak legs, so I am not sure I can keep up!!! But maybe someday I will work up the courage!!!

There's no "keeping up". You don't go anywhere.

Seriously though, you control the tension on the spin bike. You can make the work out as easy or as hard as you like. One of the important things is finding a good spin instructor. I personally like them to be good at cueing, have variety in tempo/resistance in the workout and don't tell me to do stupid stuff on the bike.

How long is a spin class? I have been interested in maybe trying it but I'm not really sure what to expect.

At my gym, there are two spin classes offered....a 1 hour class and a 2 hour class. Also, they do the class first thing in the morning, in a darkened room. I don't know if that's normal though lol.

what's spinning? Is that just a stationary bike?

http://spinning.com/en/about_spinning

Spinning is actually a trademarked name, and it is different from indoor cycling in that there is much more regulation of the equipment, the facilities, and the instructors --> a safer, more effective ride for everyone. Spinning also has a spiritual side to it that may or may not exist in other indoor cycling classes. How spiritual (and in what way) depends on the instructor, though. All in all, it's meant to be very motivating, not touchy-feely and/or corny.

Our facility has a Master Instructor, too, which is kind of awesome. MIs tend to travel around a lot to different facilities, so if you can catch a class with one, you won't be disappointed, I promise!

I am a Spinning addict. Most classes run 45 minutes to an hour. During "race" season, when I can ride outdoors, I take two Spin classes a week, each for an hour. In the winter the Y offers an additional fee class called endurance Spin, which is two hours long each Sunday for 3 months.

As others have said, your rear does adjust. Make sure that you have the instructor fit you to the bike so it's set up correctly. That minimizes discomfort and also allows you to get the most out of the workout. If you find you're going to do it often, you can invest in clips. This helps you on the upstroke, and allows you to engage more muscles. If you ride outside, you find that you have more power. Go to any bike shop and tell them you want clips for a Spin bike and they'll know what to do. (These also work on pedals for outdoor bikes). Padded shorts are great. I don't need them for the hour long class, but definitely use them for the two hour class and whenever I go on a long ride.

Spin is addicting! I love it. I burn between 700-850 in a class, depending on the intensity. Our instructor is geared toward triathletes, so we do different workouts in different training zones. In the two hour class I usually burn about 1300 calories.

I cannot imagine two hours! Good for you. The instructor did a great job showing me how to adjust the seat. I can't wait to wear my heart rate monitor (forgot it last night) and see how many calories I burn!

This past March I did a four-hour Spinning marathon. My HRM said I burned over 2000 calories! It was really tiring, but I did some 2-hour training rides to train for it. There were 125 bikes, but we all did it, and we raised over $200,000 for a local charity :happy: I don't recommend doing 4-hour rides regularly, but a weekly 2-hour ride is totally doable when you're regularly doing 1-hour rides.

I've gone to 4 classes so far and I also love going to spin class. I just need to learn how to hold my arms. I keep too tight of a grip on the handlebars and in the process keep my shoulder muscles to tight. I'm still going to go next week. I'm hoping once I get my core muscles tighter I'll rely less on my arms.

Yes, you need a loose grip, your elbows should never be locked, and you should rest on the "heels" of your hands. You may even need to adjust your handlebars to better fit your body. You should never be holding on for dear life, whether you are seated or standing. If you are, you need to adjust your form and/or your resistance.

I still have days, though, where my arms get tired, and it's because my shoulders are too tense. I just have to remind myself to drop my shoulders and relax my arms.

Thanks for all the great tips! Looked into shoes and they look quite expensive!

I bought mine from geartrade.com. The quality of your experience depends on the seller, but I did some research and found out that the particular seller (called "Backcountry") who had the shoes I wanted was reputable. All the sellers are rated, too, like they are on eBay. I got a brand new pair of Louis Garneau shoes for $31 back in January. Retail price on them on the Louis Garneau site is $100.

After getting the shoes, I bought Shimano clips/cleats (brand new) on Amazon for $12 or $13. Your Spinning instructor should be able to help you get the clips/cleats on and adjust your bike settings to accommodate your new shoes.

Here are the current geartrade listings for women's road bike shoes: http://www.geartrade.com/browse/road-bike-footwear?gender=F

They are always changing, though!

Edited to add that Shimano, Louis Garneau, Northwave, and Pearl Izumi are some of the more popular brands of cycling equipment, including shoes.

LOVE them - yeah, your hiney will "get in shape" as well. you will be really sore the next time you sit on a bike - over time, it gets used to it though. I do recommend the biker's shorts to help.

I'd have to say the other reason I didn't enjoy it as much last night as I have in the past is because our room isn't that dark. The lights aren't on but it's not dark. I love really dark rooms when I spin. It'll take time for me to adjust but I'm sure I'll like it again. I did find on our schedule that we have 3 other instructors so I'd like to try each one and see who I like better because the guy I had last night was horrible! Instructors really do make a huge difference.