Fitness Classes - Anyone else take them?

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giaciccone
giaciccone Posts: 257
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone else take fitness classes? My university offers them for free during the week.

I was doing Zumba on Tuesday nights, but the class was extremely popular & too many people were trying to do it all at once. It was very frustrating because there would always be the same two friends stepping on my toes each week & pushing me to the back of the class despite how short I am & how hard it is to see the equally as short instructor.

Now I'm taking a Spinning class with anywhere from 4-6 people. I think a lot of people are intimidated by spinning, but I really enjoy it. Our instructor is a really nice, energetic girl who plays a great mix of musical genres to spin to. Does anyone else spin? If so, tell me about your experiences! I want to hear about others & see if I could pick up a few tips for myself.
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Replies

  • MrsRadder
    MrsRadder Posts: 207 Member
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    Yes I try to take three a week! I use them to push myself harder. It's easy to just do the reps and leave the gym... but when you are with a group of people working hard you work harder too!
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
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    No. Just you. :tongue:
  • giaciccone
    giaciccone Posts: 257
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    Yes I try to take three a week! I use them to push myself harder. It's easy to just do the reps and leave the gym... but when you are with a group of people working hard you work harder too!
    I completely agree! It makes me want to stay for the whole hour because I don't want the room full of people to think I'm quitting! It's a really great way to hold yourself accountable, I think.
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
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    I've tried group classes in the past, but hate them. I enjoy working out alone for ME time :wink:
  • littleali
    littleali Posts: 179 Member
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    I spin! Or used to. I don't understand why people are so terrified of spinning in comparison to other classes! I think so long as you are sensible with the incline and resistance, it can be a great workout. It's even better when you like the instructor! I'm also signing up for pilates so we'll see how that goes in a big group (25+) as I've only ever done it in a class of about 5.
  • lindsaylove07
    lindsaylove07 Posts: 444 Member
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    Zumba is really popular, but I find going to the other classes, we have cardio fusion which is a mix between cardio and weight training is WAY more fun than zumba, and you get more attention from the instructor if you're doing something wrong. I like trying out the new classes!

    And spin, at 545AM is such a great way to start my day
  • Section117_Zolos
    Section117_Zolos Posts: 71
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    I spin twice a week through my employers gym and I love it. It's a great workout.

    I don't get why anyone would be intimidated by it. I also spin at 6am, so I'm glad to know that someone else does it that early! :)
  • StefD78
    StefD78 Posts: 18 Member
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    yep! I get bored on machines and I've met some great people :) I go to Gold's and we have the Les Mills classes. Im a regular at Body Combat. Its a great workout and its cheaper than therapy I did Zumba for a while but quit when I found Combat. Hoping to become an instructor someday :)
  • uniqute1888
    uniqute1888 Posts: 182 Member
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    i have a mini obsession w spinning a friend introduced me and now i go all the time sometimes back to back classes lol.... and if i cant sleep in the am its off to spin class! i have p90x for everything else spinning is a 'just for fun' and a way to let out aggression!

    Funny story for you all tho.

    I went to take a pilates class w a friend and due to the holiday weekend they switched up the schedule and we had to spin instead... BUT i wore my thinner yoga pants and not my bike capris ... So i went in the elevator to leave and felt the very cold metal railing on my tush.... My pants were ripped thru the back seem.... And of course i sit in the front of the class and also this particular day i went to the co-ed gym!.... Lucky i had a jacket with to cover up on my walk back to the car!


    Anywho - Happy Spinning!
  • HoopFire5602
    HoopFire5602 Posts: 423 Member
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    I used to take yoga back when i lived in hawaii. I loved the class. When I moved here to MS though, there really isn't that much around. I have to go to New Orleans for my current class: trapeze and aerial silks. We have classes here on base, but they are always while I am working, so i can only do them on weekends. :(
  • smilebhappy
    smilebhappy Posts: 811 Member
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    H there ;)

    Yep, I used to take Zumba classes M,W,F. I totally LOVED the class!!
    The instructor had stopped teaching though :frown: so I moved onward & upward to better things lol
    I now take spinning class....I never imagined myself taking this class but I Really LOVE it!!!
    I usually take the class 2 - 3 times a week. There could be just a few ppl there or the class could be full
    Spinning is an awesome exercise & can be very challenging too.
    Our instructor normally has some great up-beat music (which helps me push myself harder) & he is great
    at pushing each of us past our comfort zone.
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
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    Classes are fun. They do make you work harder than if you were by yourself. I have taken Step, Kickboxing, Zumba, Spin, and Weight training classes. Enjoyed them all.
  • lbewley3
    lbewley3 Posts: 96 Member
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    I love spin class!! Get some spin shoes - they made a big difference for me. Make sure you pull up the pedals and not just push down. Try to keep your upper body fairly still when in a run, don't bob around - put all your effort into your legs. Work in some intervals in case your instructor doesnt (some of mine do, some don't), which means spin as fast as you can for 30-40 seconds, slow down for 10 seconds, repeat 3-4 times. I hate them, would much rather do a heavy climb, but know how good they are for me.

    I just read in the July//Auguest issue of Fitness magazine that spinning has the greatest 'afterburn' of the cardio exercises, even though the active calorie burn during the activities is similar. Once example is a 45 minute spin class which burned 519 calories had a 190 calorie post-workout burn compared to a 60 minute interval running session which burned 515 calories but only had a 75 calorie post burn.

    Your effort makes all the difference - I see some in my class which must have their resistance really low - they barely break a sweat. But that's another nice thing about spinning - you can adjust the effort depending how you feel.
  • giaciccone
    giaciccone Posts: 257
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    I spin! Or used to. I don't understand why people are so terrified of spinning in comparison to other classes! I think so long as you are sensible with the incline and resistance, it can be a great workout. It's even better when you like the instructor! I'm also signing up for pilates so we'll see how that goes in a big group (25+) as I've only ever done it in a class of about 5.
    Do tell me about the pilates! I'm very curious & would like to try it myself eventually!
  • giaciccone
    giaciccone Posts: 257
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    yep! I get bored on machines and I've met some great people :) I go to Gold's and we have the Les Mills classes. Im a regular at Body Combat. Its a great workout and its cheaper than therapy I did Zumba for a while but quit when I found Combat. Hoping to become an instructor someday :)
    I wish you all the best with that! Body Combat sounds like it could be really fun too :D
  • giaciccone
    giaciccone Posts: 257
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    i have a mini obsession w spinning a friend introduced me and now i go all the time sometimes back to back classes lol.... and if i cant sleep in the am its off to spin class! i have p90x for everything else spinning is a 'just for fun' and a way to let out aggression!

    Funny story for you all tho.

    I went to take a pilates class w a friend and due to the holiday weekend they switched up the schedule and we had to spin instead... BUT i wore my thinner yoga pants and not my bike capris ... So i went in the elevator to leave and felt the very cold metal railing on my tush.... My pants were ripped thru the back seem.... And of course i sit in the front of the class and also this particular day i went to the co-ed gym!.... Lucky i had a jacket with to cover up on my walk back to the car!


    Anywho - Happy Spinning!
    Lol! Oh no! Well, at least you realized it before you walked out to the parking lot!
    Thanks for posting! :)
  • giaciccone
    giaciccone Posts: 257
    Options
    I love spin class!! Get some spin shoes - they made a big difference for me. Make sure you pull up the pedals and not just push down. Try to keep your upper body fairly still when in a run, don't bob around - put all your effort into your legs. Work in some intervals in case your instructor doesnt (some of mine do, some don't), which means spin as fast as you can for 30-40 seconds, slow down for 10 seconds, repeat 3-4 times. I hate them, would much rather do a heavy climb, but know how good they are for me.

    I just read in the July//Auguest issue of Fitness magazine that spinning has the greatest 'afterburn' of the cardio exercises, even though the active calorie burn during the activities is similar. Once example is a 45 minute spin class which burned 519 calories had a 190 calorie post-workout burn compared to a 60 minute interval running session which burned 515 calories but only had a 75 calorie post burn.

    Your effort makes all the difference - I see some in my class which must have their resistance really low - they barely break a sweat. But that's another nice thing about spinning - you can adjust the effort depending how you feel.

    Spinning shoes? I've never heard of them, but I'll do some online research about where I can get some!
    Our instructor is fabulous. One song we do climbs, another sprints, another running squats/runs and so on and so forth. We have class for about an hour but she takes the last ten minutes to do a cool down. I really enjoy it too!
    Thanks so much for all of the tips! I really appreciate the feedback :D
  • lcoulter23
    lcoulter23 Posts: 568 Member
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    I go to zumba on Thursday evenings, although that is about to change because I'm starting night school on Monday. Don't know what I will be doing because I don't have a car during the day.
  • MeganJo
    MeganJo Posts: 69
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    LOVE spinning! However, I did it for about a year and it killed my knee. I finally went to a class with a new instructor and she came over and told me I had my bike setup wrong (no other instructor had ever really showed me how to set it up). There was an instant change and it also made spinning seem easier when I had my bike set up correctly. A good instructor is definitely key!
  • lbewley3
    lbewley3 Posts: 96 Member
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    Spin shoes just have clips on the soles so that you lock on to the pedals instead of using the toe cages. I find they keep my knees straight and also make it easier to do the pull up motion - you will love them for the sprints! They aren't cheap (mine were $90) but since I only wear them i the spin room, they'll last for years.

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