Spinning and quads

jrlenig
jrlenig Posts: 364 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
I am not new to excercise at all and I am what I would say fit but I tried my 1st class on Saturday...the instructor was super impressed by me she said you would have thought I had been doing it for years...and I loved it.....here come the BUT does anyone have some suggestions for stretching really I mean really sore quadriceps...still sore from Spinning on Saturday...now I push through the pain and still workout but I would like to be able to sit down without my legs alomst giving out b/c of the pain... ( I run... ( and other cardio like kickboxing but the 2 days are killing me...my mile time is down from 9:30ish 1st mile and 13 minutes 2nd and 3rd mile 15 to almost crying and barley getting through only 1 mile in 15 minutes. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • utlegal1
    utlegal1 Posts: 1 Member
    The actual spinning motion should have circulated most of the lactic acid out of your quads. If it is typical soreness that comes from shocking a muscle, it should subside in a couple more days. Take some ibuprofen and just do the standing quad stretch after getting the muscle warm. Professional cyclists, to get lactic acid out of their legs, pedal for a minimum of 5 minutes at 90+ RPM. You could try that and follow it with some light stretching.

    Other than that, if the pain continues to be this unbearable, you may want to start thinking about whether you pulled a muscle.

    Hope you feel better.
  • limismith
    limismith Posts: 156 Member
    I'm interested in the answer to this, too. I have the same problem with spinning and pretty much anything that focuses on quads.

    bump
  • PBJunkie
    PBJunkie Posts: 652
    You can supplement with L-Glutamine and also try alternating between cold and hot water in the shower.
    If I were you I would rest a bit more as hill climbing in spinning can add some muscle mass to your quads and should be treated as if you were doing a leg workout with a rest day to follow for recovery.
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
    hi! Same boat exactly - I am definitely fit and exercise a LOT. I just started spinning though and have done 12 classes in the last month, and it is a killer. The calorie burn is so worth it though, and I committed to doing a 165 mile bike ride for MS next year so I need to get ready.

    Other than the typical, grab the front of your foot and pull it up to your butt behind you quad stretch there is also a yoga pose that is fantastic if you have the flexibility to do it. You need to sit on your butt, bent at knees with feet by your butt. Feet are beside you, not under you, and roll the calf musle out a little so that it is not trapped under your thigh. Then slowly lower yourself back until back and head rest on the floor. You can put arms above head to go even deeper.

    Pain is not good though, maybe your other cardio is too taxing on your quads and you should switch it up a little?

    Last suggestion - Spin class and cycling should be using your quads and hamstrings equally, you need to be getting as much motion from the upstroke of your foot as the downstroke. If you are letting your hamstrings off the hook and doing all with your quads then that could be the problem.

    I lied - really last suggestion - if your quads are that sore your resistance is probably too high and may damage your knees. Try taking it down some until you get used to it.

    Take care! Feel free to add me as a friend!
  • lindalee0315
    lindalee0315 Posts: 527 Member
    Quad stretching exercises that I know of are basically a variation of a theme. The standing quad stretch (sometimes called the "flamingo" stretch): standing on one leg, grab your ankle and pull up so your ankle touches your quad, keeping both knees close together. Same exercise can be done lying face down, or lying on either side.
  • lindalee0315
    lindalee0315 Posts: 527 Member
    That's a good one, too! I forgot about that one. It's a killer, but definitely a good stretch.
  • jrlenig
    jrlenig Posts: 364 Member
    I am thinking a day of rest in indeed what I need I spin at somewhere between 85 to 95 rph, and I did cycle on a stationary today for 10 minutes, making sure to loosen those muscles again but I really so like spinning so I am definitely not out of the game, I will spin again this Saturday and I can not wait! And the standing climb is like my favorite thing to do in spin which I thought I would hate! So during our last 4 minutes before our cool down it is free cycle in class and that is what I chose to do!
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