Joined a gym recently and in the process of trying out some of the classes, circuit etc. Tonight I have the chance to try some spinning, but I am worried it will be a bit monotonous.

Am I wrong and is it really awesome?

Depends who’s in front of you.

It is Awesome!!!

I was in a spinning (RPM) class at 7:15 this morning. If you find it monotonous you’re not trying hard enough.

I really enjoy spinning if it’s run well, should be a good mix of pace difficulty, and after 45 minutes pedaling you’ll be a broken sweaty mess!

Did it once when I was away with work and totally agree with Don Simon. There was a couple of things that kept it interesting.

I usually just take a decent Clive Cussler book in with me and read that. Been thinking about getting one of those Ipads or Amazon Kindles for it, would be ideal I think.

eh spinning ? what on your head ? lol… 😉

jeebus, if you’re able to think about anything other than just turning the pedals then you’re not doing it right imho (ok with the exception of the “view” at times). You can make spinning as easy or hard as you like, but the instructor does make a big difference…the shouty sergeant major types work for me. After 45 minutes of spinning I am completely spent.

You can tell who’s going for it by the size of the puddle of sweat around them… 😀

Toned, sweaty women…. I think I’ll go again tomorrow…

You can tell who’s going for it by the size of the puddle of sweat around them…

Clive Cussler is a literary god, his books do this to me for some reason.

I haven’t been for ages, but I loved it. The instuctor kept asking me about my heart rate and then kept telling me it was too high as hers was 20-30bpm lower. Like most things, you’ll get out of it what you put in. The view was quite good too.

I usually just take a decent Clive Cussler book in with me and read that. Been thinking about getting one of those Ipads or Amazon Kindles for it, would be ideal I think

Dude, if you can read during a proper spin class, you’re just not doing it right!? Sure, you can read easily enough when you’re sitting on a bike in the gym spinning away, but no way could you do that in a class?

As the others say, by the end of 45 minutes or so, you should be a quivering spent mess with around a litre or two of sweat pooled around you! My gym has back to back classes occasionally, I’ve actually come over all faint in the second one a few times, had to back off and just cruise for the last bits!

So. Do I need to bring anything with me in particular? Thinking footwear. Usually wear my trainers to the gym/classes. Would something a bit more firm soled be suitable?

Take a towel…

and a big bottle of water…

normal gym trainers will be fine. i often were my spd shoes as they are better for cyling in.

I can’t use the actual SPD side of the pedal though – the cranks seem to have a Q factor of about a meter – anyone else find this?

+1 on the towel.

SPD shoes if you can, some gyms have cleats. At least something hard soled I hate trying to pedal in trainers sol kind of bends.

And another bottle of water and another towel.

echo what other people have said. Depends on the instructor.

Done a few where it hasn’t been that intense and others where they do massive sprints every minute. Of course i don’t do these by halves and spin like a madman for 20 secs (head down) while others in the class aren’t really going balls out.

I use cycling shoes with spd cleats. Most of the bikes I’ve come across have had the option to clip in. Other than that a towel and water are a must.

Spinning is the only class where I would regularly get a little bit of sick after the big efforts. Like some said above if you’re not spent after 45 minutes you’ve been holding back.

If there are different instructors at various times of the week try them all and see which you prefer, the instructor makes all the difference.

thomthumb – yes… especially the left side… which I think is why my left knee is shot to **** at the moment.

Any spin class that requires you to do anything other than ride the bike hard (e.g. press-ups, sudden stops to pedal backwards), get up and walk out.

The best classes should really be intervals sessions. If you haven’t got the biggest pool of sweat beneath you at the end of the class, you haven’t tried hard enough.

Oh, and +1 for the quality of the “view” to keep your mind off the pain… 😉

I know it’s not really my place to ask and please forgive me if this seems a bit forward… and maybe a silly question.. but, I can’t help but think…
Why not just go out on your bike??

Lunch hours on ****** business parks!

If you have an HRM wear it.

Why not just go out on your bike??

IMHO, a spin class will give you so much more real benefit than a comparable length ride. You will get fitter from spin and you will lose weight, all from one tortuous 45 minute session 🙂 Plus, the view really is rather nice, usually… pity you can’t wear sunglasses in there actually! 8)

Why not just go out on your bike??

Mainly time. And the fact that a condensed intervals session is often better done on a static bike, so when you throw up/pass out you’re not going to crash on the road.

Why not just go out on your bike??

1. The weather is awful
2. Time limits make mtb impractical in the evening
3. Road riding at night is suicidal

There’s three reasons off the top of my head.

I know it’s not really my place to ask and please forgive me if this seems a bit forward… and maybe a silly question.. but, I can’t help but think…
Why not just go out on your bike??

Not forward at all. It breaks down like this, where I live there is no decent off road riding really. So as a result have to stick the bike in the car for 60-120mins to get to anything decent. I considered getting a road bike just to keep me cycling during the weeks I couldn’t be asked with the hassle and expense of doing this. Decent-ish road bike cost about £400+, maybe less second hand, even so I cannot really afford that at the mo. As a result I decided to join a gym just to keep active during the week as it only costs £30 a month. The gym offers spin classes so I thought it would be a decent compromise.

Becasuse a 45 min spin class makes you feel like you’re Schleck after chaseing Contador up a moauntain after he’s been eating the special sausage.

There’s no way I could push myself THAT hard on a ride, things would get in the way like downhills, or traffic, and all out efforts to almost blacking out aren’t generaly a good idea on your own.

Its kinda like going out with the local chain gang, only with more ‘view’.

Not a substitute for riding, but if you just want to get leg strength and go fast, quickly then 45min Spinning easily eclipses 1hr30 Singlespeeding.

Once my knee’s recovered I’ll probably go back, used to do it 3x a week (monday, tuesday, thursday) where tuesday was back to back sessions with a 15min ‘rest’ where you can regain some composure and fill a water bottle.

Fairy muff 🙂

I use cycling shoes with spd cleats. Most of the bikes I’ve come across have had the option to clip in. Other than that a towel and water are a must.

+1

Spinning can be dull, depends entirely on the instructor – a good instructor will turn you into a sweaty mess, a bad one will bore you out of your head. Fortunately most gyms know this, and get rid of the bad ones pretty fast.

One other thing, don’t expect it to be a walkover just cos you cycle a lot…

interested in spinning now! my gym doesnt do spinning, but i dont like the gyms around me that do. hmmmmmmmm

dez – one of our instructors does a ‘hill session’ 8 minute climb followed by a 12 and another 8.

that just ain’t possible round here (i think your local-ish)

One other thing, don’t expect it to be a walkover just cos you cycle a lot…

I won’t at all. As I do not cycle that much at the moment. Plus I have been ill recently so for my first session I will be taking it easy-ish. Yeah I know that defeats the point of the thing, but I will get an idea of what it entails etc.

interested in spinning now! my gym doesnt do spinning, but i dont like the gyms around me that do. hmmmmmmmm

My gym is a council one so I am prepared for it being a bit ‘rustic’, thing is council ones usually allow you to pay as you go for the classes if you wanted to try it.

our local council gym (where I generally do 2 spinning classes a week) has a full suite of those Livestrong bikes, which are certainly the best I’ve used, so don’t discount your local municipal until you’ve checked. Most bikes I’ve used tend to have spds on one side of the pedal, which obviously makes a difference particularly if you’re accustomed to them. Personally, I keep a cheap but firm-soled pair of spd shoes for indoor use only, turbo at home and spinning classes at the gym.

So. Do I need to bring anything with me in particular? Thinking footwear. Usually wear my trainers to the gym/classes. Would something a bit more firm soled be suitable?

Some have pedals that will take an SPD cleat.

I used to really enjoy spining at my old gym. Good music and the instructor was real good. Good at motivating and made it fun.

New gym is crap music and I think its a bit flat.

I won’t at all. As I do not cycle that much at the moment. Plus I have been ill recently so for my first session I will be taking it easy-ish. Yeah I know that defeats the point of the thing, but I will get an idea of what it entails etc.

I enjoy the classes, usually go 2 or 3 times a week – it’s not as good as a proper bike ride, but I don’t have time to get a decent ride in during the week, and 45min of intervals is a lot better than nothing!

Taking it easy is fairly simple, too – just don’t turn up the resistance.

My experience of it was: boring, sweaty and nackering.

oh and pleeeease wipe down the bike when you’re finished. yuk!

pedalhead – IIRC – Windrush Sports Centre??

Genuine question, whats the difference between spinning and a turbo trainer?

I’ve only ever done one spinning class and found it as hard/no harder than using a turbo trainer ie you can make both as hard or as easy as you like.

Apart from the views in the gym I think I would prefer to be at home so I can watch the TV whilst being on a more comfy bike.