anybody do a spinning class?

[littlemisschatalot]

i had a heart rate monitor on today and it burnt 502 cal for 1 hour. pretty good eh?

I love spinning :-) was so proud the first time I did a class

Do you have to be really fit already to take a class, or can you start off gently and build up?

the classes are very intense, but you can build up the length of time as some classes are shorter than others so therefore easier

What do you do in a spinning class?

I have a vision of 20 or so men and women just turning on the spot then all falling down with dizzyness!

Im gueesing thats not it?!

yeah that's pretty much it, plus lots and lots of sweating lol

you turn up and down the resistance, do a min standing then a min sitting, go as fast as you can for a set period of time, then go at a comfortable pace for a period of time, then pick up the pace again etc

its interval training on a bike

sounds dull but you feel amazing after it (well I do anyway, DH looked and felt like he was having a heart attact after his first and last try at spinning)

I used to spin, loved it, did 5 classes a week.

Those were the days that I could spin and eat what I wanted....

Another spin fan here!! I get a real buzz from my classes, although only doing 1 a week (among other things) at the moment- 5 classes a week sounds very impressive!

and still manage to have slim thighs and toned bottom.... oh hum those were the days...

I used to do some running on the treadmill beforehand then go straight into a spin class, I only gave it up because a friend joined the gym and wanted company in the gym, but she was one of those people that did not really want to work out, just wanted to do a bit of something and have a chit chat along the way.

She would say, oh let's go to the gym together etc etc and don't do the spin class, needless to say we are no longer friends, but I gave up my gym membership because she was trying to take charge.

Must look into going back.

We had a really fab teacher - he used to be a fitness instructor in the army.

He was made of steele!

"She would say, oh let's go to the gym together etc etc and don't do the spin class, needless to say we are no longer friends, but I gave up my gym membership because she was trying to take charge"

I've had "that friend" - joined my gym but only wanted to go together, she would never go alone. She wasnt even that interested in exercise, would turn up to something I said I was going to and say something like "my leg hurts so I cant, how about going for coffee intead"

She used to get annoyed if I went for it in a class, wanted me to giggle and cheat with her down the back like a pair of kids in gym class - that was not what I was paying £70 a month membership fees for!

Very annoying, also no longer friends

glad to see some other spinners here. it leaves me on such a high!

I started spinning about 18months ago. I was fed up with the other classes I was doing and felt I needed to do something harder. I found it really tough at first even though I was reasonably fit to start with. I lost half a stone without trying. I cant stop going now as I know how hard it would be to get into it again. Been trying to persuade my DH to join me but he wont consider it. Too much like hard work for him!

Yes, I love it and we have a few really good instructors and a couple medioka.

We had new bikes before xmas and they give the heart rate in front and the revs per min and the calories, along with how far you have travelled.

We do 45 min classes and it really is a good calorie burner, I will do 45 mins in the gym and 45 mins on the bike and use well over 1000 calories.

WOW Ivy wish we had bikes like that! I have been thinking of getting a heart rate monitor.

HRM are good as a guide for how you are excersising ach time. I have one with a band so it records your heart rate constantly and then at the end it gives max hr for that session and the average overall for that session, along with fat %

I love in the spin, to know how far I have travelled and managed 90k last week overall

ivy katy, how many classes was 90k?

5 spin classes, but I tend to love hill climbs so will reduce distance

The new spin bikes have 1-24 on the display, so it is good as you actually know where you are on the resistance level.

It was a different instructor yesterday and I did a good hill climb and got it up to 20 and also he got us sprinting to some really good music and rpm were staying at over 139 which meant I did nearly 20k

Whereas before it was hit and miss with each bike - as some the lever was harder than on other bikes.

that sounds good. i often wonder how far i have travelled. my heart rate during a fast sprint is around 188-192bpm average in a hill climb is around 177-184.
which gym is it..is it a chain? i use virgin gyms, they are usually up there with new equipment. i may ask about the spin bikes! i do 4 classes a week plus cardio circuits/boxersise/body pump.

The club company - they have a few around the country. The bikes are lovely - you dont realsie you have been riding c*ap till you get on a lovely new bike and glide through the class it is so smooth, still hard worj though.

I love the spin as I can get miles in my legs for the bigger longer distance rides in the spring outside, last year I was doing 50-60 miles ina day ride and want to up that this year.

wow. do you ride road? i'm a mountain biker so less distance. but saying that i cant wait to get out and ride i bet i will note a difference after all that spinning!

wow. do you ride road? i'm a mountain biker so less distance. but saying that i cant wait to get out and ride i bet i will note a difference after all that spinning!

I adore spin classes. I've never managed to get quite the same adrenaline surge in any other gym based class/exercise. I'm hoping to carry on throughout my current pregnancy. The fact that you can manage your own work rate means that it should suit anyone.

I go and and as most people have said the endorphin high is pretty good after a class!