Trying something new - Mk1

In my NY resolutions post, I said I wanted to try some new forms of exercise, and I'm pleased to report I have. I've tried a few classes, but the one I'm going to talk about just now is Spinning.



Spinning was the class I think I was most excited to try. People I know who've done it rave about it. Online reviews say it's fantastic. Apparently, you can burn up to 800 calories in an hours class. 800 CALORIES?! Sign me up!

In case you're not familiar with spinning, it's basically indoor biking. You sit on a stationary bike and pedal like hell for however long your class is!

Before I went to class, I had a different idea of what went on. I thought that you pedalled, but I also thought you did upper body exercises. It seemed a bit mad to me that you'd just pedal for an hour. I'm sure every class is different, but in my class we basically just pedal. There's no upper body exercises at all - save for a couple of stretches.

The bikes are pretty basic - no digital displays. Just a wee notch on the bike you use to control the resistance/tension. We're told at the beginning of the class to move the resistance to where our "ten" is and then we set off at a five. You bike in time to music that is blasting out - to me, that's the best part. And there's some good tunes on ours! Once we start pedalling we literally don't stop til the last few minutes when we're doing cool down. You don't stop when the music stops, you don't stop to change resistance, you just go, go, go.

The instructor will shout out to increase or decrease the resistance, and instruct you to pedal along in time with the music - there can be a fair bit of difference in the tempo, and I actually find it harder going slow!

A few times you crank the resistance right up and then get up and pedal standing up. Hooooly moooooly. When I was a kid I'd never think twice about pedalling like that - especially uphill! I find it SO hard at spin. I can't stay up the whole time (it's probably less than a minute), so I just do what I can and then sit back down and pedal sitting down. I have noticed in the short time I've been going that I can manage it longer now though.

My first impressions were that I hated it. I've never come out of a class hating it, but I downright hated it. I felt terrible when I came out of the class. I was tired, my legs hurt and I was actually grumpy. And even though I was tired and sore, I didn't actually feel like I'd had a good workout. Plus, the first time, your undercarriage will hurt. And hurt BAAAAAD! I'm not just talking butt cheeks, I'm talking everything that touches the seat. I was in agony - it was so bad that I couldn't sit up in bed that night and I had to sleep on my side. I could also still feel it painful (no joke) four days after I took the class. I was sure my foof was bruised and I was actually worried that I'd hurt myself until another first timer said she felt the same, phew!

I wasn't sure whether to go back or not. My friend who went along liked it and was definitely going back, but I wasn't sure. So I talked to another couple of friends who did it and also posted on the WW message boards. The response was overwhelmingly positive and everyone encouraged me to stick with it so after that feedback I decided not to shoot it down after class #1 (plus, rememeber - up to 800 calories!) so I decided to give it a month (which would be four classes) and see how I feel before looking for an alternative if I still don't like it. Also, everyone said ass-wise, the first class is the worst!

One of the other issues I had is that I am pretty short (5' 1") and I found the bike very uncomfortable. I felt like I could barely reach the handlebars (even with adjustments) which make the whole experience even more uncomfortable for me.

I went to the next class and I'm pleased to say I found a much more comfortable bike and although you could definitely feel your butt bone hurt a bit, it wasn't even a fraction as bad as the first time. But, in all honesty, I still found the class boring. Cycling to music in the dark, and not going anywhere. I bet I could cover miles on a real bike at that intensity for an hour. It doesn't energise me or excite me. I'm sure it's a good workout but because from the waist up nothing moves, it doesn't feel like it to me. I'm also worried, having little legs, that it could build up muscle in my legs and I'd end up with pins like a rugby player, no thanks!

Tonight is going to be my fourth class, so I will see how I get on after class tonight (if I make it, I might not make it to gym in time, in which case it'll be next week).

I'd definitely recommend trying it. Everyone else I've spoken to who does it loves it and finds it a fantastic workout. And if you do try it and like it and plan to keep it up, I'm pleased to say you can invest in gel seats or padded shorts to save your lil cheeks from pain! I'd also recommend taking a towel in to wipe your face (You. Will. Sweat!) and a full bottle of water.