A Cyclist Walks in to a Spin Class...
For the past five years, I have considered myself a cyclist. I have come to thrive off the joy I derive from riding outside and feeling the stillness of the world around me.
And for the last 3 years, I've had a gym membership with 24 Hour Fitness, where I can take a spinning class, for no additional charge, almost any day of the week. One time I showed up for a class, but after waiting 15 minutes for the instructor, I decided to leave.
But then just before Christmas, Abbie hopped on the 3-day free pass train and suggested we do a spin class. I was willing to try it out, while keeping a firm hold on my concerns and reservations. I've read about spinning from other cyclists and have noted a general sense of frustration and disappointment from many of them.
So we took a gander at the class schedule and found a spin class to go to.
My first mistake of the night was in taking only a small hand towel up to the studio with me (more on that later). My second mistake--related to the first--was in just having water as my form of hydration. Since we arrived significantly early, I proceeded to spend lots of time trying to get my bike set up just right. I soon realized this was a losing battle, since there were only a finite number of positions to choose from for saddle and handlebar position. For a cyclist who is used to adjustments done in millimeters, having to choose between hole 11 and 12 is extremely frustrating. (Go ahead and scowl at me for being an uppity cyclist. I probably deserve it.)
Slowly, the regulars began to arrive and then their loyal instructor. When she decided to get things started, she told us the three rules: find the tempo, save the conversations for after class, and take your phone outside if you need to answer it (I think I got all those right). I was then, and still am now, baffled by the "find the tempo" rule. A) No part of that rule was able to sync with my experience of cycling and 2) I'm not confident in my ability to find a tempo while standing on my two feet, let alone while trying to get two pedals to make continuous revolutions.
As I mentioned, it was a mistake to bring only a small towel with me. Despite any frustration with the method of workout, it was definitely one that got my heart rate up and sweat glands activated (I don't need much help with the second part). Within no time I was covered in sweat and quickly running out of dry spots on my towel. Clearly water was not sufficient to keep up with my sweat rate. I wish I would have filled up my bottle with a Nuun tablet. I watched as my electrolytes dropped to the floor and pooled up on my skin. Meanwhile, to my left and right were people who didn't seem to have worked up their first drop. The lady on my left was bone dry the entire time! Seriously?!
Hanging from the ceiling above us were three enormous fans...all of them standing completely still. I repeatedly looked upward, just willing them to start moving. Given that my telepathic pleads weren't enough, I eventually worked up the brazen courage of a newbie and said, "Do you ever turn the fans on?" My naive inquiry got a nice little roar of laughter from the class. Apparently that was a dumb question. In case the laughter wasn't enough, the instructor informed me that, no, the fans do not get turned on.
Ummmm, 24 Hour Fitness, if you're listening . . . did you know this? Did you know that you shelled out big bucks for ceiling ornaments?
All that aside, my other takeaways from my experience in spinning:
1) I was disturbed by how much bouncing around there was. As a cyclist, I focus on keeping my upper body very still on the bike. I want all the motion to be in my legs. But in this class, we were throwing ourselves at the handlebars. When we were "climbing," everyone was bouncing up and down. But there I was, trying to keep my hips level and maintain proper cycling form. When it came time to "sprint," everyone was spinning their legs round and round at a manic pace mostly fueled by the bike, itself. Throughout the class, I couldn't avoid the instinct to adjust the resistance in order to keep myself around 90 rpm. I'm used to shifting gears frequently on my bike, and that instinct didn't leave me in the spin studio.
2) It was a good workout. I wore my heart rate monitor and frequently checked-in to see where I was. I spent a good amount of time in the desired range for burning calories. And even without the digital proof, my body told me I was getting a good workout.
3) Group exercise isn't awful. I like to workout, but sometimes I lack the creativity or fortitude to give myself an experience that's actually a good use of my time. Having someone tell me what to do and how long to do it was good. The natural cynic in me did scoff every time the instructor said, "How are you feeling?" and the woman next to me responded enthusiastically with "Great!" Every. single. time. She was always "Great!!!" But even so, working out with a group was pretty okay.
4) Because the instructor was only person I could watch, I found myself critiquing her cycling form. I noticed that she pointed her toes down towards the floor when she got to the bottom of the pedal stroke. This defies what I have been taught about proper cycling form. I wondered what, if anything, she had been taught about ankle rotation and foot position while pedaling. In general, I found myself wondering what benefit the cycling community and spinning community can be to one another.
Bottom line: I might make another appearance in that class just so I don't become "the wussy who wanted the fan on and never came back." I will probably need to adjust my expectations beforehand, though. Oh, and also grab a bigger towel and a drink with some electrolytes!
And for the last 3 years, I've had a gym membership with 24 Hour Fitness, where I can take a spinning class, for no additional charge, almost any day of the week. One time I showed up for a class, but after waiting 15 minutes for the instructor, I decided to leave.
But then just before Christmas, Abbie hopped on the 3-day free pass train and suggested we do a spin class. I was willing to try it out, while keeping a firm hold on my concerns and reservations. I've read about spinning from other cyclists and have noted a general sense of frustration and disappointment from many of them.
So we took a gander at the class schedule and found a spin class to go to.
My first mistake of the night was in taking only a small hand towel up to the studio with me (more on that later). My second mistake--related to the first--was in just having water as my form of hydration. Since we arrived significantly early, I proceeded to spend lots of time trying to get my bike set up just right. I soon realized this was a losing battle, since there were only a finite number of positions to choose from for saddle and handlebar position. For a cyclist who is used to adjustments done in millimeters, having to choose between hole 11 and 12 is extremely frustrating. (Go ahead and scowl at me for being an uppity cyclist. I probably deserve it.)
Slowly, the regulars began to arrive and then their loyal instructor. When she decided to get things started, she told us the three rules: find the tempo, save the conversations for after class, and take your phone outside if you need to answer it (I think I got all those right). I was then, and still am now, baffled by the "find the tempo" rule. A) No part of that rule was able to sync with my experience of cycling and 2) I'm not confident in my ability to find a tempo while standing on my two feet, let alone while trying to get two pedals to make continuous revolutions.
As I mentioned, it was a mistake to bring only a small towel with me. Despite any frustration with the method of workout, it was definitely one that got my heart rate up and sweat glands activated (I don't need much help with the second part). Within no time I was covered in sweat and quickly running out of dry spots on my towel. Clearly water was not sufficient to keep up with my sweat rate. I wish I would have filled up my bottle with a Nuun tablet. I watched as my electrolytes dropped to the floor and pooled up on my skin. Meanwhile, to my left and right were people who didn't seem to have worked up their first drop. The lady on my left was bone dry the entire time! Seriously?!
Hanging from the ceiling above us were three enormous fans...all of them standing completely still. I repeatedly looked upward, just willing them to start moving. Given that my telepathic pleads weren't enough, I eventually worked up the brazen courage of a newbie and said, "Do you ever turn the fans on?" My naive inquiry got a nice little roar of laughter from the class. Apparently that was a dumb question. In case the laughter wasn't enough, the instructor informed me that, no, the fans do not get turned on.
Ummmm, 24 Hour Fitness, if you're listening . . . did you know this? Did you know that you shelled out big bucks for ceiling ornaments?
All that aside, my other takeaways from my experience in spinning:
1) I was disturbed by how much bouncing around there was. As a cyclist, I focus on keeping my upper body very still on the bike. I want all the motion to be in my legs. But in this class, we were throwing ourselves at the handlebars. When we were "climbing," everyone was bouncing up and down. But there I was, trying to keep my hips level and maintain proper cycling form. When it came time to "sprint," everyone was spinning their legs round and round at a manic pace mostly fueled by the bike, itself. Throughout the class, I couldn't avoid the instinct to adjust the resistance in order to keep myself around 90 rpm. I'm used to shifting gears frequently on my bike, and that instinct didn't leave me in the spin studio.
2) It was a good workout. I wore my heart rate monitor and frequently checked-in to see where I was. I spent a good amount of time in the desired range for burning calories. And even without the digital proof, my body told me I was getting a good workout.
 |
| Elevated heart rate? Check! |
4) Because the instructor was only person I could watch, I found myself critiquing her cycling form. I noticed that she pointed her toes down towards the floor when she got to the bottom of the pedal stroke. This defies what I have been taught about proper cycling form. I wondered what, if anything, she had been taught about ankle rotation and foot position while pedaling. In general, I found myself wondering what benefit the cycling community and spinning community can be to one another.
Bottom line: I might make another appearance in that class just so I don't become "the wussy who wanted the fan on and never came back." I will probably need to adjust my expectations beforehand, though. Oh, and also grab a bigger towel and a drink with some electrolytes!
Comments
Post a Comment