Spin Class 101: Tips for Surviving Your First Session

Biking is not for everyone. Riding your bike in traffic is not for everyone. For those who beg for a hefty, aerobic-based power workout, however, there is a fitness course called Spin Class. Spinning prevents you from getting run over, getting mocked for your silly shorts, and having to make your daily ride all alone.

Why? Because it is a cycling session that takes place inside most gyms. Safe from traffic and way more precise in its target, spin classes are available to people of all fitness levels who wish to pump up the heart rate and scream in ecstatic pain to the beat of pulsing music.

Top Tips for Enduring Your 1st Spin Class

Does this sound like you? Good. Let us fill you in on some tips to ensure you survive your first spin class.

Get There Early!

Being early to the class is not about impressing your instructor – much. Since you will be spending between 45 minutes and an hour on a bicycle, it is wise to show up a while before class starts to adjust your cycle according to your requirements.

Not only is it essential to adjust your saddle and handlebars according to your height, but using a cycle that is not set up for your unique features, could result in injury.

Set-up

Because you don’t want to look like a novice, you can set up your cycle according to the following measures. First, seat yourself on the saddle and put the ball of your foot on the pedals. Your seat should be high enough for your leg to be straight in this position, but not too high as to make your hips rock when you pedal. Even the mere thought of that kind of chafing hurts! Alternatively, hop off the bike and place your seat at your hip height.

Adjust Resistance Level

If you find yourself unable to start pedaling, it might be because the resistance setting is wrong. Please do not make the mistake of overestimating your abilities before your first try at Spinning. Remember, you will be doing this for an hour!

• Too Much Resistance – You will not end up with Terminator quadriceps if you feel the need to increase resistance. Instead, your body will employ bad form only to try to get through the ride. Bad posture and execution will result in recruiting the weaker muscles of your back and upset your ankles instead of working the large muscles you are supposed to hit. (Glutes, hamstrings, and quads)
• Too Little Resistance – Should you underestimate yourself, or think less is more manageable, you are doing just as much damage as the contrary. With the lack of controlled resistance that is meant to work your core, butt, and legs, you will end up jiggling your bottom all over the saddle and possibly damage your knee joints as the result of ballistic movement, which might cause unwanted discomfort to your crotch for the next few days!

Breathe!

If this is your very first spin class, you will undoubtedly be in shock. You’ll expose your senses to speeds and methods you have never even heard of, and you will feel as if you cannot keep up. However, the key to keeping up is simple – remember to breathe. With all the blasting music and pumping action all around, your focus on your efforts might distract you from just basic survival. Take deep breaths and try to breathe in equal cadence to optimize blood flow and oxygen delivery to your muscles.

No White-Knuckling

In the frenzy of the spin class, you will be trying to stay alive while the panting madly for air. Your legs and butt will be on fire, and you will wonder why you ever came, but while you are raging on thrusting your legs down on those pedals and raising those glutes I salute, take note of your hands.

While the fatigue grips us during workouts, it is imperative to make sure that you are not clutching the bars, which can have uncontrolled measures on your wrists. Many people, when they begin to tire, tend to press their upper body weight through their shoulders to their wrists, putting far too much pressure on those joints. This pressure is meant for your core to keep stable and support your posture instead.

Not sure how to test this? Now and then, you can lift your fingers off the handlebars. If you find that your body is unsupported or threatens to lose balance, you are misplacing the pressure onto your hands instead of keeping it tight in your core.

Hydration

The amount of heat that builds up in a square room with a full class could raise the temperature considerably. Not only will the room be hot, but your core body temperature will rise as you exercise. Yes, you are supposed to work up a good sweat, but not so much as to cause exhaustion.

Make sure you have more than enough water for your spin class to ensure proper hydration. Just a note: try not to gulp down too much water during your session as it might cause nausea. Oh, and don’t forget your towel to wipe off the torrential stream of sweat from your brow and jaw.

Proper Attire

This last tip is mainly for the ladies. A supportive and well-made sports bra is crucial for spin class. You’ll be leaning in and out of the saddle while pedaling wildly to the beat of the music. These intense movements of a spin class will require a sturdy bra to make sure that you focus on your workout and not your pile-out. If you are not sure if the sports bra is right, put it on and jump up and down. Minimal movement in the bra will prove to be a good purchase, and buying three or more are ideal. After all, you will be drenching it every time you attend a spin class.

Spin Class 101 Summary

Book in and prepare, but do not try to be perfect the first time. Spinning instructors have informed fitness experts who are there to help you. In the noisy pulse of music, your classmates will be happy to egg you on, so take it easy and have a ball!

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