Hey Ladies --

Have any of you ever done spinning? There's a girl I've worked in theatre with who has the GREATEST body who SWEARS by spinning...

I'm just wondering what it's like? As a bigger girl will I feel horrible about it? Any experiences with it? It can burn a HUGE amount of calories and I really have trouble motivating myself with cardio these days, so I'm thinking a cardio class might be the way to go...

help!

I LOVE spinning class. I'd be lost without it. It's fantastic cardio and it seems to tighten you up all around, too. I started spinning when I weighed 250 lbs, and yes it was a little uncomfortable at first (because I was out of shape), but it wasn't impossible. I noticed a difference in my ability to get through the whole class after only a couple of times. I find it fun, exhilarating, and VERY effective. I highly recommend it!!

I haven't taken a class but I've tried using those bikes. The seats are really skinny and hard (really hurt my bum and who-ha). I like to use the recumbent bike, it's much more comfortable. So my advice would be to see if you can try out the bikes in advance. If you're comfortable on them, go for the class, they're suposed to be great!

I should have mentioned the seat thing. Yes, it KILLED my bum and my hoo-ha the first time. Then I bought a seat cushion, and even though my butt comes out a little sore after class, it's quite bearable. I've heard that after you do spinning for a while, your butt's completely numb to it. So my advice: buy a good cushion and maybe some padded biking shorts/pants.

I love,love,love spinning. Whenever my coach tells us to cross train, that's what I do. Your who-ha and butt will be very uncomfortable for the first week, as has been said; however, its worth it. I love it because its just fun and guided and even though not everyone is on the same level, everyone can do it. You just have to push yourself. I know I bring my heart rate monitor and use that to keep myself honest. The key is finding a good class because a good instructor is awesome and a bad one, well, you'll want to kill yourself/deck him or her in the face. I would do it! Its stellar.

Your whole crotch/butt area will be killer sore... but SO worth it. I love my spinning class. There's so much variety in the class that the time passes so quickly!

I think that classes in general are the way to go. I'm a thousand times more likely to go to the gym if I have the mindset "okay, I have to be at the gym at 7:00 for spinning/yoga/boot camp/etc" rather than "I'll go to the gym sometime today." In my experience, there are so many body/fitness types in the classes that everyone is comfortable, and the people who are more in shape have been really helpful and motivating to those of us who aren't. I love spinning, but every class I've ever taken has been a really positive experience.

The seat trick is to keep your core tight - yes its going to hurt the first few times, but once you learn to keep your core tight and your upper body elevated, it doesn't hurt.

And yes, padded seats...

I've never really looked into it, but after reading this thread I did some research on it. It's supposedly one of the best cardio workouts you can do! I think in February I'm gonna start taking a class at my gym! Ha, thanks for the inspiration

Spinning is a great workout but I wouldn't worry about how many calories it burns. I did a spinning class before and its a awesome workout and it gets your legs burning. My advice is to take a thick towel and fold it over the seat since they tend to hurt your butt. I get on the upright stationary bike about 5 times a week and its sorta like spinning and I love how it gets my heart rate up. you will enjoy it

I have taken it a few times and yes my buns tend to get sore but it does get better. At the gym I attend they have a beginners class that last 30mins Ive taken that a few times but not as often as I like because its on sat morning. And thats the only beg class that they have each week. Im sure the results are great because you burn a lot of calories. thats actually one of my fitness goals for this year I would like to take that class weekly.

This all sounds great!! (Well, except for the sore butt....)

Maybe I'll try it in a few weeks when I'm feeling better about cardio and a little more back in shape!! Thanks for all the input ladies!

My biggest advice for spinning is to start out fairly slow. Hold back a little at first - don't go all-out 100% right away. Maybe keep the resistance a little lower than you think you could handle. You don't need to get a killer workout your first time, you need to learn how to do everything.

The first time I did it I thought I was going to die after about 15 minutes... and it was a BEGINNER class! I got through it, but just barely. After that first time I learned how far I could push myself and still be conscious and breathing after the 50 minutes was up.

I haven't taken a class in years... maybe I'll try again in January when classes start back up (that's the problem with college gyms - no fitness classes during breaks!). That way no one will notice I'm totally out of practice because I'll blend in with all the New Years Resolution folks.

Yes, spinning is awesome! I think it might be one of those things you either love or hate, but once you get into it and used to the seat and stuff, it's really fun. I actually look forward to going to class on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I second what JMC said about being more likely to go to a class at a set time than just making a vague commitment to go to the gym. I also really like the people in my class, so it's a good way to unwind and socialize after work. I also have great instructors, but I've had some bad ones too and those guys you do just want to punch in the face lol. Shop around for classes and find one with an instructor you like.

I would also recommend getting padded shorts, and start slow. When your butt starts to get too sore, you can stand up and pedal out of the saddle for a bit. Keep the resistance light--no one but you knows how hard you are working Spinning definitely did nice things for my butt, legs, and actually my triceps too.