Top Tips for Spinning

I first discovered indoor cycling properly when I moved to London, and went along to a class at Cyclebeat. I loved the party atmosphere, the intensity and the fact that the dimly lit room allowed you to work at your own pace and hid your red, sweaty face!

Since then I've been to a wide range of different studios, trying classes with leaderboards, classes with weights and classes with live music! And the love is still there. For the past few months I've been visiting BOOM Cycle weekly, to help with my "real" cycle training - here are my top tips for enjoying a great class.

TOP TIPS FOR SPINNING

Take a water bottle - Spinning is probably one of the sweatiest workouts I've done- indoors in a darkened room pushing yourself hard for 45 minutes! Make sure you stay hydrated during the class, and afterwards as well.
Check your bike set up - this will make sure you don't get any twinges or pain during the class. Adjust the seat to hip height, so you have a slight bend at the knee when sitting on it. Your handlebars need to be easily reached without your elbows locked, and a comfortable height - usually just a little higher than your saddle.
Cycle to the beat - the most important thing in a spinning class is cycling to the beat of the music, and maintaining the same RPM as the instructor- whether that's really fast sprints, or slow and steady hill climbs. So don't feel like you have to keep turning up the dial every time the instructor says if you can't keep up with the speed, listen to your body and work to your max.
Find an instructor you love - try a few different studios and classes, until you find an instructor who's teaching style really works for you, whether that's super cheery, a bit sweary or motivational drill sergeant - you'll enjoy the class a whole lot more if you're a fan of the music choice too.
Don't worry about the moves - way-backs, beat-backs, press, flex - it can be a bit confusing trying to keep up with all the different moves in your first class. Watch the instructor and the people in front of you, but don't stress if you still end up one step behind for the whole class - just keep pedalling!
Use cycling shoes - take the leap and clip into your bike with proper cycling shoes. They may take some adjusting to, but will enable you to have a more enjoyable and effective spin session. You can pull upwards as well as push down, so you can put more power through the pedals and work harder. Most studios allow you to hire them for a minimal fee.

Are you a fan of indoor cycling?

Beki x

BOOM Cycle are kindly providing me with free classes to help with my cycle training - head over to their website to sign up. They've teamed up with Santander Cycles this summer to offer classes up the Shard, on Tower Bridge and other cool London locations too!