Spin Class Makes Your Butt Hurt

This morning I didn't have to be to work until 11:30, which for me is a wonderful opportunity to sleep in and stretch out in the bed contentedly. But, as Tony reminded me as he woke me up on Wednesday, "Fatties sleep in, skinny girls get out of bed!" So, I was up at 7:30, made breakfast, did laundry, checked our drapes to make sure they were right, and headed off to my very first Spin Class.

I got to the class a few minutes early, which was good, because there are only about 15 bikes available in any class, and if you're late, too bad for you. I introduced myself to the (absolutely gorgeous) instructor and asked if there was anything I needed to know. She got me set up on the bike, showed me how to put my feet in the straps and told me my goal for the day was just to, "Keep pedaling the entire class period." That seemed a bit insulting to a girl who has lifted more than her body weight, but I kept my mouth shut.

If you've never taken a spin class before, or seen one take place, you should know that nearly everyone who takes them is incredibly thin and toned. We're talking thighs of steel and a butt you can bounce rocks off. Big rocks. I wish I had a picture.

Ten minutes into the class, I remember thinking, "I'm still pedaling!" As if that were some major accomplishment. At the third song, the instructor had us stand on our pedals... while pedaling. It was rather difficult, but nothing compared to "Position 3", which I was introduced to a moment later.

Position 3 requires you to stand pedaling in a squat position with your butt just above--but not touching--the seat. Your core is supposed to keep you steady, with your hands just resting on the handlebars. It's pure torture. Ten seconds of it and your butt, thighs, hamstrings and quads will be screaming. I thought I had decent legs from squats and Crossfit. Apparently not. I'm now at work, some seven hours later and my butt still hurts. I'm sorry to say that there were parts that I sat through the part where everyone else was still holding Position 3.

Some of the people in the class had obviously been spinning for quite awhile. One girl looked pretty skinny, and a few of the older women looked pretty active. There was one extremely large woman who I was surprised to see she could stay on the bike, but she kept up with the class, and held Position 3 longer than I did.

There are obvious benefits to taking the class. It tones leg muscle, including the muscles you didn't know you had, and can burn an incredible amount of calories. I did some searching on other websites, and on average a 45 minute class burns around 450 calories. It was also a great stress reliever, and even after an hour later I felt energized and happy.

All in all, it was a great workout. The structure of the class forced me to stay for the entire 45 minutes, which is definitely not something I typically do when I'm working out by myself, so I know I will go back. However, I typically have to be at work at 8am, and the only class I will be able to make on a regular basis is the 6am class. I'm not sure I can do that. Working out in the morning is a problem, much less at 6 am. I don't usually wake up until 6:15.

It is recommended that you only do spinning classes 2-3 times a week and wait about 2-3 weeks to see results. I've been marking my gym sessions off on a calendar recently (went every day this week!), and I'll be sure to track my results as I work this into my schedule.