NOTE: I talked about my pregnancy and postpartum fitness journey in this blog post.
If you know me or follow me on social media, you know I LOVE to exercise. I'm a competitive person so I love the challenge and the way I feel after a workout, not so much during the workout lol. I personally have never liked weight or strength training, I'm definitely a cardio girl at heart. I took my first spin class at the gym sometime around May-ish and I immediately fell in love. When I workout I want maximize my time, I am not one to linger at the gym talking or piddle around barely sweating on a machine. I want to work out as hard as I can go for a shorter amount of time, usually 30-45 minutes, so spin was the perfect answer and combined cardio, strength, good length of time and maximum effort all in one.
AT THE GYM
I started taking 1 spin class a week and ended up taking 2-3 classes a week by the end of the summer, which was pretty much every class they offered. By October I even started looking up classes on YouTube and just doing them on my own time in the spin room so I could match my schedule better. When it came time to renew my membership, I realized the only reason I was going to the gym was for spin class so why not put the money toward a bike at home. There are definitely pros and cons to working out at home vs. the gym, but at this point the pros outweigh the cons.
Recommendations for Spin Class at the Gym
If you are planning to go to a spin class to try it out first, I would recommend taking the following with you:
WHAT I HAVE
Spin Bike - I bought the Spinning S3 Lifestyle bike (search similar here) because the Peloton was too expensive ($2000) and the gym I went to used the Spinning brand commercial bikes and I liked them. I did buy the SPD compatible pedals so I could use my spin shoes with the bike, which I highly recommend if you're going to do at least 2-3 classes a week.
Shoes - I got these cycling shoes from REI for my birthday and love them. You don't have to have cycling shoes to do spin but they are much better for your form and not getting shin splints if you are taking several classes a week. If you do get them make sure to buy the SPD cleat to put on the shoes.
Weights - You'll want to have some 2-5 lb weights if you're doing the Peloton classes because they incorporate arms into the 45+ min workouts which I love. I just got mine from Target for pretty cheap.
Online Classes - If you're going to do your workouts at home then you definitely want to get the Peloton app. It's only $13/month and it's worth every penny. They have over 8,000 workouts to choose from including all different music, instructors, class times, etc. I tried the SpinTV workouts and they suck compared to Peloton. You can just download their app on any device, I use an iPad because it rests on the handlebar of the bike easy.
Heart Rate Monitor - I think this is important if you're wanting to really set goals and monitor how hard your body is working during the class. I can tell if I'm doing enough resistance or if I'm slacking off based on my heart rate which I look at after every song and even during sometimes. I use my apple watch, but there are plenty of other cheaper options out there.
CHANGES
I have worked out pretty much my whole life whether it was sports, running, going to the gym or at-home video workouts and I can honestly say I've never seen results like I have with Spin. It is the perfect balance of cardio and strength, burns a ton of calories, is low impact on your joints and doesn't give me a headache from bouncing around like some of the at-home video workouts did. I have seen my body tone up more than I have with anything I've ever done before and you get the best "high" after working out and being drenched in sweat. If you're interested at all in taking spin classes or setting one up at home, please feel free to ask me any questions!
If you know me or follow me on social media, you know I LOVE to exercise. I'm a competitive person so I love the challenge and the way I feel after a workout, not so much during the workout lol. I personally have never liked weight or strength training, I'm definitely a cardio girl at heart. I took my first spin class at the gym sometime around May-ish and I immediately fell in love. When I workout I want maximize my time, I am not one to linger at the gym talking or piddle around barely sweating on a machine. I want to work out as hard as I can go for a shorter amount of time, usually 30-45 minutes, so spin was the perfect answer and combined cardio, strength, good length of time and maximum effort all in one.
AT THE GYM
I started taking 1 spin class a week and ended up taking 2-3 classes a week by the end of the summer, which was pretty much every class they offered. By October I even started looking up classes on YouTube and just doing them on my own time in the spin room so I could match my schedule better. When it came time to renew my membership, I realized the only reason I was going to the gym was for spin class so why not put the money toward a bike at home. There are definitely pros and cons to working out at home vs. the gym, but at this point the pros outweigh the cons.
Recommendations for Spin Class at the Gym
If you are planning to go to a spin class to try it out first, I would recommend taking the following with you:
- Towel (you will sweat a lot)
- Water bottle or 2
- Wear tight leggings (you don't want to have loose clothing on the bike or shorts because it will rub)
- Heart rate monitor (it helps you track how hard you're working plus it's very reinforcing to see the calories burned at the end of the workout)
WHAT I HAVE
Shoes - I got these cycling shoes from REI for my birthday and love them. You don't have to have cycling shoes to do spin but they are much better for your form and not getting shin splints if you are taking several classes a week. If you do get them make sure to buy the SPD cleat to put on the shoes.
Weights - You'll want to have some 2-5 lb weights if you're doing the Peloton classes because they incorporate arms into the 45+ min workouts which I love. I just got mine from Target for pretty cheap.
Online Classes - If you're going to do your workouts at home then you definitely want to get the Peloton app. It's only $13/month and it's worth every penny. They have over 8,000 workouts to choose from including all different music, instructors, class times, etc. I tried the SpinTV workouts and they suck compared to Peloton. You can just download their app on any device, I use an iPad because it rests on the handlebar of the bike easy.
Heart Rate Monitor - I think this is important if you're wanting to really set goals and monitor how hard your body is working during the class. I can tell if I'm doing enough resistance or if I'm slacking off based on my heart rate which I look at after every song and even during sometimes. I use my apple watch, but there are plenty of other cheaper options out there.
CHANGES
I have worked out pretty much my whole life whether it was sports, running, going to the gym or at-home video workouts and I can honestly say I've never seen results like I have with Spin. It is the perfect balance of cardio and strength, burns a ton of calories, is low impact on your joints and doesn't give me a headache from bouncing around like some of the at-home video workouts did. I have seen my body tone up more than I have with anything I've ever done before and you get the best "high" after working out and being drenched in sweat. If you're interested at all in taking spin classes or setting one up at home, please feel free to ask me any questions!
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