I have been avoiding Uforia’s uCycle classes because in my past, I have found that spinning classes are not fun and quite frankly, they always make me feel like throwing up. The music is typically way too loud and as it drones on, I find myself constantly checking my watch to see when the class will be over. Also, I don’t like how padded bike shorts make my butt look huge and my legs look short and stocky.
However, I am on a cardio kick this month, and I can still feel the cannoli I ate last night for dessert. I know that spinning classes always get my heart rate up, (you can burn 400-900 calories in 1 hr) and I know it’s a workout that doesn’t do any damage to your knees, ankles or back, so I signed up for Alyssa’s Sunday morning class.
I was late getting to class, and the only bike left was in the front row. Great.
I stepped into the pedals and started to spin. WOW!!! I felt like I had just stepped into the Maserati of stationary bikes! What a smooth cadence! I was able to lean forward like I was on a race bike and not forced to sit straight up. I looked down- LeMond RevMaster Pro Cycle. No wonder, nice set of wheels as you would expect from Greg LeMond, the 3x Tour de France winner himself… There’s also a digital monitor so you can keep track of distance, revs and most importantly in my case, time.
Alyssa is an awesome instructor, she’s energetic and I like her sense of humor. She is so spunky and pleasant it’s hard to think bad thoughts as you’re going uphill. During the class, I liked how she used imagery, “We’re in the mountains and going up!” and “We’re on Sand Hill Road now”. She also constantly checked our form and reminded us to open the chest to help you breathe, relax your shoulders, keep your wrists neutral, press down on your heels. I found her so motivating that I actually turned the tension knob to the right when she told me to, not just a little fake tap.
Alyssa is also good at engaging the class- she talks to people and gets feedback. I liked the positive group energy in the room today, which influenced me to work harder and took me to a different level. It wasn’t as competitive or serious as some spin classes I’ve been in, where everyone is in their own world without any joy.
Music is an important key to get me through the class. Today’s class had an upbeat playlist, a good mix of alternative and 80’s favorites. The songs all had a strong beat, which made it easier to pedal to.
I found myself surprised when Alyssa announced only 1 more song before cool down. I survived without the need to chunder! Am I ready to get out on a road bike and start training for a century? No, but I think I may have found a spinning class that I will do again.
–Sharon
Twitter: @thesharonwong
Don’t forget to sign up for your uCycle class