CYCLE MAX CANNOT COMPLETE

[trendymom]

Hi Cathy,

My husband got me a spin bike for valentine's I was very happy, until i tried to use it.... I was on it for about 8 minutes.......How in the world am going to finish cycly max which is about 1 hr? Oh I am so disappointed in myself, i dont know if i should return the bike or if by some miracle i might be able stay on the bike for longer period of time.....Help!
Thanks

[NY25]

Keep working at it - you'll get there! Spin is very different from anything else and you just have to work up to it, like everything else. The great thing about spin - you progress faster on this than on other forms of cardio (in my experience). I went from 10 minutes to the full workout in about 6 sessions (doing it 2-3 times per week).

[AYLE09]

Chin up Cathlete! Just take it slow and steady. Keep your resistance on the light side and make sure you warm up before you start pedalling faster or harder. You'll build up the endurance that you need, but your body has to adjust to spinning. Pop CycleMax in and spin until you hit your limit. Each time shoot for going a bit longer. The challenge is the best part... just think about how accomplished you'll feel when you make it all the way through!

[gettingfitmom]

Keep at it, it is worth the effort!

[trendymom]

Thank you all for the support! i guess i will keep my bike after all and keep working on it.

[elsie3]

Originally Posted by trendymom

Thank you all for the support! i guess i will keep my bike after all and keep working on it.

Definitely keep the bike! You're in good company: I can't get through Cycle Max
CycleMax held quite the learning curve for those of us who hadn't been on a spin bike before. It's worth it, though. Let Cathe and her awesome Cathlete crew encourage you.

[jdimascio]

Along with what everyone else said...don't give up. You can do it, it might take some time, but think about how awesome you will feel when you do finally complete it. AND YOU WILL!! Each time you do it just try and go a little bit longer. The best thing about this is that you are challenging yourself with something new. Your body is not used to it, and changing things up is what it's all about. If it was too easy, then what's the point??? The best thing about spinning is that you can always make it more challenging too. So when you finally finishing it for th efirst time, next time add more resistance.

Good Luck!!!!

[mrsyancy]

OH trendymom...i feel ur pain....lol.....i still have not quite conquered cycle max (although i don't do it consistently at this point)....but i was completely struggling when i first started, but now i am much better (even tho, like i said i still can't complete it)....but i am much better and i am also convinced that if i was doing it more often i would already be completing the entire thing by now.....and also when i first started my butt was so sore from the seat that came on my bike, so i switched my seat for a more comfortable seat which helped...phew....b/c my hiney was sore for days.....lol....so like everyone else said, just keep at it and don't give up and i think we both will be finish the whole thing before we know it.....HTH

[Jenniferlove]

Originally Posted by trendymom

Thank you all for the support! i guess i will keep my bike after all and keep working on it.

That's the spirit of a Cathelete! By the way, I can relate - and have been able to add on another 5 minutes

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Trendy Mom...like everyone said...don't return your bike and please don't give up. It does get easier, I promise.

Perhaps my story will make you feel better.

I got certified for spin about 16 or so years ago. It was when indoor cycling certifications were just getting underway and Cycle Reebok was conducting a weekend certification in Virginia.

At that time spin was really huge in California already but I was just getting into it.

Ok, so I am at my weekend certification only to find out 85% of the instructors in my certifying class were already very experienced in cycling but they didn't have their official certification yet. Hence why they were there. I, on the other hand, never sat on a spin bike before in my life. I needed help with everything from soup to nuts.

So the certifying instructor sets my bike up and he takes the class through a 20 minute demo workout. I was clueless how to pace myself and had no idea how much resistance to apply per song so I would just watch my neighbor turn the knob and I would do the same

OMG..., can I just tell you, I nearly died in just 3 to 5 minutes . I kept looking around the room, praying someone would look half as out of breath as I was. I literally felt my heart beating out of my chest and my legs were on fire and super tight. Everyone around me was all happy whooping and cheering and I just kept thinking to myself "I have to be doing something wrong. I know I am not this out of shape"...."geeze, when is this going to end"...."I have no idea what all the hoopla is about indoor cycling but this is so not fun". The demo class finally ended and I hopped off my bike faster than anyone in there. Little did I know that we would mount that bike 3 more times that night.

The certification was Friday night 4 hours, Saturday 8 hours and Sunday 6 hours.

So now Saturday morning I'm back at it, and thinking a good nights sleep was all I needed. It's time for another demo workout and as I got on the bike tears literally came to my eyes, and I am not kidding....nobody warned me of the crotch soreness (or saddle soreness) I would experience. This is not sore butt muscles, this is major pain that doesn't even involve the butt. It felt like bruised crotch bones, and to sit on the saddle was tear jerking. The girl next to me said "I felt the same way when I first started but if you keep riding it eventually goes away". In the meantime I learned of padded shorts and a gel seat and whipped my credit card out for those necessities. Turns out the padded shorts felt like I was riding with a full diaper and the gel seat never stayed on the seat properly while I would ride so I gave up. The instructor told me that I could ride standing instead of sitting to help take some of the pressure off the sore bones. But what I didn't know is that you need to build up your "spin legs" to hold your body weight up there that long so soon enough I plopped down in that saddle again.

By Sunday, I was beyond sore and so convinced that nobody at my gym would enjoy indoor cycling since I myself was thinking "you couldn't pay me to take this class". Well good news is I passed my certification and learned a heck of a lot about cycling, the bike, and teaching but the crotch pain was still so raw that I wasn't sure I wanted to bring indoor cycling to my gym. However, too late on that since we already ordered the bikes and promoted that we were bringing indoor cycling to our gym.

Fast forward one week later....our Cycle Reebok bikes arrived at the gym and our indoor cycle program was launching two days later. I was the one who was scheduled to do all twelve "intro to cycle" classes that week.

Happy Ending....Believe it or not, that girl next to me at the certification was right, my crotch got used to the hard seat, the bruising no longer was an issue, my legs got stronger and I was able to do the 20 minute workouts pretty easily by the end of that week.

With that said, Trendy Mom, you need to give yourself WAY more credit. You are not starting with a 20 minute demo workout. You just purchased a spin bike and are starting with Cycle Max, an advanced one hour workout. I'm beyond impressed that you are here on the forums to tell us about it

Congratulations...you did great.

Some Advice:

Take the workout in small steps. Only add 30 seconds to 2 minutes on per workout in the beginning weeks. Eventually you'll be able to add on 5 to 7 more minutes in the following weeks. Finally, you will get through the workout.... never easily.... but that's a good thing. You always want a challenge. Oh and one final thing, don't go more than 2 weeks without indoor cycling at least once. If you wait too long, you will have to start all over again with your crotch soreness.

Good Luck!