Spin at Stax Cycle Club

Hey hey LL fam, thanks for stopping in to check out tonight's blog! Tonight we have a juicy guest blog from our friends over at Stax Cycle Club! A few months back we had the sweaty pleasure of joining Emily and her crew, along with the ladies from Whistle App, in on a spin class! Emily whipped are butts in gear, and we had a hella awesome time, despite not being able to walk the next day - but what's the fun in that! Tonight Stax Cycle talks to us about the five main spin tips for beginners! Read & enjoy fam :) 

All photos by Jesse Tamayo 

New to Spin? Here Are 5 Spin Tips for Beginners

Welcome to your very first spin class!

Walking in to your first spin class can be hella scary. Maybe you signed up for a birthday spin ride (we do those, FYI!). Maybe a friend convinced you to come. Maybe you’re looking for a way to jazz up your workout routine.

At Stax, we ride as a team - a community. We feed off of our collective energy and power through together. We work hard, but we have A LOT of fun. Seriously, check out our Instagram.

We want to make your first spin experience the best it can be. Here are five tips to take you from beginner to pro in no time.

Familiarize Yourself With Your Bike

If you are new to indoor cycling, it’s important to know how to set up your bike and ensure that you have a safe and fun ride.

Here’s a quick and dirty guide to setting up your bike at Stax:

1. Set your seat height to that the top of the seat is at the same height as your hips. If you sit on the bike with one foot extended, you should have a slight bend in your knee.
2. Move your seat back and forth. If you pedal through so the pedals are parallel to the ground, you should be able to draw a straight line from your knee to your toes. Your knee should not extend past your toes.
3. Adjust your handlebars for comfort while ensuring that your spine remains neutral. You don’t want to be too rounded.
4. Double check that all the knobs are secure. You don’t want wobbly handlebars during your ride.

At Stax, we work with two resistance levels. (Because one just wasn’t enough.) The dial is your regular resistance level. Add turns to the right and you’ll make that resistance hella heavy. Turn it to the left, you’ll lighten that load. The spring shift resistance level adds a bunch of resistance automatically. Your instructor will coach using both resistances and will inform you when you will use which one for every track.

Eat and Hydrate Before Class

Someone really wise once said that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. (Okay, Benjamin Franklin said it.) You’ll want to be hydrated and have a steady supply of energy to keep you going through the entire 50 minute class. We recommend drinking a third of your water bottle before class to hydrate up. And for pre-spin food? Here are some of our favourites.

Remember: Form Before Beat

It’s important to have proper form to ensure a safe ride. While we ride to the beat of the music, we don’t want to sacrifice our form to do this. Here are some basic tips to keep proper form throughout your ride:

• Neutral spine
• Core tight
• Knees pointing straight
• Shoulders down

Remember: Beat Before Choreo

Once you mastered your form, you can focus on hitting the beat. Spin works on a push-pull sequence. You push the pedals down and forward and pull them back and up. Every push and pull works on that beat, from the heavy and slow climbs to the light and quick jogs.

Once you get the hang of riding with the beat, you can join in with the upper body and ab choreography. For example, whenever your lead leg drops you pump, dip or tap back. The choreo gets much easier the more you can stay on beat.

What To Wear To Spin

Baggy sweat pants and Reeboks with the stripes? Nah girl. You’ll want to leave those at home. Stick with tighter-fit leggings or shorts for your bottoms. Wear whatever is comfortable and breathable on top. Keep your girls comfortable with a well-fitted sports bra (we’ve got a few favourites in our shop!). And don’t forget socks!

Spin class can be intimidating. But it can also be the best 50 minutes of your day. Whether you are completely new to spin or just getting started, use these five tips and you’ll be spinning like a pro in no time. And if you’re not sure, just ask any of the instructors or front desk staff!

Are you ready to sweat with us?

Sign up now! (First class is FREE.)