I took my first spinning class last night and it was intense. I am also just getting back to working out so I am out of shape. My legs felt like jello.
Do you think this is a good class for someone so out of shape..I did enjoy it..But there were points while doing the standing stuff I felt like my legs were going to crumble....
Any pointers for maybe stretching before the class?

Do you have a heart rate monitor? It would give you a good indication of how hard you were working.

We generally get a 5-10 minute warmup before we start serious spinning.

When I started I was watched by the instructor, who would indicate that beginners shouldn't stand or do the other moves for the first few classes until they could be more sure of their spinning legs.

Again if you were doing the standing stuff and it got too much you could sit down, and/or adjust the resistance to make it easier.

Hope this helps.

I think its an excellent class for anyone. In shape, or out of. I have found spinning to be a very motivating and encouraging class and I think many people, no matter where they hail from, have had similar experiences. The spin class starts to feel like family

Jello legs are to be expected, for a while. Don't push it or you'll lose motivation! Make sure the instructor knows that you're new and maybe he/she can suggest some alternate form of what they're doing for newbies until you feel confident. In my experience I didn't feel great standing up until I had specific bike shoes to clip in. Give yourself some time to ease into it, and enjoy the bike!

Thanks.. I guess my problem was trying to go as fast as the seasoned people.. But I do love it.
Amy

Yup as my instructor always says - "It's your ride". That's why a heart rate monitor is a good thing to use. You may not be pedaling as fast, but that's not to say you're not working as hard either. Your heart rate will tell you if you're truly working up to where you should be. (For example I know I don't go as fast as my instructor, but my heart rate does go into the required zone, so I AM working hard enough.) Keep at it and you'll get better at it, most likely without realizing it. And what sparrow says is true - it does get to be like family or at least a certain level of camaraderie between those who are working hard to achieve a goal. Definitely not a bad thing.

Can someone tell me what spinning means? Is it someone sitting on a chair and spinning so fast that he throws up so he can lose weight. Someone please tell me.

I think it's people using stationary bikes. Though not quite sure.

Yup, it's basically cycling on a stationary bike - you set your cadence/resistance to get to the heart rate you want and/or match the move the instructor wants you to do. A flat road should look different from a seated climb for example.

They're sort of like stationary bikes on crack. Like a normal bike, but much much faster and more intense.

Spinning is an excellent work out for just about anyone, even if you are just starting to get into fitness thing. The important thing to remember is to listen to yourself, it is okay to reduce the resistance, or sit down if you need to. It is not a competition against other people. For this reason, as others suggested, use of heartrate monitor will help, so you will know exactly when/if you need to slow down if it gets too much, or to crank up if you are not doing enough.

It is, at least for me quite different from riding a regular stationary bike, like any other aerobic machines I can't stand simply chugging on the regular stationary bike, but I love spinning. The change of posititoning (which is not possible to do with regular stat. bike effectively), resistance, speed etc. keeps it interesting, especially if you are with good motivating music and instructor (these two elements can make or kill the lesson). After you get the hang of it, you can even make up your own routine.
For those who are not familiar with Spinning here you can get some informations and get a good idea.

HANG IN THERE! do not get discouraged. I had the same experience after my first class....I dont know how I was able to walk out of the room because I could not feel my legs, they were shaking!! Even so, I was determined to master it. I have been doing it for almost a year now and I am addicted to it. The music and the instructor are a huge factor though. So, if you are enrolled in a gym, try different instructors and see if you feel confortable with a particular one. In general, they are very supportive, and usually ask at the beginning of the class if there is somone new so they can help you adjust the seat, handles and show you the different moves. YES, it is YOU, only you, so dont focus on other people, it is your routine and you manage it. If there are other people who are more expereienced than you are do not feel discouraged by them. On the contrary, at some point they were also beginners as youi are now. I hope this helps. Spinning has helped me lose a lot of body fat, I am in better shape than in my 20's (I'm in my forties now). If you can afford to buy a heart monitor, buy it, this in an excellent tool to watch and keep yourself withing the heart rate zone that you need.

best of luck and do not stop spinning it is a lot of fun!

A year ago, I was an out-of-shape former cyclist and attended a spinning class and had my @ss handed to me. I stayed with it but resumed road riding again.

Today, I attend the occasional spinning class and can hang with any of them. Most of my improvement came from my cycling on the road but spinning is a great workout on its own but also a great substitute for road cycling (without the wind, pit bulls, honking trucks, broken glass, etc.)

As Stingo mentioned, let the heart rate monitor dictate your level of effort. Do as much as your heart can tolerate, no more, no less. Yes, your legs will be jello for a while and sore the next day (or two or three) but that means they are getting stronger, right?

I really like spinning. I think it is great for anyone - those out of shape, to those who are very athletic and like to challenge themselves. YOU get to choose the difficulty of the class. While it is inevitable that you will get worn out, when you first begin, I think you should just get used to the pace, rather than try and work on tough resistance. If you are already in good cardio shape, the resistance can make it an exercise that beats out many others because you get to make it as difficult as you want!

A challenge and an adventure!

Oh and also - I find spinning to be very effective for weight loss - someone said that you can burn up to 600 calories in a 45 minute class? Is that true? I have certainly benefited from it!