Forums >Cross Training>Anybody else with "nether-region" pain during spinning?
Due to an ongoing knee-injury saga, I have joined a spinning class to replace the miles I can't run. I've never had a problem cycling outdoors for long distances, but spinning seems to be a new beast altogether. Every class ends in pain and misery for my private parts. There is no delicate way to put it. It lasts for days, so basically I am always in pain down there. I've tried adjusting everything possible on the spin bike and using the cushions they provide. All to no avail.
What I want to know is... Am I the only one? Will this subside eventually? Is the bike just "breaking me in" so to speak? I've never really considered myself a very sensitive person when it comes to my girly bits. However, I have never quite so vigorously humped a piece of aluminum before either.
Eye of Sauron
I teach spinning.
Make sure you have your bike adjusted properly. Not just seat height... seat positioning (front-to-back)... and handlebars (height and front-to-back). Most mis-adjustments manifest themselves as knee or back pain.
Butt pain and hoohah pain are usually either a seat issue or, sometimes, the seat front-to-back adjustment.
Will you get used to it?
Make sure your bike is set up properly. I was going to suggest trying a couple different seat types, but I suspect you have. Bike shorts with the chamois cushion can help... as can, well, lube.
And once again Mr. Wizard (aka: Stevie Ray) explains the internet.
I've been taking 2-3 classes a week for the last month or so. The instructor seems to like the "jumps" and that is usually when the pain starts. I had the instructor help me set up the bike my first time and she wrote out a card for me with all of the settings. I've followed them since. I suppose that doesn't mean they are perfect or correct, though. I'll play with the seat front-to-back and see how that goes. Thankfully, knee and back pain haven't been an issue!
On a side note... What is the etiquette for adjusting the bike mid-ride? Am I supposed to just fix it next ride or can I stop and make adjustments?
Thanks!
If jumps are what seem to be starting the hoohah pain, then... er... are you perhaps landing too hard? I'm being serious.
(as a side note, being a male spinning instructor, this is one of those places where in-person female students will rarely ask for help, and when they do, it is uncomfortable for both sides )
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The Crap Whisperer
Can you bring your own seat? I have a seat with a big hole for the girly bits to sit in, but I still get a lot of pain and numbness. According to my hubby it's likely a seat angle issue. He also claims that the squishier a seat is, the more likely a person will have issues, since one's body weight is transferred from their sit bones to their soft tissues...kind of like having those gel insoles in a running shoe...it may feel good at first, but eventually will likely lead to injuries from reduction of stability.
I'm assuming your hubby doesn't have a hoohah...right? Ok then...try bringing your own gel seat cover thingy...that's the only way I can survive a spin class (or the day after).
Being the best tiny spec that I can be!
More Cowbell!
I'm assuming your hubby doesn't have a hoohah...right?
Rumor has it that he likes girly drinks, so who knows?
When you're on your deathbed, you won't be wishing that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will be wishing that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.
I think I have him cured of that. He's been subsisting on "Old Leghumper" for a while, now. Phew, no more of that Mike's Hard Lemonade crap.
Menace to Sobriety
Fraggle
Ashley Goals: 1)Get my IT Band to cooperate! 2) Run lots of trails.
Perhaps most importantly however, if you're uncomfortable: stop. You need to enjoy what you're doing to maintain consistency long term. If things don't improve rapidly, consider getting used to riding (smoothly at low output) purely standing in the next few weeks, and progressively add in seated intervals focusing on comfortable form. Also consider looking for a good local bike shop at which to try women's saddles (they can make a significant difference).
If you are having this problem then perhaps you should see an Ass Pro. They do house calls.
In an infinite universe, the one thing sentient life cannot afford to have is a sense of proportion
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My spinning instructor is a stickler for form. I hated her for it at first. I thought she was being a nag but now I thank her for it. Good form will prevent all kinds of injuries. She always says she'd rather see good form done slower or with less effort then bad form. So if you can't keep your form properly you should decrease/increase the tension to fix it.
If you can't keep your bum back, try sliding you seat toward the handle bars more. Try to use your abs and legs when you do jumps and don't slide off the seat. Lift your bum up. If you feel the burn in your quads, hams and tummy then you are doing it correctly.
Also you should focus on keeping your hips steady and don't bounce around. If you're bouncing you need to increase the tension and use your abs to keep your bum in place.
I sound like a nag now! sorry, but I hope this helps!
Chris
I had to forward this picture to the fitness instructors at my work. They didn't think it was as funny as I did... women...
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