When I first started to teach a spin class, I wrote my lesson plan and notes in my notebook, then created the playlist for it in iTunes. At the time, iTunes would automatically add up the time of each song and share how long the entire playlist would last. This is critical in order to properly teach a spin class, because if a playlist is an hour and five minutes but the class is only an hour, you’re going to have problems.
But then, one of Apple’s software updates removed that feature, so it no longer automatically calculated the time length of the entire playlist. For a couple weeks, I would manually add up each song to estimate if the playlist would end on time. It was time consuming and inaccurate. After the class ran (slightly!) late one too many times, I decided to find a new way to do my spin class playlists.
I remembered my Schwinn certification instructor recommending the Schwinn cycling app, so I decided to give it a try.
Here’s my review of using the Schwinn Cycling App to teach a spin class.
The Pros
- The app will calculate the total time length of the playlist to help make sure you end the class on time.
- It shows how much time has passed and is left for each song in big numbers. This is nice, because I don’t have to squint to read the numbers. However, be careful to not confuse the two numbers — I’ve learned that the hard way!
- There’s a space to add notes for each song. This is nice when there’s no place to set your notebook, like in spin rooms that use Bluetooth stereos. I normally put my water bottle and notebook on top of the stereo next to me, but if it’s on the other side of the room, everything gets placed on my bike’s handlebars.
The Cons
- It’s difficult to press the “next song” if you decide to skip a song during class. This can be good, since there are no accidental song changes, but it also means I’m stuck pressing the button a bunch of times in front of a class full of waiting spinners.
- You have to start at the beginning of your playlist, so you can’t jump to the middle very easily without clicking through each song.
Overall, I would recommend the Schwinn cycling to anyone teaching a spin class. It’s never let me down in the year I’ve used it. And, I love that it calculates the total ride time for me. Since I don’t have to press buttons all that often, it doesn’t bother me that it’s difficult. If you’re someone who bounces around your playlist, this may not be the right app for you.
For more tips and tricks, check out the group exercise ideas page. And, let’s connect on Twitter @GroupXMich.
