Spin Classes aren't hard, they are very hard

bexley5200

spin classes,i eat nails for breakfast fuc**n hard

darren H

I'm surprised people on here have not brought up the aerobic and anaerobic effects of spin.

The problem with spin if it's not done correctly is that it can focus to much on working to hard.
Unless your a pretty dedicated cyclist and are focusing on strength work the normal average spinner should never work above about 80 percent. There is no point. All they are doing is killing themselves for nothing.
4 weeks ago I rode to spin and back and did 3 sessions. That was bloody hard but you have to not red line yourself. Anyone can go easy for forty minutes and then graft for the last five mins which is what a lot of people do at spin.

The trick is getting quickly up to about 80 percent and sustaining it for the whole length of the class. A good teacher should focus on this.
The uneducated that are just working hard for the last ten mins are wasting their time completely.

The focus should be aerobic.

Tonight i rode to spin, did half hour warming up and then a 50 min class, rode home then did 50 mins on the rollers. All at about 85 per cent.

P_Tucker

spokegeezer wrote:

liversedge wrote:

Nah, you go as hard as you want to. a decent turbo programmes make you go harder than you want to, as do spirited group rides with stronger guys or a weekday race.

pools of sweat tell me one thing only - you needed a fan.

I hate spin classes, they're too short and so faux. much easier to get outside and hurt yourself. in my humble (?) opinion.

of course, LOL, YMMV

+1 no fan equals sweat and smelly room.

And another thing, why do the start bobbing around from side to side, one hand behind back blah blah.

£5.75 for 45mins at my local. having a laugh !!

Turbo rules, by the time you have got to the gym and back you could of done an extra 45mins on the turbo.

+1

meanredspider

I was talking to one of my local spin instructor (who is also a cyclist). He was saying that some of the most problematic people he gets in his class are cyclists who just don't understand Spinning and think it's cycling training. It's not. It's an exercise class on a stationary Spinning bike. It's meant to be a whole body workout to music - hence the rocking, bobbing, "press-ups", squatting and all of that stuff.

Tom Butcher

Sounds more like the most problematic people are the ones who know a little bit about fitness and think doing pressups during a spin class is pretty poor use of your 45 minutes. I've only been to one class on stationary bikes and I was pleasantly surprised how good it was but if he'd had us doing press ups I wouldn't have been.

Spin bikes are good for getting an aerobic workout focusing on cycling - if you want whole body exercise then surely there are far better ways to do it.

As for how hard spinning is - like any kind of cycling it depends how hard you press on the pedals.

jgsi

meanredspider wrote:

I was talking to one of my local spin instructor (who is also a cyclist). He was saying that some of the most problematic people he gets in his class are cyclists who just don't understand Spinning and think it's cycling training. It's not. It's an exercise class on a stationary Spinning bike. It's meant to be a whole body workout to music - hence the rocking, bobbing, "press-ups", squatting and all of that stuff.

Sorry, your instructor is wrong.
Not about it being training to go faster and stronger on a road bike - it isnt that's a gimme.. but SPIN and .. and it is trademarked and that instructor should not be calling himself a SPIN instructor if he doesnt have the relevant qualification .. is all about cv work, turning those pedals around with less or more resistance on the flywheel.
If he still insists about it being an upper body workout then he should refer himself back to his SPIN training manual asap. What you have quoted - squatting/ bobbing/rocking/pressups are all contraindicated movements in the SPIN program.
(Just to clarify.. you can go from seated to out of saddle ( so-called standing) as an exercise in itself as long as they are controlled and dont turn into bobbing or popcorn jumps.)

ridelikeapro

To anyone that doesn't go to spin classes, I suggest you try one.

I've been going for 10 years and I love them. They're fantastic during the winter months as an additional workout. Perfect for those dodgy winter Sundays when it's peeing down or the roads are icy. ''

meanredspider

JGSI wrote:

Sorry, your instructor is wrong.
Not about it being training to go faster and stronger on a road bike - it isnt that's a gimme.. but SPIN and .. and it is trademarked and that instructor should not be calling himself a SPIN instructor if he doesnt have the relevant qualification .. is all about cv work, turning those pedals around with less or more resistance on the flywheel.
If he still insists about it being an upper body workout then he should refer himself back to his SPIN training manual asap. What you have quoted - squatting/ bobbing/rocking/pressups are all contraindicated movements in the SPIN program.
(Just to clarify.. you can go from seated to out of saddle ( so-called standing) as an exercise in itself as long as they are controlled and dont turn into bobbing or popcorn jumps.)

Well, I'm not a qualified Spin instructor myself - just been to a couple of hundred classes at a guess - with something like 15 different instructors at 3 different gyms over 3 years - and they've all done something more-or-less the same and they've all been Spinning classes (how that differs from "SPIN", again, I have no idea - but I know they are all qualified). Whether you've misunderstood what I meant, I don't know. The classes don't just replicate cycling and are not just about cycling legs but work on core and arms. They are very (very) popular and normally over-subscribed.

marlin151

We tend to have regulars at sessions run by an instructor who understands endurance training theory. We do hills, intervals, sprints etc - all structured and ramped so you can participate as hard as you like - after all, you control the resistance dial. Of course there will always be those that sit at the back and pootle around at little or no resistance, spinning furiously and going nowhere (in fitness terms).

However, for the non-cyclists, the essential elements of music, group motivation etc remain. I would say a third of the class are "serious" spinners, either roadies, MTB'ers, triathletes or runners who have their own clipless shoes (the pedals are double sided clipless and staps).

I will regularly get to 90-95% HR max on the intervals and can be as disciplined as on a TT just by using the dial to stay in the zones. Or I might get a bit competitive and race someone for the the last 30secs of a track.

Best fun is had when, with a small class of regulars, the bikes are turned to face each other and you're sat opposite each other in "matched" pairs, handlebar to handlebar. Then it begins to get really competitive as there's nowhere to hide...

Surfr

Our club ran 2 1 hour spin classes over the winter and are about to start a second set taking us up to the start of the season. They were hugely successful with the more eager members of the club and focused on suplesse, cadence work, strength work etc. The only positions we used were

* climbing out of saddle
* sprinting
* TT position (forward on saddle and engaging glutes) arms draped over the bars
* normal seated middle hand position.

'Jumps' were usually little efforts in a TT interval where we would concentrate on smooth transition. Emulating little rises in altitude on a TT for example

I did find that I was unable to raise my heart rate as much as I can on the bike outdoors (by around 10BPM)

Compare last spin session max 183: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/59808001

With last club run 190: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/62650299

Could this be due to the heat issue mentioned at the beginning of the thread?

Anyway we used the spin bikes as if it was a group turbo session. Totally focused on cycling, and even specialised towards the TTers.

Applespider

Spin classes vary hugely and it's all dependent on the instructor.

Those who are also cyclists tend to not do press-ups but focus on climbs and sprints and keeping a decent amount of resistance on the bikes. Those who aren't cyclists often think it's about how fast your legs can go round without resistance which is pretty much useless.

There is an official institute of SPIN instructors who are certified - those guys are who JGSI is talking about when he says that push-ups, squats aren't allowed.

But 'spin' is becoming a generic term for cycling classes at gyms even although officially ones that are taught by non-SPIN instructors will normally be called something else on the timetable. Some gym groups do a minimal training session on their own version which isn't always as strict as proper SPIN.

I like spin classes in the winter and it's easier to go all out with no worries about traffic etc. But it's a different workout to being on the real bike and while some of the strengths you develop in spin help when you go back to the bike, some don't. I always feel like I'm starting hill endurance from the start when I get back on the real bike despite being able to do long hill climbs relatively easily in spin.

freehub

I always thought spin classes were like where people went to the gym and just spin steadily on the bikes there and to improve cadence, as some people were like, oh well I'm taking my wife to a spin class and that :P

I never realised they can be like torture tests!

acebobby

meanredspider wrote:

I was talking to one of my local spin instructor (who is also a cyclist). He was saying that some of the most problematic people he gets in his class are cyclists who just don't understand Spinning and think it's cycling training. It's not. It's an exercise class on a stationary Spinning bike. It's meant to be a whole body workout to music - hence the rocking, bobbing, "press-ups", squatting and all of that stuff.

Its funny just how differently things are done, all my instructors go mental if your rocking or bobbing, basically if your bobbing while seated then you dont have enough resistance and have to gradually increase resistance until the bobbing stops, this becomes your base resistance (never go below that)! When standing we are told that it is our legs that should be moving and uper body stationary, (not rocking or bobbing)! At the end of the session we do some stretches on the bike but have never done pressups on the bike, or is it off the bike you do the pressups?

Bobby

senoj

I have been using the spin classes through the winter,two a week in the evening.
The sweat is disproportionate to the effort,but you get what you put in to it.
And in my opinion is better than a lonely turbo trainer in the shed,watcing a sufferfest.
All depends on the trainer,mine is a sadist.
The intervals are good and i enjoy the out of the saddle stuff which I cant do on my TT.
Keeps the legs firm and fitness ticking over.

Applespider

Bobby - some instructors try to make you do pressups on the bike. Basically, they make you stand with your hands at position 3 and then make you do pushups while still pedalling. I'm not entirely sure what it's meant to be working since I always thought the focus in pushups was keeping the core and hips in alignment which you can't do if you're pedalling.

Both the bobbing/rocking and the pushups do tend to be limited to instructors who don't cycle outdoors. My two favourite spin instructors are both keen cyclists and their workouts and their effort analogies reflect that.

meanredspider

acebobby wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

I was talking to one of my local spin instructor (who is also a cyclist). He was saying that some of the most problematic people he gets in his class are cyclists who just don't understand Spinning and think it's cycling training. It's not. It's an exercise class on a stationary Spinning bike. It's meant to be a whole body workout to music - hence the rocking, bobbing, "press-ups", squatting and all of that stuff.

Its funny just how differently things are done, all my instructors go mental if your rocking or bobbing, basically if your bobbing while seated then you dont have enough resistance and have to gradually increase resistance until the bobbing stops, this becomes your base resistance (never go below that)! When standing we are told that it is our legs that should be moving and uper body stationary, (not rocking or bobbing)! At the end of the session we do some stretches on the bike but have never done pressups on the bike, or is it off the bike you do the pressups?

Bobby

For sure you don't "bounce" (the terminology we use for the effect you describe of not have enough resistance). By "bobbing" I mean 2 beats sitting 2 beats standing 2 beats sitting etc (could be 4 beats or 8 beats). There's a video on YouTube of the "inventor" of "Spinning" where he does a sort of alternate one-arm dip on the bike. The "press-ups" we do, are like a two-arm version of that (a bit like getting into the aero position then up onto the hoods - except hand position doesn't change). The idea is to work as much of the body as possible. We did do squats off the bike with a couple of the instructors partway through the class which were murder making the quads really burn. I like the variety though.

acebobby

meanredspider wrote:

acebobby wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

I was talking to one of my local spin instructor (who is also a cyclist). He was saying that some of the most problematic people he gets in his class are cyclists who just don't understand Spinning and think it's cycling training. It's not. It's an exercise class on a stationary Spinning bike. It's meant to be a whole body workout to music - hence the rocking, bobbing, "press-ups", squatting and all of that stuff.

Its funny just how differently things are done, all my instructors go mental if your rocking or bobbing, basically if your bobbing while seated then you dont have enough resistance and have to gradually increase resistance until the bobbing stops, this becomes your base resistance (never go below that)! When standing we are told that it is our legs that should be moving and uper body stationary, (not rocking or bobbing)! At the end of the session we do some stretches on the bike but have never done pressups on the bike, or is it off the bike you do the pressups?

Bobby

For sure you don't "bounce" (the terminology we use for the effect you describe of not have enough resistance). By "bobbing" I mean 2 beats sitting 2 beats standing 2 beats sitting etc (could be 4 beats or 8 beats). There's a video on YouTube of the "inventor" of "Spinning" where he does a sort of alternate one-arm dip on the bike. The "press-ups" we do, are like a two-arm version of that (a bit like getting into the aero position then up onto the hoods - except hand position doesn't change). The idea is to work as much of the body as possible. We did do squats off the bike with a couple of the instructors partway through the class which were murder making the quads really burn. I like the variety though.

Ah OK I see what you mean about bobbing, a kind of interval training, we do that. It is RPM I do so it looks like there are differences between that and spin where I thought it was a trademark thing, my instructors do recognise the difference between cyclist's and people doing it for general fitness and I think structure their classes to suit e.g. she will point us out at the beginning of a track and say something like increase resistance with the rest of the class but stay in seated climb position or aero position the whole track!
dont fancy doing pedaling press ups though!

jgsi

If you point me in the direction of the Youtube clip showing the one arm dip movement, cheers.
Johnny G can be a bit weird sometimes and definitely not to everyones taste in the UK but his heart still is very much cycling focussed and so we attempt to teach.

meanredspider

JGSI wrote:

If you point me in the direction of the Youtube clip showing the one arm dip movement, cheers.
.

Here ya go - about 3 minutes in (I guess as part of warming up) - but then in another of the later ones of the set he does it again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNaLBfKbOVI

He is a bit weird and he's certainly not your typical "cyclist" shape either

jgsi

It's part of the warm up routine - hands in the centre - US of A style... that combined with the 'West Coast' cultish overtones.. well not to my taste as well..
If he does it later it is probably because this is a Spin class for instructors and he goes into far too much psycho babble - again such things interest our American cousins.
... but the 5 basic movements cover enough to create a decent class..
the wiki entry gives a decent explanation for once
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoor_cycling
He also competed a couple of times in RAAM which would send anyone a bit loopy imo so his cycling credentials have foundation.

Headhuunter

cougie wrote:

I teach them, and they are as hard as you make them. Cyclists usually go full on at it - which is great. You do get people who just cant be bothered though - and nothing will budge them.

Its great to see pools of sweat after the class - thats a good hard session !

Yeah that's my experience of spin too. I have never done a class but at my gym the classes are just in front of the stretching mats so I see them happening. Often the instructor is really going for it and really trying to push the crowd but many of the people in the class have about as much motivation as a vegetable and barely break sweat.

But then that's cycling in general, some people I work with have started cycling to work expecting the weight to simply fall off them, however many of them cycle gently across parks at 5mph on the way in. They ask me why they're not losing weight or say that cycling is rubbish. Some people don't get the cliched but true concept of "no pain, no gain"

KnightOfTheLongTights

I've enjoyed the ones I've done. A cycling friend tells me doing a double spin class is great for your aerobic / CV fitness .

There's a fitness first near me where I could do 2 x 40 mins on Monday evenings, so I'm gouing to give that a whirl. Although the instructor tends to be of the 'arsing-about with press ups and stuff' sort.

I might just militantly not do all that crap.

badly_dubbed

i had a 1hr 40min spin class on wednesday - tough!! very tough!!

KnightOfTheLongTights

badly_dubbed wrote:

i had a 1hr 40min spin class on wednesday - tough!! very tough!!

where did you find that? or was it a double?

badly_dubbed

single class, non stop

ran by a local cyclist, Dave Lawtie

KnightOfTheLongTights

did a double spin last night - 80 mins pretty much non-stop

As a few posters above have noted, I don't think it's quite as hardcore as it feels: the temperature in gyms is way too high for that sort of thing, hence the massive amount of sweat you pour out, which makes you feel like you're working super-hard, even if you're not.

Plus you're expending a lot of energy in heat, which is detracting from what you're putting out in power.

My legs are not actually really feeling it this morning, which suggests that even if I felt completely shagged (for the above reasons), I shoud've had the resitance up a bit higher.

Loretta Damage

I've just started running a session for my work collegues. All my sessions are planned as though we are on a ride with lots of visualisation and commentry, pertinant to what the particular segment of the session is trying to achive; I try to give the guys a reason for all the pain and suffering. I tried choosing a team leader for some of the climbs and got them to initiate the attacks (standing climbs), worked very well I think. For the final 10 minutes I always run it as though we are leading a sprinter in, everyone doing their turn at the front for a set spell before our "sprinter" hammers it in for the "win".

graemecook

over the winter i've been doing two or three double classes per week and i think it's made quite a bit of difference to my performance on the bike. I work pretty hard during the sessions (usually 80-90% of max hr) and finish each one tired but not nearly as knackered as after a hard club run or a chain gang.

At the gym i go to the instructors are not too bothered if we don't do exactly as they say. Most of them are of the opinion that the classes are for the general public and if road bikers want to change things slightly that's fine. for example i don't do the hand position stuff, the pushups and alot of the time i'll spin a bit slower and harder than the instructor says. I think i'd get pretty annoyed if an instructor insisted i do exactly what they said, just so that all of the class were doing the same actions at the same time.

Agree with the point about sweating making you think you've worked harder than you have, but i like that spinning classes make me sweat like a beast.

pedylan

andy162 wrote:

I used to do a class run by Revvin' Kevin Dawson, multiple BBAR winner & testing legend. His classes were brutal, the only victims in the room were all cyclists so the session was totally geared for gaining/maintaining cycle specific fitness.

I think it 100% comes down to instructor & how much effort you put in. No fitness gains if you follow "the path of least resistance"!

He's still doing sessions at the Fitness Club at the Doncaster Dome. My second class tonight. Hard work but focussed hard work so it feels like it's delivering benefits.

JST

I have been doing spinning classes for a while, I find them much more motivational than trying to excercise on my own at the gym or at home. We use the schwinn bikes and it seems to be geared towards cycling so no other exercises during the class, just different positions on the bike i.e. flat, standing flat, climbing and standing climb. The instructor, who is a cyclist, takes us through a different ride each class geared towards heart rates and 5 differnet heart rate zones, so it helps to have an HRM. Some classes are endurance and some interval type training and get harder as the year goes on.

I enjoy the classes and try to put a lot into them but I also try and get out on my bike as much as poss as well. As someone said above it would be good to be able to make them cometitive in some way so you could see how you were doing compared to others...

As far as cost goes the more passes you buy in bulk the cheaper it gets. I get 20 classes for £75 so £3.75 each which I reckon is pretty good value.

There seem to be a few serious cyclists that attend and a lot that aren't...
http://www.indoorgroupcycling.co.uk/