Spin Class.................

AndyD2574
AndyD2574 Posts: 1,034
I have my own cycle club called Glasgow Green Cycle Club and for our wednesday night club ride we have started doing spin classes and I take them.

We have done 2 now but was wondering of you guys n gals had any good excercises which I can incorporate?

Cheers
Specialized S Works Venge
Argon18 E114
Specialized Langster Single Speed
Scott Spark Expert 29'er
GT Avalanche
http://www.glasgowgreencycleclub.co.uk
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Comments

  • pipipi
    pipipi Posts: 332
    My instructor likes getting us to do press ups whilst we are spinning away. And jumps, basically just getting up off the seat into upright out of saddle position, but lots of them.

    She quite likes getting us to go backwards every so often, which feels very wierd! And sometimes we do a piece with just one foot in the pedal, the other foot resting on the bar, making sure not to catch it on anything spinning.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I'd love to know who your instructor is insured with. I don't think anyone has taught those moves for a decade or so.

    I don't do anything on my spin bike that I wouldn't do on my road bike. It's meant to be indoor cycling - not aerobics mounted on a bike.

    Pedalling backwards is dangerous - your knee isn't designed to do that.
    Why the hell you'd take a foot out and balance it anywhere is beyond me. You can do single leg drills just fine with your feet clipped in.
    Pressups ? Pointless.

    These moves are usually put in by instructors who aren't cyclists

    Has anyone enlivened a turbo session by doing Pressups or leaning to one side or the other ? I doubt it.

    I'd choose a different teacher.
  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,631
    How about a group www.thesufferfest.com/ ride.
    Rich
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    pipipi wrote:
    My instructor likes getting us to do press ups whilst we are spinning away. And jumps, basically just getting up off the seat into upright out of saddle position, but lots of them.

    She quite likes getting us to go backwards every so often, which feels very wierd! And sometimes we do a piece with just one foot in the pedal, the other foot resting on the bar, making sure not to catch it on anything spinning.

    Don't take this as a criticism of you... but your instructor is a dick.
    I am just saddened that you seem impressed with the stuff you do, thinking it is making any difference.
    (Go backwards by the way and you'll break/twist your ankle as the pedal undoes itself)
  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    What are you doing the spinning sessions for? If it's to improve the cyclists cycling fitness then I'd run a session with some intense intervas and rest between. If it's just a cardio workout I'd get them working at a resonable rate without breaks.

    I agree with the posters above regarding press-ups and back pedalling etc. Ironically, the best way to learn what's good in a spinning session is to go to some rubbish ones.
  • AndyD2574
    AndyD2574 Posts: 1,034
    JGSI wrote:
    pipipi wrote:
    My instructor likes getting us to do press ups whilst we are spinning away. And jumps, basically just getting up off the seat into upright out of saddle position, but lots of them.

    She quite likes getting us to go backwards every so often, which feels very wierd! And sometimes we do a piece with just one foot in the pedal, the other foot resting on the bar, making sure not to catch it on anything spinning.

    Don't take this as a criticism of you... but your instructor is a dick.
    I am just saddened that you seem impressed with the stuff you do, thinking it is making any difference.
    (Go backwards by the way and you'll break/twist your ankle as the pedal undoes itself)

    What would you suggest I incorporate if backwards and pressups and the like are sh1te? Cheers
    Specialized S Works Venge
    Argon18 E114
    Specialized Langster Single Speed
    Scott Spark Expert 29'er
    GT Avalanche
    http://www.glasgowgreencycleclub.co.uk
  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    ^^^
    Leg work. A spinning bike is a bicycle substitute.

    The best spinning sessions I've done have been music-based interval sessions. Everybody riding at the same cadence with different resistance, a combination of standing and sitting intervals, but always pedalling, and always forward.

    Some of the worst sessions included: toes down and toes up pedalling; leaning sideways, forwards and backwards; stopping pedalling to recover etc.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    GiantMike wrote:
    ^^^
    Leg work. A spinning bike is a bicycle substitute.
    .

    :D Some people cant make the connection though.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    if you don't do it on your bike - why would you do it in a spin class ?
  • PhilPub
    PhilPub Posts: 229
    All right Cougie!

    I do a weekly spin class at my gym. I've been through a few different instructors and they each have their foibles. I walked out of one once, when the instructor followed up a load of ludicrously fast press-ups with some ludicrously slow paced cadence "ramp it up as high as you can" nonsense. Thanks, I quite like my knees... (The current one is generally good, but annoyingly throws in some press-ups every now and then but I just ignore it and crack on with a decent tempo.)

    As Cougie says, it's not an aerobics class on a bike. IMO the chief benefits of spinning are (a) intense cardio work-out, good for calorie burn, VO2max etc and (b) at risk of stating the obvious, it gets your legs spinning pretty quickly. The flywheel makes it easier to keep a high RPM without burning out the legs (it's a nice spin-out on a Monday, the day after a long Sunday ride). Probably useful neuromuscular development for racing, i.e. getting used to spinning higher cadence.
  • chill123
    chill123 Posts: 210
    i like to do lots of high cadence spinning (no surprises there).

    also last year when training for the marmotte i'd do a lot of intervals standing riding a really big gear to try to simulate steep mountain climbs.
  • nhoj
    nhoj Posts: 129
    How on earth do you do a press up whilst cycling? Are you the wrong way up on a recumbent?
  • pipipi
    pipipi Posts: 332
    Hey , I never said it was the best thing to do on a spin bike. The OP just wanted some suggestions of what to do, and I gave some.

    Sorry if I gave the impression that I'm much better than anyone else for doing this, I really wasn't. And I'm not better than anyone else. However I am better than I was , and it's certainly thanks to this class.

    I am sure it has gotten me used to much higher cadence than I would have done on my own. There are pyramid/sprint pieces that we do, but I would imagine that this is pretty standard ? I've certainly done a lot of this in a boat.

    As for press ups. Up out of saddle pedalling along, then just bending the elbows (with a bit of rhythms along side stroke) . So might be better to call it a press up from the waist up, the rest is just pedalling.

    One foot stuff? Yeah it was wierd to start with. But it certainly made me appreciate how the pedal stroke should be a bit more circular rather than stamping. I noticed a massive difference when iwent back to both feet how much smoother I was!

    Backwards. Again wierd, and I'm not sure it has improved my cycling. But it's okay to do different stuff.

    I've found the spinning very beneficial to me, but I'm coming at it from a rowing background, where I'm used to an explosive drive with both legs, and then a slow recovery. I'm certainly a very amateur cyclist!
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Hi PhilPub !

    Pipipi - that's really a shocking class. You stand a good chance of damaging yourself in it. Try other peoples classes and hopefully you'll find someone teaching it safely and properly.

    You should be working hard enough that you don't need the distractions of ineffective pushups.
  • pipipi
    pipipi Posts: 332
    I'll certainly give other classes a go.

    I like the press ups though! We are meant to keep a tight core whilst we do this and I feel much stronger when I'm on a hill and I need to get out of the saddle.
  • Jumps and so-called pressups for inflexible bored folks are ok maybe, but backwards / one legged/no-hands(!!) in class I would consider dangerous - someone would show off/not listen etc & hurt themselves and there would be no benefit either.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I was in someone elses class last week who was throwing in lots of very rapid popcorn jumps. The front of the spin bikes were lifting off the ground with the movement back in the saddle. Anyone flipped a spin bike ? :shock:
  • cougie wrote:
    I was in someone elses class last week who was throwing in lots of very rapid popcorn jumps. The front of the spin bikes were lifting off the ground with the movement back in the saddle. Anyone flipped a spin bike ? :shock:
    http://forums.transitions.org.au/index. ... ntry634265
  • Thanks Alex - made me laugh - As an ex. spinning instructor I've seen some weird stuff in my time - we had a kind of triathlon guy - who sweated so much he lay towels around his bike in advance, building a little wall of terry toweling between him and fellow 'spinners' :shock:
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Excellent story Alex !!
  • I've only done a few spin classes at my uni but the instructor is excellent as she is a cyclist herself. She said if there was enough cyclists she'd like to do a proper cyclists session (ie an hour of intervals) but there wasn't the demand.

    I used to enjoy the fact she used to say things like "imagine it's the final 1000m of the Champs Elysees/Alp Duez" and have you out of the saddle pedaling against resistance or sprinting. I've seen another instructor stick a TV on with multiple scenarios (one looks like riding the Muur)
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    I've say things like "imagine it's the final 1000m of the Champs Elysees/Alp Duez" )

    Sadly, that would mean bugger all to 98.897% of attendees in a commercial gym.
  • I would love to open one of our multirider training centres in the UK one day. Jeff Jones has seen what we do, and says there is nothing comparable over there. Have seen the odd Wattbike studio, but those bikes don't have the capabilities needed to what we do.

    Rather than the hit and miss of spin, ours are very well controlled power based training sessions with efforts controlled relative to each rider's actual fitness level. Power is recorded and everyone has an objective measure of performance. It's "fun" that actually works from a fitness development perspective.

    Nothing wrong with spin sessions, they are primarily for general fitness and enjoyment/social, and that's healthier than sitting on the couch eating crisps by yourself.
  • Ron Stuart
    Ron Stuart Posts: 1,242
    Spinning like every kind of exercise needs to be done properly to get the most from it and to offset the chance of injury. I have done spinning for some 8 years now and it gives me a great high intensity work out to complement my road work. It gets me indoors out of the bad weather at times and I find that spinning alongside others gets me to try harder. I found being on my own on a turbo trainer rather unispiring to say the least, I have met others chatted and made friends I wouldn't have done stuck on my turbo in the workshop.
    However it is very important that the instructor has the right type of programme for the class and has a decent amount of previous experience, I am fortunate in that I belong to a first class gym with instructors that know about the subject.
    I see much more dodgey things going on with folk lifting weights to be honest, get yourself fitted properly to the bike and concentrate more on getting the technique right to begin with than winding on the resistance a lot, get to the class early if you can and spend time lightly warming up before the offical warm-up starts and/or go in gym and do the cross trainer or exercise bike for 20 mins gradually adding resistance. I see people in spin classes off the bike before the start nattering, don't, make the most of the time and get them legs turning and warm.
  • AndyD2574
    AndyD2574 Posts: 1,034
    Well thats me taken my 3rd spin class and the feedback is positive so far. Doing a combination of excercises that cover power, strenth and speed.

    Got hill climb, pyramid, sprints, attacks, stand / sit and I have included the much talked about chest press and the class (who are all part of a cycling club) like it! I have put in 1 legged bias excercise but with NO CLIPPING OUT so that they concentrate on the technique of cycling as in the push and pull.

    Cheers for all teh feedback......appreciate it.
    Specialized S Works Venge
    Argon18 E114
    Specialized Langster Single Speed
    Scott Spark Expert 29'er
    GT Avalanche
    http://www.glasgowgreencycleclub.co.uk
  • Xommul
    Xommul Posts: 251
    There seems to be a lot of grumpiness on this thread and the op was after some suggestions, seems people like to gripe rather then help.

    You should do what feels best, ask your group what their weaknesses are and then work on those, if people need speed then try sets of very fast spinning, if its leg strength then hows about low cadence and hard gears with hill sprints and single leg drills.

    Hows about a set of lunges off the bike, with and without weight. Core exercises to strengthen the back like plank, super man, sphynx pressups, side balance with or without pressups. Contrary to opinion, pressups will tone you well without making massive muscles and adding weight, esp if you have saggy chest or moobs.

    Good luck with your club
    MTB Trek 4300 Disc 1999
    Road Rose Carbon Pro RS Custom
    Canyon Spectral AL 7.9 29er
  • Xommul wrote:
    if people need speed then try sets of very fast spinning, if its leg strength then hows about low cadence and hard gears with hill sprints and single leg drills.
    Spinning fast with limited resistance won't make you fast on a bike. Likewise low cadence and hard gears has nothing to do with strength (not that it matters anyway).

    I recommend pedaling with as many legs as you have available.
  • Ron Stuart
    Ron Stuart Posts: 1,242
    Xommul wrote:
    if people need speed then try sets of very fast spinning, if its leg strength then hows about low cadence and hard gears with hill sprints and single leg drills.
    Spinning fast with limited resistance won't make you fast on a bike. Likewise low cadence and hard gears has nothing to do with strength (not that it matters anyway).

    I recommend pedaling with as many legs as you have available.

    http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition ... ck_cycling

    http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition ... ad_cycling

    Hoy, Hoy :!:
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Back to Spin classes....training methodologies and nutrition for road and track going a little off topic?

    Attendees in Spin classes are by and large:
    non cyclists
    wish to be 'entertained'
    wanting to lose weight but have spent the last 5 years failing
    :wink: