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This morning, I decided to give my body a little break from running.
After 6 consecutive days of running (and several nights of tennis), my body really needed a low impact workout.
Although I don’t have a member ship to a gym, my aparmtent complex has a pretty good fitness center that has five spin bikes.
Who needs an actual spin class when you can do it yourself?
Spinning is a great way to get in a vigorous cardiovascualr workout by burning calories and working your leg and core muscles.
Pros
- An effective cardiovascular workout.
- Allows you to train in the off-season (when it’s too hot and/or too cold).
- A variety of routines keeps things interesting.
- A great workout for all fitness levels.
- You don’t have to wear your helmet
Cons
- You’re not on a real bike, so it’s not a perfect substitute for time in the saddle.
- You’ll sweat so much that you might fall off the seat.
- You have to push yourself for maximum effect (basically, a spin class will never be a recovery day).
Spinning classes are typically done in a fitness studio with various light and music settings to create an energized atmosphere.
Certified instructors (I was certified at one point but I never really kept up with it) guide students through an intense workout involving a warm-up, tempo cadences, sprints, climbs, and a cool-down.
One of the great things about a spin class is that you control resistance on your bike. In other words, YOU control how hard you push yourself.
Most spin bikes have toe clips so you can wear tennis shoes, but many pedals also work with clipless shoes.
My Favorite Hill Workout
| Minutes | What To Do | Resistance (1-10) | Cadence | Interval Length |
| 0-10 | Sitting Warm-up | Start at 2 and work to 4 | Slow | 10 |
| 10-15 | Standing Warm-up: strong, consistent jog |
5 | Medium | 5 |
| 15-20 | Recovery Spin | 3 | Slow | 2 |
| 20-21 | Seated Sprint | 4 | Very Fast | 1 |
| 21-23 | Recovery Spin | 3 | Slow | 2 |
| 23-25 | Standing Steep Climb | 7 | Medium | 2 |
| 25-27 | Recovery Spin | 3 | Slow | 2 |
| 27-30 | Seated Strong Uphill | 6 | Medium | 3 |
| 30-34 | Recovery Spin | 3 | Slow | 4 |
| 34-38 | Sprint Cycle: Four 20-second sprints; 40-second recovery between each sprint. First two sprints seated; Second two out of saddle | 4-5 for sprint, 2-3 for recovery | Fast for 20 second sprint; Slow for 40 second recovery | 4 |
| 38-40 | Recovery Spin | 3 | Slow | 2 |
| 40-45 | Standing Uphill Run | 6-7 | Fast | 5 |
| 45-47 | Recovery Spin | 3 | Slow | 2 |
| 47-51 | Sprint Cycle: Four 20-second sprints; 40-second recovery between each sprint. First two sprints seated; Second two out of saddle | 4-5 for sprint, 2-3 for recovery | Fast for 20 second sprint; Slow for 40 second recovery | 4 |
| 51-53 | Recovery Spin | 3 | Slow | 2 |
| 53-56 | Seated Strong Uphill | 7 | Medium | 3 |
| 56-58 | Recovery Spin | 3 | Slow | 2 |
| 58-60 | Standing Steep Climb | 8-9 | Medium | 2 |
| 60-62 | Recovery Spin | 3 | Slow | 2 |
| 62-63 | seated Sprint | Low | Very Fast | 1 |
| 63-70 | Recovery Spin | 3 | Slow | 7 |
Spinning… Love it or hate it?
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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I *love* spin classes, but discovered about a year ago that I love doing my own spin class just as much. I can do hills/sprints/jumps/etc when I want and control my own music. so much fun!
AWESOME WORKOUT…I might have to copy that for my spin class;) You are so right about the seat getting so wet from sweat that you nearly fall off! No helmet=awesome. That is really cool that your apartment fitness center has 5 bikes…I am jealous.
janae@hungryrunnergirl.com recently posted..Hiding the Monster and a Combover
I like spinning a lot. I prefer it to riding a bike because I’m not comfortable riding a bike and I can go much faster more safely on a spinning bike. Also I can crank the resistence too (since I live in a completely flat area, there’s not a whole lot of resistence on the roads).
I like using the spin bike on my own for doing tabata intervals.
5 Min warm-up
4 Min Tabata (20s speed + 10s recovery) + 1 Min recovery (x4)
5 Min cool-down
It’s an easy, quick 30 minute workout.
Good for you taking a low-impact day. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say you needed that!
My problem with spinning is the soreness… and I’m not talking muscle soreness. I’m told you just have to do it consecutively until it goes away. Did you find that to be true?
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted..Everything But the Kitchen Sink Soup
Spinning is awesome for non-running days and during injured phases. But for some reason I never do it.
Love love love – even more now that I can’t run. It’s my favorite form of cardio, and I probably take a class 3 times per week.
The only negative for me is that an instructor can really make or break the experience – a good instructor makes the class go by so quickly, and a bad one makes me want to jump off the bike and leave!
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat recently posted..Lightened Up: Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt
I’ve never tried spin classes before. But love that I’ve been able to run outside, now that the temps are tolerable here in Florida. Winners, all round
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com recently posted..Breakfast galore!
I love spinning classes! Since I’m not always available to go to a class, I wish my gym had spinning bikes to use on your own (they have all the bikes in the room to use only for classes).
Lauren recently posted..PSA: Sunscreen
I loved spinning in college. I honestly haven’t belonged to a gym in ages though so I never do it anymore. I love regular biking as cross training to running though!
Gina @ running to the kitchen recently posted..New rules of lifting for women: stage 2 update
hmmm i’m not gonna lie…i sprained my ankle last year at a spin class. epic fail…very embarrasing. but hey, i ran six miles today! who needs spinning
Alexis @ hummusapien recently posted..Smoky Spinach Split Pea Soup
You have an awesome apartment gym. Jealous!
Jen recently posted..He Said – Do Not Worry
peeeerrrrfect! I’ll use this for my class tomorrow. Thanks Matt!
lindsay recently posted..Thirty Minute Thursday
um 70 min SPIN!!! CAN I COME TO YOUR SPIN CLASS cause this sesh is AWESOMEE! i loveeee alone spin seshes i totally can get lost in my music and just sweat it outt
Emily@RunningPerspective recently posted..21!
I love spin! I especially like that you can control how hard you work, so you can either do it for an intense workout or for low impact cross training… although usually when I do a spin class, the instructors and the energy of the class makes it hard to NOT give it 100%.
Christine @ Burning It Off recently posted..But I don’t wanna go for a run!
I really enjoy spin class once in a while. I don’t know if I like it enough to do it regularly though.
Abby @ Abz ‘n’ Oats recently posted..A New Practice
I loved spin when I had a gym membership. Now I just have my trainer at home. I love taking my bike out on the road, but I am not loving the trainer as much as I hoped. I need a plan on the bike. Right now I just get on and ride. It tends to get boring.
Danielle @ weightsandmeasures recently posted..Simpler Times
Dude you are hardcore! Love spinning class but like you said, it’s definitely NOT a recovery day workout! I always feel the burn…the best part about it is that it an be adjusted to individual fitness levels!
Khushboo recently posted..BPB: This is the remix
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