Super fit people of all ages are turning to spin workouts to stay fit and maintain their ideal weight…
Learn how you can benefit from spinning too!
“Spinning” Burns Excess Calories
Experts will tell you… and I think you will agree? We all benefit from regular exercise.
Though not all of us find the time to get to the Gym as we would like.
Work and family commitments, injuries or aging – valid excuses are easy to find…
But the problem of being Time Poor is solved.
Exercise at home on your own spin bike when time is tight, attend Spin Class when time allows!
Indoor cycling is unique, in that you can easily adapt a spinning workout to suit any lifestyle, it fits into any timetable, whatever your age, fitness level or body mass…
Indoor Cycling Workouts
If you are an outgoing, social person, you will love the upbeat vibe of spin classes – tap into a calorie-burning, leg-numbing, motivational workouts with a hyped-up manic instructor…
In advanced classes expect to be pushed to your limits!
Otherwise? take a chill pill, as I do… Your basic spin bike at home is all you need.
Set your own workout timetable and increase the intensity as you choose.
Your fitness and health will improve quickly, combined with a healthy diet, your excess weight will melt away…
This is why clever fit people smile through their intense “Indoor Cycling Workouts.”
What Are Spin Bikes?
Spin bikes are based on regular road bikes, designed to give competitive bike riders an indoor exercise bike that reflects their competition bike allowing them to train inside in a controlled environment year round whatever the time of day or weather conditions…
They were quickly adopted by Gyms to give an intense indoor cycling workout.
Read Our Latest – Spin Bike Reviews !
… as cyclists, the two were looking to build a better stationary bike for cycling training and developed the first Johnny G Spinner using the ergonomics and geometry of a racing bike. Not satisfied with the components found on traditional stationary bikes, Spinning® was the first manufacturer to incorporate road bike geometry, clipless pedals, aero handlebars, and racing saddles into its bikes. source : Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc. founded in 1994 by John Baudhuin and Johnny G
Your spin bike allows you to dial in various levels of resistance [dependant on fitness] to represent rolling through to a hard slog up steep hill climbs, for the super fit you have the option to stand up and sprint whenever you feel the need…
To make your fitness routine more challenging the high-quality models plug into a wall socket have built-in computers to set your route and resistance levels – Tour de France anyone?
The more common read-out tells you how fast you are going (cadence or RPMs), heart rate, distance traveled, and quite important – How many calories you have burnt! … plus much more.
Spin Classes
There are two easy ways to become a spinner, buy your own bike… or if you are the type who thrives on training in groups, join a Gym that offers spin classes.
“Pro Tip” – Advanced spin classes are very demanding even if you think you can handle it… [the beginners class is the best place to start!]
If the gym environment is not for you? buying a spin bike is the best option, ride it at home at your pace. You get to choose the music!
Spin training is not new, it has been around for many years, extending to every corner of the globe … there are sure to be spin classes somewhere near you.
Gyms have adopted and adapted classes to suit all types of clients both the fit and unfit so don’t feel uncomfortable if you need to go slow at first. Just have fun.
In most cases, experienced riders are led by a very fit over-hyped instructor whose sole aim is to push you past your limits, in a positive way of course.
Who Benefits From Spinning?
Once you develop reasonable bike fitness and pedal technique… you will love the noise and energy your class provides – a great motivator to do better each spin workout, an amazing, fun way to stay fit… lose weight… best of all – you will keep the weight off.
A good spin instructor, surrounded by other spinners, will push you harder than you could ever hope to do, spinning at home alone.
You can’t stop or slow with the instructor shouting at you, Go Go Go, Push! Push! Push! … this nightmare… [whoops! I mean magical moment?]
Spin classes such as these normally last 30-50 minutes with a warm-up and cool-down period.
Try it you might like it?
For me, I’m happy with a spin bike at home and the peace and quiet of riding my mountain bike with my dog in the forest…
Spinning class is perfect for those of you who need that little extra push to motivate them to keep to a set exercise routine.
Why Spinning Improves Your Health?
Broadly speaking there are two types of spinners – those that want to improve their fitness and use spinning to maintain a healthy weight, this group often thrive on the motivation gained from group fitness sessions.
Apparently, from what I have read, spinning or any form of cycling helps to stimulate the endocrine system that controls the hormones produced in the body that are responsible for weight gain…
Hmmm, sounds encouraging?
What I do know for sure, is regular spin classes will help to reduce excess body fat from regions like stomach, thigh, butt and hip area you can expect to burn an average of 500 calories by cycling on a stationary bike for just 50 minutes.
Maintain Peak Fitness
Also, very fit athletes or pro cyclists choose to spin to maintain off-season fitness, whatever your chosen sport, spinning is a great way to do this.
You’d be surprised how many athletes that have adopted spinning to help them stay in shape all year round.
Winter bike riding in many regions of the world is not a lot of fun no matter how fit you are, in fact, it is rather difficult and dangerous to cycle outside when the roads are covered in snow and ice.
This is one of the major benefits of spin bikes, you can develop and maintain a consistent fitness routine by cycling indoors 365 days out of the year making it quite simple to keep up your leg strength and endurance year-round.
When your season comes back around you will be in great shape, allowing you to quickly handle the physical challenges of regular training – whatever your chosen sport.
Benefits from Spinning
image credit: http://thecyclingbug.co.uk/
Weight Loss From Spinning?
Spend an hour on a spinning bike and you can easily burn 500 plus calories, that’s twice as many as walking… Spinners, when they start out, are simply trying to maintain their fitness & health, many are serious about losing weight – as already stated riding a spin bike on a regular basis is a sure way to accomplish all of this…But you still have to do the work and it can hurt if you are not fit.
If you are not “bike fit” it will seem very difficult at first… don’t push yourself to hard when you first begin, after a while your cardiovascular endurance will increase your leg strength will improve then spinning will become enjoyable – as it gets easier, then the cycling addiction sets in, you will almost certainly want to challenge yourself by pushing harder & faster for longer periods as you increase the peddling resistance – it is when you reach this level of fitness that you receive the full benefit from spinning.
How Can You Actually Use This?
Best of all, spin bikes can allow people with knee and joint problems to get a safe quality workout even more so than with a regular bicycle.
Spin bikes when ridden properly put less pressure on your knee joints, this due in part to the heavy flywheel, designed to promote a smooth natural pedal stroke. (something the average cyclist can’t maintain on a regular bike)
This smooth pedal stroke greatly reduces the risk of joint or muscle injury, this is a major benefit of spinning many experts agree on.
People of all ages can and should use spin bikes to stay in shape, so just because you are unfit at the moment or are getting up in age? is no excuse for not spinning your way to perfect fitness or spinning to achieve your ideal weight.
They are great for rehab or injury prevention as they strengthen without stressing knee or ankle joints – spin bikes or cycling is often recommended when recovering from knee injuries – I discovered this when I dislocated my patella.
Should competitive Cyclists Spin?
While in the past the term spinning was used in cycling circles when working at a high pedal turnover, or cadence at a gear that is easy (used frequently in the phrase, “spin to win”), spinning is now most commonly used when referring to the workouts done on a stationary bike either at home or fitness center in a class.
Pros and Cons
If you have up to now just ridden a regular bike and are going to try out spinning, there are a few benefits you will find and some warnings.
First, the feeling of spinning will seem very easy at first compared to being on a regular road bike.
With virtually no resistance you will find it easy to turn quickly and experience what is known as, “spinning out”, or moving so fast you lose control of the pedals.
But once you add resistance you can make it much tougher on yourself.
You also can ‘stand’ on the pedals to simulate riding uphill or against wind resistance.
You do need to make sure you have enough pedal resistance to support your body, and in fact, most spin classes will have you crank the resistance to 80 or 90% of what you can push at some point.
Spin Bike Workout = Tight Buns
You will find most good quality spin bikes are fully adjustable to the point you can make the bike fit you, not quite to point it fits exactly like your road bike, but close enough.
When you add a set of clipless pedals and use your usual cycling shoes you will find riding a spin bike quite easy to adjust to, it will certainly improve your leg and cardiovascular fitness.
So yes, spinning will benefit your bike riding in many ways, it is a great way to improve your health, your bike fitness, leg strength and in some cases your riding ability.
Whether you ride in a spinning class or alone, you can to a certain extent control how hard you workout, it is a great way to find a comfortable but challenging point to begin your fitness training.
Ride Safe? Spin at Home
If you are used to regular training on a road or tri bike, you may find spinning a touch easier and more relaxing than your normal riding… due to the fact you have complete control over resistance and effort required as well as your environment.
This luxury allows you to really focus on your workout rather contending with Pollution, Road Rage, Aggressive Dogs, Dodgy Weather… “it’s a jungle out there”! Take a day off – Chill out – Spin at home…
If you are a social person you are sure to enjoy the positive vibe and motivation from riding next to other spinners in a class or you are a private person you could buy your own bike and spin at home – zone out as you listen to your favorite music.
Depending on the terrain you normally ride, you may find spinning even more challenging.
Typically spinners like to get out of the saddle regularly to change things up (they dial in the equivalent of a steep hill climb).
That alone can make a spinning beneficial to regular bike riders to improve core and upper body strength and balance.
Develop Sexy Legs?
If you are finding your terrain and conditions are not challenging enough on your regular circuit, fear not, as a spin bike has nearly unlimited resistance to challenge and develop your legs muscular strength, endurance… firm strong legs look great too!
Spin training is a great compliment to regular bike riding, no matter who you are and what you ride.
Whether it is a cheap spin bike at home or an expensive machine at the gym, with regular use your cycling and fitness will lift to another level it may even keep you on track when Mother Nature isn’t cooperating.
Inspired? Want To Own A Spin Bike? – Learn More – Read Our Latest – Spin Bike Reviews !
