Cycling is something I have been doing recreationally now for about 6 years. As a kid I rode my bike everywhere as well, and because I grew up in the country, all my neighbors were at least half a mile away. This meant I put up some pretty serious mileage on my huffy over the years.
3 years ago, my wife bought me a bike trainer for Christmas so u could get in some winter training miles before the spring hiking season. This was the first year I had really taken on road biking seriously, and I would need a number of base miles in the saddle to get used to the whole thing.
This winter I am giving the spin classes at the gum a shot rather than using the trainer. It's fun to share the experience with others rather than sweat it out alone in the basement at my house.
It's really taking some getting used to. Here are three things I am picking up after about a month of spinning three days a week.
1. Get to class early. Bikes fill up quick, and arriving at the gym in your bike shorts without a bike makes for some head turning while you lift in the weight room.
2. Get your bike settings figured out. Just like on the road, each notch of adjustment can make you feel sore or cramped afterwards. Find what works for you, and make sure you have time to set it up that way every time you go to class.
3. Figure out your standing resistance settings vs. seated settings. Typically, when the class instructor has us get up out of the saddle, I have to turn up the tension knob 1.5 to two full turns. Then when we sit, I ease it back so I can spin. This is something I don't see many people doing, but to me, it is the only way to simulate riding outdoors.
Any other ideas?
I am a fairly active person. I ride my bike 4 miles each morning to work regardless the weather, and spend most of our family days out hiking, exploring, biking, or just adventuring together as a family.
One thing I have never been good at however is going to the gym. I have always gotten bored with weight training, and figuring out a workout schedule that matches up with the work schedule and family schedule has always been different.
Nonetheless, we decided to give it a shot. My wife has always been a runner, but right now she is 6 months pregnant, and she needs some other ways to continue to exercise. So, we agreed to try a 3 month gym membership a try.
So far, this time around has been different. For starters, the first day there, the salesman-trainer who signed us up, went the extra mile and set me up with a lifting routine that I can do in about 40 minutes. It gives me purpose when I walk in.
Secondly, I started going to spinning classes. Now, as a cyclist, there has definitely been a brain shift I have had to do. Spin bikes are definitely not the same as a road bike on a trainer in the basement. Spin bikes feel very little like the real thing. However, I leave every session dripping in sweat, and legs on fire. I guess it's working.
Today I'm about 15 days into my 3 month trial membership. Right now I'm digging it. Let's see how I feel in a month or so.
Right now I'm just glad it's working out!
I joined a gym this month to see what I have been missing out on. Really, I have never been much of a gym rat, but my wife Erin is due with our 4th in March, and she needs a place to work out that isn't as strenuous on her body. Things like yoga classes, and running on the elliptical rather than hiking and jogging are perfect for her right now.
The gym has a pretty good sized spinning room with 40 or so bikes, which caught my interest. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pretty excited about it, because I have heard a lot of good things from people about spin classes.
Spin class is NOT cycling.
I was glad to see that the bikes allowed me to wear my clipless shoes and lock in. I thought it was pretty cool that we would be watching cycling on the big screen while we spun away. But I was really confused by how to make this spin class feel right. The hardest thing to get used to was the tension settings. I never knew how hard to set it on. The instructor would say "adjust to your 5," and "now we'll ramp it up to your 6.5." I couldn't determine where those levels might be for me. I was certainly strong enough to spin a tougher number at times, but how hard was I supposed to be working? It was all new to me.
The biggest adjustment was how long the instructor would have us out of the saddle to climb. First of all, If I was standing at my level 6 I would nearly fall off the bike. I had to ramp it up to my level 7-8 just to keep enough back pressure to stand on the pedals. Then when we'd sit back down I would have to ease of the tension just to spin along, while everyone else seemed ok with keeping to tension the same in a seated position.
Here's the thing, on the road you never stand for more than a 30 second burst at the most. We are watching videos of cycling giants climbing the Alps, yet not one of them is standing. Why are we standing for 5-7 minutes?
Here's my conclusion. Spin class IS very good for you.
First, everyone I got raving reviews from about spin class was a non-cyclist. I should have noticed that.
Second, this was not cycling, but it works. I walked around all day with new aches and pains and different fatigued muscles. I was dripping with sweat, and polished off a full water bottle without hesitation. I don't typically do that in just a 1 hr training session on the bike.
Want to get an amazing workout? Try a spin class. Want to challenge your body in every way? Get a good bike and get out there!