Benefits of spin class? (muscles, lifting, treadmill, legs)

[mannyp02]

I was thinking of attending my gym's cycling class this week and I was wanting to hear from some ppl who've attended a class before. What kind of workout is it? Cardio, calorie burning, leg workout? I assume all of the above to an extent lol but I'm just trying to figure out how beneficial it'll be for me. I work out 5-6 days a week (cardio each day with weight lifting) and overall I'm happy with my progress there's just still some body fat I'm working on trimming off. I know that these classes are generally predominantly female so I didn't know if there was a particular reason for that or what.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

Spinning classes are INTENSE cardio classes. I would walk by the room and see people pedaling like crazy as if they were trying to escape from monsters. I mean INTENSE. Ask KwaK in the daily exercise forms here for advice because I think she is an avid spinner.

[jazzcat22]

I don't care for spin classes. I found the seats very uncomfortable. Found it too repetitive. And felt that it was bad for my feet to stand up on the pedals. Kickboxing, step, Zumba, water aerobics are all fun classes for me. If I can't do class, I'll walk on the treadmill or do the elliptical. Maybe the stationery bike if need be. But spinning does not appeal to me at all.

[xsthomas]

Originally Posted by jazzcat22

I don't care for spin classes. I found the seats very uncomfortable. Found it too repetitive. And felt that it was bad for my feet to stand up on the pedals. Kickboxing, step, Zumba, water aerobics are all fun classes for me. If I can't do class, I'll walk on the treadmill or do the elliptical. Maybe the stationery bike if need be. But spinning does not appeal to me at all.

I don't get the whole spinning thing. Get on a bike. Get out and see the scenery as you exercise. There are several parks where I live that have a nice bike and running path around a lake. Lots of things to see as you bike. You can forget as you bike that you are exercising.

[Ohiogirl81]

I like spinning; I dislike the loud music and constant "woo-hoo!"-ing by the instructor.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by xsthomas

I don't get the whole spinning thing. Get on a bike. Get out and see the scenery as you exercise. There are several parks where I live that have a nice bike and running path around a lake. Lots of things to see as you bike. You can forget as you bike that you are exercising.

Agreed, much rather be outside on my bike. But winters here make that hard to do regularly and the lack of daylight makes it difficult to do during the week.
We do an alternative called CompuTrainer. Using your bike, it is hooked up to a trainer that is set for your fitness level. Then you have a coach put the entire class of 5-16 through the same program. Decent music (no boom-boom crap)sensible progressions (working on building a base right now) and a coach with relevant, enjoyable stories and just the right amount of encouragement (and occasional cow-bell!)
http://villagecyclesport.com/merchan...-2012_RevA.pdf

[scorpio516]

Originally Posted by jazzcat22

And felt that it was bad for my feet to stand up on the pedals.

Nope, not at all.
When you stand on the pedals, a couple things happen:
you use different muscles in your legs
you produce more power
you give your butt a break
and you get a lot of control over your COG

But, if you were on a road, a bad thing happens - your aerodynamics go out the window. That's a big reason it's only done while climbing or sprinting.
The other is that it can be hard to do, so you get tired producing all that power, so it's usually reserved for short bursts.

OP:
Good about spinning:

• burns a tonne of calories - if done hard enough 1000-1200/hr
• no weather
• works on high RPM spinning

Bad about spinning:

• noise
• not in the weather

3-4 years ago, there was a lot of talk that high cadence was very good for you (90+ rpm). The thought was #1 it saves your legs vs. mashing and #2 it's better on your joints. #2 is out of fashion today. Now the idea is self selected cadence is the best (people with good training usually fall between 75-95 RPM). High RPM does save your legs though, so if you were planing on jumping off a bike and running a half marathon...

[mannyp02]

Thanks for all the input guys. I went to my first class last night. I enjoyed it (although as someone else pointed out, the music and woo-hooing isn't really for me lol). I def got a good cardio workout out in and I feel it in my quads today as well! It was a little awkward at first as I haven't even ridden a bike in forever and trying to get my resistance correct was a trial and error thing. I think I'm going to go back next week now that I know more of what to expect. Not something I'll likely do all the time but a good way to change things up occasionally.

[NYMD67]

I don't do spin all the time, mainly step, boot camp & weight classes for me, but Spin is an awesome workout once I awhile... I love the loud music, it keeps my mind off what I am doing!

[burgler09]

How long does it take to grow a tolerance to getting dizzy?