Exercise History Question (arms, bicycles, workout, spinning)

[Mightyqueen801]

I've wondered this for a while.

When did riding on an exercise bike first begin to be referred to as "spinning"? It seems to me that the earlier 00's was the first time I heard this term. A friend kept telling me she was going to her spinning class, and I pictured this room full of people with their arms held out to their sides turning in circles until they got dizzy. Of course, I knew that couldn't be right.

I finally gave up the idea of not wanting to sound stupid and so I asked, and it turned out to simply be everybody riding exercise bicycles.

I am curious about the term, though--does anyone know when and where that first popped up?

[grmi66]

Spinning bikes are a little different than exercise bikes. They actually feel more like riding a real bike than you would on an exercise bike. Not exactly sure what year they first started popping up in gyms.

[skel1977]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_(exercise)

[Docendo discimus]

The term and concept of "spinning" was invented by South African pro cyclist Johnny Goldberg in 1987. The first spinning classes were offered in 1993 at Crunch Fitness gyms.

The History of Spinning® and Indoor Cycling | RydeOn Blog

Johnny G - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But yeah, I don't think spinning really caught on with the masses until the late 90s/early 00s. The bigger exercise fad in the early 90s was step aerobics. And those "8-minute" and "Buns of Steel" videos.

[Ameriscot]

Riding an exercise bike can't compare at all to a good spinning workout. I never heard of it till a few years ago. I now do it 4 times a week.

[Mightyqueen801]

Thanks to those of you who answered! I wondered where that came from.

LOL, I do remember the "Buns of Steel" videos being hawked on late-night TV. Forgot about that.