spinning classes during bad weather

[Gus]

Just instructed 2 x 1 hour classes. It's good to get all the sadistic training idears tested on some willing volunteers 

And now my legs are hurting, but in the good way 

[Ningishzidda]

Spinning classes do two things.
They shag your slow twitch fibres, and shag your fast twitch fibres too.

So forget spinning. Set your indoor trainer to high absorption and pedal at your natural rate.

[geraldc]

Spin classes also teach you to hate certain parts of certain songs. A pavlovian response to music. I used to enjoy the guitar solo to Europe's Final Countdown, now when I hear it, I feel discomfort, as the instructor would bellow at us to sprint full out for that bit.

[mattc]

... the guitar solo to Europe's Final Countdown, now when I hear it, I feel discomfort,

I can assure you this is entirely normal. (I've never done a spin class, but have heard this ... 'classic' on the radio a lot).

[Ningishzidda]

Spin classes also teach you to hate certain parts of certain songs. A pavlovian response to music. I used to enjoy the guitar solo to Europe's Final Countdown, now when I hear it, I feel discomfort, as the instructor would bellow at us to sprint full out for that bit.

He feels a need to wear a ballet frock. 

[phantasmagoriana]

At last night's class, I got a bike with a broken computer, so couldn't see what resistance level I was on. I think I must have had it higher than usual, because my legs are sore today!

[Gus]

At last night's class, I got a bike with a broken computer, so couldn't see what resistance level I was on. I think I must have had it higher than usual, because my legs are sore today!

That's how you tell if you've trained well 

[Ningishzidda]

That's you myofibrils damaged, and your body saying "Don't do that again!"

[adenough]

I'm always being encouraged by the trainer at the gym to go to her spin classes.
However I'm in my 60s and all this full out thing for an hour strikes me as a bit dodgy. I ride a lot out of the saddle and think that I may improve but not so sure.
I'm not unfit. I run regular and hit max heartrate. Ride up to 100 miles aweek [I don't commute] plus a club run if the weather permits which is usually about 70miles.
So I dunno......

[giropaul]

Spinning I've tried in the past, but I didn't find it really transposed into cycling - especially if the instructor tries to do all that "hovering" and upper body stuff.

Add fascile instructors (some, not all), un-needed, terrible and over-loud musak and the terrible (sometimes dangerous) state of the bikes - "we maintain all the bikes to the highest standard" = bent pedals, broken straps etc, and the fact that you can't generally use clipless, then I didn't feel that it was worthwhile.

Wattbike sessions (no music, knowledgeable BC coach, are another matter entirely. Brilliant! I'll be re-enrolling next year (they only run through the winter)

[teethgrinder]

Spinning I've tried in the past, but I didn't find it really transposed into cycling - especially if the instructor tries to do all that "hovering" and upper body stuff.

Add fascile instructors (some, not all), un-needed, terrible and over-loud musak and the terrible (sometimes dangerous) state of the bikes - "we maintain all the bikes to the highest standard" = bent pedals, broken straps etc, and the fact that you can't generally use clipless, then I didn't feel that it was worthwhile.

Wattbike sessions (no music, knowledgeable BC coach, are another matter entirely. Brilliant! I'll be re-enrolling next year (they only run through the winter)

There are some duff "spin" classes.
Schwinn instructors are the best AFAIK. No upper body stuff, it's all based on cycling. Some of the spin instructors I've had have been a bit duff. Music at the wrong tempo. I had one instructor get a class pedaling at about 30rpm. I just do what I know is right. I never always get out of the saddle. I think they overdo the out of saddle stuff. I very rarely do "combos" where you do a few seconds in the saddle, the same out and so on. They only do that to get the heart rate up. I find that i get get my heart rate to where I want it without messing about.
Poor bike maintenance is an issue with your gym. The bikes at the gym I use are all in good nick and have SPD pedals with toeclips on the other side.
You do hear a bit of nonsense about cycling from instructors who aren't cyclists sometimes, but spin is OK for what it is.

I like all the loud music etc. YMMV.

[Ningishzidda]

If a cyclist never trains at 30 rpm, how is he expected to climb a 15% hill on a 34 inch gear?

Or do Spinning instructors think real bicycles are fitted with sixty tooth sprockets? 

[mattc]

(I keep reading TG's post and thinking he wrote :
There are some "snuff" spin classes

A scary, and not completely inconceivable concept!
)

[Ningishzidda]

One of the most valuable lessons to learn in ’spin’ classes is to wave your hands around making silly pointing gestures. This confuses the listener and they forget what you just promised.

[Gus]

Sounds like you have some bad instructors.

Spinning is : warm up, Tempo, rest, climbing, interval sprints mixed and with some music added.
 Most of it is done sitting unless you need to accelerate or climb steep with loads of watts.

Moving forward or backward while standing are crap. pushups are crap, any upper body exercise is crap.

Basically it's about riding long or short intervals at different rpm's and watts.

[teethgrinder]

how is he expected to climb a 15% hill on a 34 inch gear?

Or do Spinning instructors think real bicycles are fitted with sixty tooth sprockets? 

Well, if you pedal a 35" gear at 60-80rpm,("climbing" cadence in a Schwinn spin class) then you'll travel at 6-8mph, so that sounds about right to me.

You're right that spin instructors are often pretty clueless about cycling. But as I said, spin is good for what it is and it isn't specific cycling training. Good for the heart and lungs but does little for the legs IMO.

[mattc]

TG very kindly took me to spin last night. I felt a bit pathetic alongside TG and similar athletes, so I just watched and filmed while they sweated:

http://youtu.be/8bWt3CUTxgM

[JJ]

Is that TG in the pink top?  He's changed a lot since I last saw him.....

It sounds as if there is a huge variety of quality and style of spin classes out there.  My own experience is that the one I do is a reasonably cycling-specific workout.  There's a bit of hovering and stand/sit, but not too much.  The only control is a brake, and the only feedback is RPE and my HRM, so I can make of it what I will, by keeping the cadence high and focusing on good pedalling technique.  Then I turn it into a Triathlon-specific session by leaving while they do their warm-down and going for a short fast (by my standards) run.

The result is a more intense session than I would ever get without going and doing hill reps, that fits into a rather long lunch break, so it's very time efficient.

YMMV

[tonyh]

http://youtu.be/8bWt3CUTxgM

Alarmed. May stick to turbo after all.