Author Topic: Lockdown fitness  (Read 11115 times)

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #50 on: 20 August, 2020, 11:17:09 am »
Spinning class was a different instructor to the usual ones. Still structured but much more "spinning" (e.g. out of the saddle, slow/fast, etc) than my preferred instructor who does proper varied interval sessions and describes the upcoming sections so you know how hard to push.

It's a good workout anyway and will still be doing some good after all of this time off the bike. NP of 163W.

Easy 5k run tomorrow and then another 1600m swim in the afternoon.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #51 on: 20 August, 2020, 12:36:22 pm »
I miss spin classes. Likely to be another month at least before they start up again here. :(

In the meantime, I've pretty much given up and am not doing anything at the moment. :facepalm:

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #52 on: 20 August, 2020, 06:47:06 pm »
Tried spin classes once. Couldn't keep up. Which is odd on a static bike ;D

simonp

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #53 on: 20 August, 2020, 07:53:35 pm »
Spin classes are too unstructured for my liking.

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #54 on: 20 August, 2020, 11:06:32 pm »
That's the reason why I like the usual instructor (Mike). The session is effectively something ripped from TR or similar.

Look at the power/cadence curve from this activity: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4155630367

You can clearly see 3 x 1min all out efforts near the beginning, middle and end (I was aiming for holding 400W). Then built around that is a reasonable warm up to begin with. Over/unders between the 1st and 2nd minute efforts, then 10 x 45s intervals with 15s rests with the end being a constant increase in resistance (and cadence falling) as power ramps up until legs give up. A nice recovery and then the last 1 minute all out effort.

The good thing is you know that each sub section will be explained to you in advance and he'll give hints as to how much you need to put in and when you're going to get a recovery. (This washes over the majority of the class that just plug away doing whatever they want, but there are a few of us in the class that know exactly how to read what he says and translate it into our expected power outputs.)

All of the subjective "Now you're climbing a hill, add a bit more resistance, add some more, out of the saddle, add some more resistance, come on guys[1] you're doing great" bollocks can get in the sea. If I get that I just revert to doing a bunch of intervals from previous sessions.

1. In a class that's 90% women.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #55 on: 21 August, 2020, 01:26:32 pm »
Spin classes are too unstructured for my liking.

Depends on the instructor. The ones I go to (well, went to before lockdown) are very structured and based around power (instructor is a cycling coach and knows his stuff). I've also been to some utterly terrible classes in the past, with instructors who had clearly never been near a bike. I didn't go back to those!

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #56 on: 21 August, 2020, 01:27:46 pm »
All of the subjective "Now you're climbing a hill, add a bit more resistance, add some more, out of the saddle, add some more resistance, come on guys[1] you're doing great" bollocks can get in the sea.


This, 100%.

simonp

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #57 on: 21 August, 2020, 02:16:53 pm »
Spin classes are too unstructured for my liking.

Depends on the instructor. The ones I go to (well, went to before lockdown) are very structured and based around power (instructor is a cycling coach and knows his stuff). I've also been to some utterly terrible classes in the past, with instructors who had clearly never been near a bike. I didn't go back to those!

Indeed, if you have power meters (local gym in Cheddar doesn't) and they know their stuff, I'm sure it can work very well.


simonp

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #58 on: 21 August, 2020, 02:19:55 pm »
That's the reason why I like the usual instructor (Mike). The session is effectively something ripped from TR or similar.

TrainerRoad was founded by a guy, Nate Pearson, who used to go to Chad (TR head coach) Timmerman's CompuTrainer classes. Those classes would have been very similar to TR workouts, from what's been said on the podcast.

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #59 on: 21 August, 2020, 04:00:30 pm »
Spin classes are too unstructured for my liking.

Depends on the instructor. The ones I go to (well, went to before lockdown) are very structured and based around power (instructor is a cycling coach and knows his stuff). I've also been to some utterly terrible classes in the past, with instructors who had clearly never been near a bike. I didn't go back to those!
I had one instructor who I found mesmerising, I have never seen anyone throwing themselves around on a bike like that. A little ginger thing she'd be bouncing around all over the place, she wiggled around with her upper body as her legs maintained an utterly impractical cadence. Bless. Absolutely no transfer to cycling so a pointless waste of time for me.

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #60 on: 21 August, 2020, 04:42:11 pm »
Ooh. My gym has emailed to confirm it's reopening on 2nd September. :thumbsup:

Kim

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Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #61 on: 21 August, 2020, 04:44:39 pm »
Spin classes are too unstructured for my liking.

Depends on the instructor. The ones I go to (well, went to before lockdown) are very structured and based around power (instructor is a cycling coach and knows his stuff). I've also been to some utterly terrible classes in the past, with instructors who had clearly never been near a bike. I didn't go back to those!
I had one instructor who I found mesmerising, I have never seen anyone throwing themselves around on a bike like that. A little ginger thing she'd be bouncing around all over the place, she wiggled around with her upper body as her legs maintained an utterly impractical cadence. Bless. Absolutely no transfer to cycling so a pointless waste of time for me.

I watched a spin class of that ilk (instructor was more the classic male PE teacher / drill sergeant type) with bemused horror while waiting for the physioterrorist one time.  Concluded that someone had managed to come up with the least fun thing you could do with a bike, other than actually crashing it.   :hand:

zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #62 on: 21 August, 2020, 07:43:11 pm »
one of the most bizarre i had was "...and now we'll pedal backwards, c'mon everybody!" :facepalm:

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #63 on: 21 August, 2020, 07:52:49 pm »
Almost everything I hear about spin classes suggests they have as much to do with cycling as, say, basketball.

But I've never actually done one so I'm just talking impressionistic bollocks.  ::-)
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #64 on: 22 August, 2020, 09:02:40 pm »
Weight up a bit to 11st 4 but still a stone lighter than pre lockdown and a long term stable weight. Will this become new stable weight? Trying to keep fitness push going into autumn then keep it steady into winter rather than completely slack off and have to start again in 21.

ian

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #65 on: 24 August, 2020, 11:36:36 am »
Still no pools here, nor any clue when they will reopen (or what the issue is, it's a wide pool that could easily support a couple of socially distanced lanes), presumably with the schools reopening at which point the opening hours will be restricted to the point that they're effectively off-limit). I suspect that it's not cost-effective to staff the pool at the moment.

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #66 on: 25 August, 2020, 09:34:35 pm »
Our Nuffield gym re-opened, at least a week ago, pool and all.  You have to book the pool, only 3 lanes, one person a lane, half an hour.  I am told there's hardly anybody there - it never was very busy anyway.  I've not been, and we'll probably cancel as Mrs A is not at all keen. 

I used to do spinning and we had a good 'leader' who made it tough provided you increased the resistance as instructed!  He's left however.  I'd done a lot of January and February riding with a club and now thanks to my turbo I have kept fit in lockdown. 
Move Faster and Bake Things

ian

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #67 on: 25 August, 2020, 09:40:12 pm »
The gym reopened on a fairly spartan schedule with limited opening hours. The pool didn't and is still in mysteryland, but like I say, they're waiting for the schools.

I also swim at the NSC in Crystal Palace, they've open the 25m training pool but not the 50m pool (the last time I looked), which tbh, doesn't make much sense. It's offers a normal 8 lanes of social distancing.

Kim

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Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #68 on: 25 August, 2020, 09:42:03 pm »
The university sports centre has re-opened, so barakta's back in the pool for hydrotherapy.  Hopefully that will be able to continue without everyone getting coronavirus, as she's lost an alarming amount of mobility since the start of the lockdown.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #69 on: 26 August, 2020, 10:49:10 am »
The university sports centre has re-opened, so barakta's back in the pool for hydrotherapy.  Hopefully that will be able to continue without everyone getting coronavirus, as she's lost an alarming amount of mobility since the start of the lockdown.
Hope that goes well.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #70 on: 26 August, 2020, 10:54:47 am »
Our Nuffield gym re-opened, at least a week ago, pool and all.  You have to book the pool, only 3 lanes, one person a lane, half an hour.

Ours is set up as a 33+1/3m pool with 3 double width lanes (slow, medium, fast). Maximum 45 people per 45 minute session, so that could be 15 people per lane. No excessive dawdling at the ends (get out if you want a longer breather).

Most I've seen in the fast lane is 5 of us although the slow lane did have 10 or so in one session. I'd imagine it'd be quite horrid if the lane was full with 15 people as that'd be 15 people in 67m length of pool, so not much more than 2m separation between each person if everyone is swimming.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

ian

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #71 on: 26 August, 2020, 11:05:20 am »
I'm impressed that the Government's latest 'anti-obesity drive' means I can go rub shoulders in Wetherspoons but can't use the local sports centre pool.

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #72 on: 26 August, 2020, 02:11:32 pm »
I'm impressed that the Government's latest 'anti-obesity drive' means I can go rub shoulders in Wetherspoons but can't use the local sports centre pool.

Lifting pints counts as your daily 30 mins exercise

ian

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #73 on: 26 August, 2020, 02:45:23 pm »
Works for me.

It's one of those strange situations - the leisure centre was run by the local council who palmed it off on the attached school who, of course, know zero about running a leisure centre, so they outsource that to a leisure centre management company.

All fine and good, but it means that if you ask a simple question about the running of said centre, in which whoever you ask will refer you to (or blame) one of the other two.

So the council will include a missive in their monthly magazine telling 'Surrey get healthy' in one of their leisure centres (you ain't going to outrun the bears otherwise). You'll contact the leisure centre and ask 'when can I do this?' and they'll say they'll waiting for the school to confirm their use. You'll ask the school and, well, unless you've a got a child at the school, you'll be lucky to get any response but they'll say opening hours are down to the leisure centre management company.

So, if this is a representative experience, then as a country we'll eventually get so fat that we'll likely sink.

Re: Lockdown fitness
« Reply #74 on: 29 August, 2020, 01:42:23 pm »
Our leisure centres were handed over from the City to a charity that specialises in leisure facilities. They haven't re-opened any in Oxford since Covid. David Lloyd, Lifestyle fitness, Anytime Fitness, Park club, and various others have all opened, with various restrictions and rules. I suspect there is a funding shortfall that the charity and the City council are arguing over, and at least while the furlough scheme is in operation it's far cheaper to keep everything shut. Maybe they might open some when schools start block booking the pools, but I fear a number will have to close if there are no subsidies from central gov't. :(

I've done no actual exercise since May thanks to my hip. Whatever fitness I had will be entirely down the drain, then again, I have no timetable for being able to do anything, so maybe it's a moot point anyway. This time last year I did a 10 mile PB and was starting racing my new (to me) CX bike. I miss riding.