An Introduction Guide – Spinning Workouts for the Beginner
Spinning is a generic name that refers to indoor cycling fitness program where stationary bikes are used to deliver high intensity workouts in groups called ‘classes’. A good typical spinning class will run (spin) often between 45 and 60 minutes long and can be a low, medium or high intensity workout or a combination of all three. A qualified instructor takes charge of the classes and takes the class on spinning workouts through hills and flats, with cool-downs and stretches, all accompanied by music. The answer to the question “Is spinning a good workout?” lies in the quality of equipment, the spinning classes or instructor and what you expect to achieve from the workouts, some are good and some are great!
The stationary bike used in spinning is specially designed with three variables that make it good for indoor workouts to burn up to 400 calories and tone leg muscles, sculpt the abs and burn fast. These are:
a) Body positioning: You can exercise while sitting or standing.
b) Cadence: This is the leg speed or the spins measured in revolutions per minute (rpm)
c) Resistance: Known as the Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE), resistance is measured on a scale of 1 to 10 and determines the difficulty in pedaling.
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Combining these three variables differently creates the profiles and terrain found in outdoor cycling at the push of a button. These three variables, combined with a variety of time intervals such as short bursts of high intensity workouts lasting 90 to 120 seconds followed by a sustained medium intensity for 3 to 5 minutes make it possible to target specific muscles and achieve precise expected good results from the spinning workouts. Some instructors like to work with high RPM at lower resistance. (my preference and good because my riding style is similar to this), some start with sustained difficulty to increase muscle mass. Whatever your expectation, a combination of these 3 variables and proper workout guidance from a professional will certainly deliver it.
Spinning Workouts at Home vs Class
The best answer to this dilemma lies in another good question: What kind of workouts is Fitness Spinning? Cardio, calorie burning, leg workout
? CrossFit Persist defines cardio workouts as anything that takes you to an aerobic state of being. This means that anything that makes your body use oxygen to provide energy that fuels your workout is a cardiovascular activity. Because spinning does this a lot better than most exercises that involve running, elliptical and jumping, we can conclude that spinning is a viable good cardiovascular workout.
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Spinning grew in popularity especially through the early 90s because it is a group activity that is carried out in ‘classes’. These classes, or spinning classes, are regular and scheduled and members get to journey together over time as they exercise together, network, motivate each other and eventually form lasting relationships based on common exercising interests. People who join spinning classes obviously have greater motivation and persistence than those who choose to buy bikes and exercise at home. My trainer once compared spinning to clubbing, and not in the respect of drinking. He said while it is easier and convenient to buy drinks and party alone at home, the real fun is in joining other partiers out there. Do you think he was right?
Creating a Schedule for Your Spinning Workouts – Your Daily Routines
Besides getting good motivation from the instructor and other participants, another great benefit of joining a spinning class is that it provides a level of stimulation and variety that you cannot find at home. You could buy a good spinning workout dvd that provides all the guides and music you need if you are a self-motivated individual who can create a workout schedule at home and stick to it, but if you are like the rest of us a spinning class is the wises choice.
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The next difficult thing to do is creating a schedule that you can turn into a routine. You probably already know that true benefits of exercising are realized when you create a good schedule that you follow to constantly exercise over time. Even before you register for a class, know that a typical spinning class is a 45 minute spinning routine of high intensity workout, not an exercise you have to set aside an entire day for. Once you set the time aside, you must make a promise to keep the schedule and leave the rest to your trainer. You will start at the bottom but after weeks or months of workouts, you can get to focused workouts including one leg spinning to target specific muscles. Talk about tough. I was busting my arse doing this.
What Should You Expect?
While there are different types of spinning classes, different classes have different objectives that determine how the spinning workout routines are structured and timed. They each do things a little differently and each mix up their own routines. So every day is different. Before you sign up for a class, familiarize yourself with their objectives and if possible find out what its members are to see if you will fit right in. Because you are the customer, all you need to know is what you want – whether you want to lose baby fat, make your leg muscle stronger or just want to stay fit, the instructor should advise you what the best spinning bike workouts for you are and what you need to do next.
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