I am a fan of spinning classes.
Who would of thought? I have only been to 6 classes but have come to realize they can be an excellent workout. And fun. Don’t misunderstand, I have been spinning for many years, particularly during the cold, wet winter months. I just never liked the energy of the classes I observed.
During the past several weeks, I have learned that a good instructor makes all the difference. I have had 4 different instructors in the past week. The instructor at the 75 minute class on Sunday morning is a cyclist and her workouts simulate an actual ride with hills of different lengths and grades, descents and flats. Each week she mixes it up so the workout never becomes boring or repetitious, paying particular attention to bike fit, cadence, power and heart rate. She is easily the best instructor I have experienced and, no doubt, will continue attending her classes, even during the cycling season.
The other instructors were questionable. OK for some but, not for me. Apparently, there are people that attend spinning classes that do not ride road bikes. They are there for a cardio workout and, that’s fine. They like these instructors. Instructors that arrive without cycling shoes or riding bibs thinking the Keiser M3 is more a step machine than a bike. They pay no attention to a proper bike fit or pedalling technique. In fact, one fellow set his up more like a step machine so that he was standing the entire workout. Another matched his workout to each song on his playlist, the same tempo and intensity for each song. He even worked in a few 1-arm pushups along the way.
I suspect a good one hour spinning workout is equivalent to a two hour road ride. There is no resting, no stop lights or traffic to contend with. So, I am a fan.
Just make certain you find the right instructor.
PedalWORKS 