Spinning Class, Great workout or a good way to overtrain?
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psychosyd posted 39 weeks ago.
Spinning classes are rarely directed at the sort of training an Ironman needs to do. That being said, the occasional spin class will be good to break the monotony for sure! I would never do all of my bike training in spin classes though. Not the best use of training time.
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spazz posted 39 weeks ago.
i think those classes are designed to burn calories, not become better on the bike, 2 - 3 hour sessions on the trainer are a nightmare to me, what you can do to break it up is something like bike 1.5 hours, run 30 minutes, bike 1.5 hours
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Tikal Dog posted 39 weeks ago.
mmmm don´t know where to start here.
First of all.... during my training I do any bike session programed (Mon-Fri) in the spinning class in the Gym. Why? Well just because my workplace, lifestyle etc doesn´t allow me to ride outside during the week.
BUT I never follow the class 100% I follow my training plan instead! I follow my HR zone and try not to stand up during class and maintain the target cadence.
The only time I follow a spinning class 100% is during the off season. For me....that ended last week since I starting my training plan tomorrow.
If I was paying +$400.00 for a race entry fee and commiting my self to an IM training I would forget about spinning class. But again..... I have never done an IM so I have an extra respect for the distance.
Hyperactive Trifueler!!!! (I refuse to let the status go :p)
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christri25 posted 39 weeks ago.
I agree to stick to your own plan during the spin class. The workout they do is not for a triathlete. I would attend spin classes a lot in the past i would bring my MP3 player and my HR monitor and do my own thing. The instuctors did not care for me ...lol
Chris
``It's not as if I'm going to sit around and be a fat slob,''
Lance Armstrong 2005
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psychosyd posted 39 weeks ago.
Yeah, you don't make friends in a spin class when you ignore the instructor! :>>>
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Tamara posted 39 weeks ago.
Same experience as Chris and Syd. I actually had an instructor yell at me mid-session in front of the whole class one day last month for not following along! I replied that I was paying him to teach the class, it was my choice whether to listen! :-) Needless to say, it was the only class I've been to all off-season.
I do okay on my trainer in front of the tv and with my iPod. My husband is fighting plantar fasciitis, so he can't run. He rides outside on the weekends, and if he gets home before dark. But otherwise he hits spin class since it's better than nothing.
"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit." ~George Sheehan
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vanjames posted 39 weeks ago.
When I was training for IM OZ last year I used to do 4-5hr spin bike sessions ( i have a mag trainer and can't stand it) - I would vary my workouts inside the workout. 20min high cadence spin at 75% max HR, low rpm sim hill climb for 20min - etc. If you have an idea of the bike course terrain, try to simulate it on your trainer. It prepares you mentally for anything as well. I went to some spin classes but as was already mentioned didn;t make friends there because I stayed in the zones I was working and the instructor kept riding me to get off the saddle or pick it up. I told them that although it was a 1.5hr class, I still needed to ride for 3.5 more after. That ended the conversation. And I no longer went to the class.
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nyurfacelabs posted 38 weeks ago.
i agree with some but not all of what is posted here. As long as you realize the differences between spinning and actual riding, this workout can benefit you. When weather is bad, this is the best alternative. Spinning classes generally build muscular intesity and endurance over the short haul. A spin class will improve your VO2 and raise your cardio threshold. It will never compare to a ride you you 2-wheeler, simply because you don't have control over your heartrate on a long sustaining climb. A spin class will allow you to train to your heartrate and more than likely improve your muscular indurance. An actual ride will put you in reality and allow you to train for those ride that put you over your VO2 threshold. A combination of both in the off season I have found to be most beneficial.
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nyurfacelabs posted 38 weeks ago.
sorry about the typos in the above. I guess what I am really saying is don't discount any workout. They all have their benefits and a variety of workouts will enhance your athleticism in road racing, mountain biking or triathlons. So mix it up!
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MITriGuy posted 38 weeks ago.
It just depends on what you want to work on and when. Like right now I dont have a tri until May so I am just working on long base rides keeping my heart rate around 65% max. There arent any spin classes that are doing to do that for me around here. Most of the people that go to the spin classes around here dont understand that you dont need to kill yourself to get a good workout. Also the classes are only 30-60 minutes and my rides are close to 3 hours sometimes. Now come mid March when I want to start working on my Vo2 and I am really bored of my basement and trainer, I might take one a couple times a week.
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TriSooner posted 38 weeks ago.
I am training for my third IM (Germany in July) and I spin during the week. It is currently dark, cold, windy and rainy in Dallas so riding outside is not an option until March. While I do have a fluid trainer, I can't stand it and might use it a couple of times, in season, when it rains-out my after-work ride. The alternative is that I take a 1hr spin course (and follow my own 'routine'); I don't ride; or I ride on my fluid trainer and make myself miserable. We have a long tri season in Texas (April to Oct), so burn-out in January isn't good. As such, I spin at 24hr fitness a couple of times a week. I know, I know: It is not the same as riding outdoors. Acknowledged. I remedy that by riding on the weekend, during the day when the sun is up and it is a bit warmer. And I too have noticed that spin classes are not geared toward tri-style riding. And finally, I really doubt most spin instructors make a big deal about people not following along: do they do that to overweight newbies or first-timers? No one really pays attention to what others are not doing.
I am training for my first ironman; and so right now I am doing some long indoor trainer rides and have been focusing a lot on heart rate work. That said, I sometimes want to get out of the monotony of 2-3 hour rides at 75% hr. I will go to a local spinning class every now and then for a high intensity workout and often I see people who are training for ironman and wouldn't miss a workout substituting all of their winter rides for these classes. I have a hard time believing the old school thought "no pain, no gain" is the way to go, but these people seem to take this to a whole new level. I would love some input on what you think about spinning classes in general. Should a serious triathlete ever find themselves in these classes or is this just a good way to cause injury? Thanks for your thoughts!