Fitness enthusiasts are talking about it, many celebrities swear by it and it is supposed to be a terrific workout, so what is Spinning anyway? One can be forgiven for thinking that spinning is something rather like what dervishes indulge in; going round and round, but spinning is not this dizzy making activity at all.
Spinning is a particular kind of organized fitness activity that uses specially constructed indoor stationary bikes to focus on strength, endurance, high intensity and recovery. The kind of exercycle used for this kind of workout is different from the regular ones in that it has a specially weighted flywheel and the workouts are different in that they are done in a classroom setting with group cycling programs.
Instructors are present to guide the workout, and the musical accompaniment makes the workout fun.
Spinning programs involve 5 core movements that are thought to help exercise different leg muscle groups –
- Seated flat is the position used to simulate flat roads and is used for warm ups and cool downs. The hands are kept at the center of the handlebars in this position.
- Standing flat or running needs the hands to be in position two (12 to 14 inch position of the handlebars) the body to be more upright.
- Jumps are a combination of seated and standing positions with hand required to be in position two for 8 seconds or less.
- Seated climb is cycling with increases resistance at fewer rounds per minute.
- The standing climb requires the hands to be wide apart on the handlebars and needs the person to slightly forward to exert maximum force on the pedals.
- Additionally there are further movements to spinning such as Running with Resistance, Jumps on a Hill, Seated Flat Sprint, Seated Hill Sprint, and Standing Hill Sprint.
Since music is generally part of a spinning class, it can help a rider synchronize their pedaling in time to the beats of the music so that they can work harder and remain motivated. Also music can help by varying as per the movement; jumps, climbs, sprints and so on and can help the rider maintain the tempo of pedaling.
Spinning was developed by Johnny Goldberg after having a near escape from a collision while training outdoors at night. For more information about Spinning as an effective workout activity, visit the Spinning Website to take a look at spinning bikes, to shop, and get more information about events related to spinning.