Spinning Takes Off
HEARD about spinning and wondered what it's all about? Simple, it's a furiously fat-burning exercise that's dangerously addictive.
MANY gym bunnies have given aerobics and weight machines the heave-ho so they can hop on their bikes, and they're seeing serious results. Now if your memory of exercise bikes is the boring old thing in the corner of the gym, prepare to be surprised. Spinning is where it's at these days, and with the rush a class gives, it's no wonder.
what is spinning?
Spinning is an exercise class performed on stationary bikes, usually set to adrenaline-inducing music and led by a hyper instructor. You'll be led enthusiastically through a virtual ride on flat roads, hills and sprints and you'll often be getting up and out of that saddle to really work it, baby.
why is it so good?
Researchers from Charles Darwin University, in collaboration with Exercise Research Australia, revealed that a spin class can burn a whopping 3350 kilojoules (800 calories) in a 40-minute ride. That's quite a few Tim Tams.
How does spinning burn so much energy? By getting the heart rate way, way up. And that's not all. Spinning is also a form of resistance training so you're building some fine muscles to replace the fat you burn off. And where are you building those muscles? Just where you want them – in the legs and the butt. Nice, long, lean muscles mind you, because the work is short and intense, not heavy and prolonged like you need to build big muscles.
Because it's a low impact sport, spinning is suitable for just about anyone. Just ask an enthusiast. Suzy Rutten is an instructor at Spincity in Bondi, Sydney, and has been teaching spinning for three years. "Spinning's really motivating and it appeals to such a wide range of people, from beginners to elite athletes," she says.
flat out
So what's the difference between riding a cycle in a gym while you watch Oprah and a spinning class? It's all in the ups and downs. A spin class is basically designed to mimic a regular outside ride, but not your slow, meander around the countryside kind of jaunt, but a toning, fat-blasting one.
In a class you'll have the long, flat rides for endurance and the hills to pump your heart rate up and tone those thighs. A few sprints will be thrown in to get your heart to pump just a little more. The ride will be guided but you can adjust the resistance on your bike to suit your level.
Some classes also provide a heart rate monitor so you can see when you're working in your optimum zone and know when to notch it up.
To really burn fat we have to take our heart rate up to around 60 per cent of our maximum capacity.
thigh high
One of the cool things spinning does for your body is build seriously lush thighs and a high, tight butt. It does this by getting your heart rate right up there so you burn off fat. Plus, the intensity of a class also sees your metabolism boosted for hours after you finish, so combined with sensible eating, you'll see the fat melt away.
Once you've said bye-bye to the fat, you'll be delighted with the shape of the long, lean muscles on your thighs. And don't stay in your seat when your instructor exhorts you to get on up. Riding high off the saddle really makes those glute muscles work, forming a higher, tighter butt. Rutten says these high rides have a double benefit: "After people have been coming a while, they really start to develop great upper-body tone."
Which explains the addiction of spin classes.
Cassie Rowe is a sales rep from St Kilda, Melbourne, and she's been spinning for more than 14 months. "It's a real buzz," says the 27-year-old.
"I love what it does for my body and the classes are fantastic – it's just like being at a club with the music and the lights."
Since starting the classes Rowe's lost six kilos, but says the changes to her body have been startling.
"I've dropped two dress sizes," Rowe enthuses.
"My legs are now really shapely, and I love what spinning's done for my bum."
The experts are also keen on spinning. Exercise physiologist Trent Malcolm, from Carnegie in Victoria says, "It's great for cardio-vascular fitness as it gets the heart and lungs working."
And spin classes aren't just for superfit jocks.
"One of the real benefits is it can be done by any age group," says Malcolm. Because you set your pace you can be riding alongside an elite athlete, doing the same moves, but at your own speed.
Age isn't a factor either. "One of the instructors here is 70," says Rutten, "and a lot of older people come along to her classes."
Dress for comfort, not fashion. If you want to be able to sit down after the first few classes (and avoid the John Wayne swagger) think about investing in a pair of padded cyclist's pants. Take a towel along and a huge bottle of water to replace all the water lost through sweat.
Beginner's classes take around 30 minutes and when you're ready to take it up a notch there's bound to be a 45-minute class to suit you. And don't underestimate the social aspect of the classes either, there's a lot of camaraderie among the peddlers and some healthy competition too, if that's what you're after. So get in the saddle and expect to see results so fast that your head might spin.
Contacts:e classes available at most of the 55 Fitness First health clubs Australia-wide. Call 1300 557 779: timetables at www.fitnessfirst.com.au
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