“Spinning won’t make you fit”. Or will it?

This week I came across an article on one of the forums for indoor cycling instructors: http://www.stack.com/2015/09/16/spinning-probably-wont-make-you-fit-heres-why.

It has caused quite a stir so I decided to respond to it. I will just take out the main points it makes to allegedly prove why indoor cycling will not make you fit as opposed to having a personal trainer and lifting weights. It is based on an interview with a personal trainer Brian Nguyen. He’s not just a PT. He’s “trainer to Mark Wahlberg” which clearly makes him much more of a fitness authority. Let’s dive right into it.

“Spinning is tough. After an hour of pedaling at high speed, you’ve probably left a puddle of sweat on the floor under your bike. (…)The classes are fun, and the routines can easily lead to the assumption that participants get a great workout”.

Anyone who has taken a properly well structured indoor cycling class with a qualified instructor will ask: are we talking about the boutique style “dance-on-the-bike-doing-crazy-stuff” type of class or are we talking about a proper indoor cycling class? Because the latter involves much more and the speed used in these classes is way more controlled.

If however you refer to the classes advertised as a full body workout involving using tiny weights, resistance bands and full of what we call “fluff” then I wholeheartedly agree. But please do not put us all in the same bag.

“Spinning produces similar effects in the body as jogging. (…) Once you finish a spin class, your body no longer burns calories”

Here is where I got really kind of pissed off (my blog, I can say that 🙂 ). He didn’t even say “running”. He said “jogging”. I used to jog. I lost a bit of weight, gained some muscle but I agree, the results were not WOW. Question to FF CJS members who have ever taken Jitka’s, Cheryl’s, Serena’s or my class: would you compare it to 45min of “jogging”?! What classes has this dude taken in his life to make such a statement? The answer is: really bad ones…

If I were to give an “expert opinion” the way he has I would say even a workout with a personal trainer using weights and what not has the same effects. How? If you have a bad trainer who tells you to use weights that aren’t enough to cause an overload. One that makes you follow a programme that’s not tailored to your needs. What kind of PT would do that?! A bad one. Have I ever seen these? Yes, I have.

Now as far as the second part of the statement goes – that the effects of the class finish as soon as you get off that bike? I really question fitness qualifications of that guy. Whatever exercise you choose: rowing, cycling, running etc you can do them at different intensities, with different goals in mind: speed or strength endurance, HIIT, threshold work etc. If every spin class involved pedalling at the same tempo for 60min who on earth would keep doing it?

And I have news for you Brian. You better sit down though and brace yourself: YOU CAN DO TABATA ON A BIKE!

I am convinced this guy either took ONE class and it wasn’t a good one or is basing his opinions on hearsay. He doesn’t seem to think you can do intervals in a spin class.

Here comes the big one folks:

“Spinning doesn’t build muscle.(…) Cycling never makes your body gain lean body mass, and that’s the thing that burns fat. At the end of the day, metabolism isn’t improved on a bike.”

First reference to spinning is already incorrect but Mr Nguyen goes far beyond that and refers to “cycling” in general. I would ask him to check out a few names and relevant pictures of their legs: Marcel Kittel, Chris Hoy, oh hell: Tom Scotto! And I would invite him to watch this (extreme) little clip:

“Spinning doesn’t give individual progression”

It definitely used to be true however you could always test yourself periodically and compare the results. But these days we have bikes with computer consoles and data. We have coaching by colour brought by MatrixIC7 bikes. Please Mr Nguyen, do your research first.

Finally we get to the last one:

“Spinning reinforces common injuries”

Yes, cycling involves sitting, we agree on that. But it is also the best low impact activity next to swimming that actually helps with many health problems and is used in physiotherapy. There is such a thing as bike fitting Brian, and any good instructor will ensure your set up prevents any back or other discomfort. As per the core not being engaged: you need a strong core to be a strong and efficient cyclists even indoors. You may not feel it as much indoors as outdoors but no, cycling is not a “complete full body workout” nor is it claiming to be. If you refer to those “fluff” classes that make that claim – please make the distinction between those and SPINNING or proper INDOOR CYCLING.

To sum up, Brian seems to know his stuff when it comes to what type of exercise gives what effects but clearly knows nothing about spinning/indoor cycling when he says:

“When combined with strength training, spinning may give you that extra calorie burn you need to accelerate fat loss. When done on its own, your results from spinning will likely fall short of your expectations.”

Spinning is all exercise I do. In 2.5 years dropped 3 dress sizes and kept it off. My recent fitness tests show that my cycling performance levels are that of a trained athlete.

So Mr Nguyen, I respectfully disagree.

5 Top Tips to Maximise Your Indoor Cycling Workout

It’s a very miserable bank holiday Monday. It has been raining all night and it still is. Breakfast done, soup for dinner is already on the stove and now just having an hour or so of me time before I cover a class in my local gym.

It has been a very busy week. Two classes almost every day plus I finally had my fitness testing session at Cadence. I must say I am really happy with the results as in most areas tested I am on a “trained athlete’s” level. Now the challenge will be to fit the training session into my day. Fingers crossed.

Today I wanted to talk about something that we as instructors witness and mention very often especially if you teach across many different locations: how to maximise the effects of your indoor cycling session. It all comes down to a few top tips. these are relevant at whatever your level as a rider.

Let’s crack on then:

1. BIKE SET UP.
I am like a broken record: I go through it at the start of EVERY class. I walk around and check it individually and then go through it again with the group. Please follow it. PROBLEM: with the wrong set up you can’t work as hard as you would otherwise, you risk discomfort and over time injury. SOLUTION: ask your instructor. In many cases people say: “I have it like that because I have back problem”. I often respond: “You have a back problem BECAUSE you sit that way”. It doesn’t apply to everyone but it does to many.

2. YOUR FITNESS GEAR – WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?
This is crucial. There is so much available in terms of gym clothes out there we are spoilt for choice. Even price wise. Yet still many people make basic mistakes.

First, wearing cotton T-shirts. PROBLEM: they get soaking wet in the more often than not incredibly hot studios. That means that they get heavy, you get very hot or very cold very quickly especially if you sit close to an air con vent. SOLUTION: get a proper moisture wicking gear that will transform your experience.

Second, wearing long sleeve tops and long trousers. Some people wear these because they want to sweat more and as a result burn more calories. PROBLEM: if you overheat your body, you cannot work as hard as you would if you were able to keep cooler. If you want to do a long endurance ride – same tempo without many surges or intervals then probably you can get away with it. Otherwise you are not doing yourself any favours. SOLUTION: I know some people feel cold when they enter a studio and only after the warm up they realise they may be overdressed: wear layers so you can take the long sleeve top off for the class and put it back on for the cool down/stretching.

Next is wearing loose trousers with wide leg. PROBLEM: have you seen people cycling outside with one leg of their trousers folded up or wearing a funny rubber thingy over their ankle? There is a reason for it: the trouser leg may get entangled in the pedal.

3. WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR FEET? PLIMSOLLS?!
My advice to anyone who takes even just 2 indoor cycling classes per week but regularly, to invest in the cycling shoes with cleats. Yes, they will set you back about £60-£70 at least but you will never look back after wearing them. And they will last you a couple of years at least (provided they are not the cheapest thing out there). I have seen people come to the class wearing normal trainers, MTB shoes, plimsolls and the barefoot running rubber-thingies. PROBLEM: with all these shoes are the soles. MTBs just don’t fit in the cages. Plimsolls or very thing soled trainers just don’t give you enough support and when you are to do a standing or seated climb with a lot of resistance your foot will arch. That means you are facing discomfort in the class, pain and over time even an injury.

Even wearing a good pair of trainers you will always face the dreaded STRAPS that are to hold your foot in the cage. These are very often broken or keep getting loose during the class and you need to stop to tighten them up.

When wearing the cycling shoes your foot will always be positioned in the right way above the pedal, you will be able to actually pull from your heel rather than just push down as you are one with the pedal. They will take some getting used to – especially clipping in and out 🙂 but they are so worth it.

4. THAT’S A BUMMER.
Yes, the bum. PROBLEM: We spend a lot of time sitting on it in a class. And no, it is not comfortable. The level of discomfort comes as a real shock to many beginners. After the first class (or if you only do one a week) you need to remember not to sit on hard surfaces for a couple of days after the class… People try to deal with it in different ways. Some fold a towel over the saddle. I don’t think it’s a good idea at all. The other week I have witnessed for the first time in 3 years someone who goes as far as to keep on his feet the whole 45 minutes rather than sit down on such an uncomfortable surface.

SOLUTION: first and foremost bike set up. That answer is like “switch it on and off” in IT 🙂 Then try taking 2-3 classes a week even for a couple of weeks. It should get the derriere used to the idea. Otherwise there are gel seats or those padded shorts. If you decide to go with the shorts make sure they are well fitted.

5. I AM NOT A SCIENTIST. I AM NOT A PRO ATHLETE. I AM NOT INTERESTED.
Did you guess what this one is about? The computer consoles on bikes. Thankfully, more and more gyms are putting in new generation bikes that are giving us back loads of valuable data so we can actually see where we are at in terms of fitness and whether we are getting any better.

PROBLEM: For many people suddenly having a screen with many (sometimes too many) numbers feels like they can no longer have fun in the class. Now it’s all Watts’s this and Watt’s that 🙂

SOLUTION: if you take part in a power oriented class these numbers are vital to know how hard you should be working. However, you are always free to ignore them and follow other clues from your instructor like keep to the beat of the music, make sure it feels like a hill/flat etc. You may not care about the number of Watts you are producing and that is fair enough. However, you can always benefit from tracing your speed – RPM.

As an instructor I am thrilled to have these tools available so I can vary the focus of my classes. I used to do cadence/speed drills on the old school bikes and they did work well. But now when you can actually SEE what speed you are at and can keep yourself in check rather than GUESS whether you have slowed down or not, it makes for such a better and more challenging workout.

What I am saying is having a bike with a console only to put a towel over it for the whole class is like getting an Aston Martin or a Ferrari and just drive it at 20mph to the local corner shop and back. Just give it a chance, see what it can do. You don’t have to use all the gadgets. Also as the instructors do use these numbers more and more, you may feel a bit excluded having to work out where you should be while everyone else is just following a number.

Look mum! No hands!

This post is inspired by what I have been seeing quite a lot of in my classes recently and also by a vivid discussion on one of indoor cycling instructors’ forums.

It’s about riding a bike hands free. A seemingly innocent topic that got a lot of instructors very agitated and if I am honest, it does rub me the wrong way sometimes when I see it in my class too. Why – you ask?

First, let’s discuss the issue from the favourite perspective: keeping it real. Which basically means, if you don’t do it outside, you don’t do it inside. But if any of you ever rode a bike outside, as a kid or teenager, or even watched kids ride bikes you know they DO do it. It’s not easy and it’s a kind of “right of passage”. It simply means you’re good! You are cool.

I have done it. I would sometimes ride almost all the way from school hands free! And (don’t tell my mum) I would take the two very dangerous turns downhill hands free too. Oh the thrill of it! It allows you to feel the bike. You realise how important little shifts in your body position are. You can actually turn hands free! I loved it.

You would also do it on a long ride to take a break and rest your back a bit, stretch a little.

Pro cyclists do it when they need their hands free: to eat, adjust helmet, glasses, take off an extra layer of clothing. Actually anyone who ever rode outside knows that it’s annoying to have to stop to take the jacket off only for the wind to change 5min later when you have to stop again to put it back on – waste of time unless you can let go of the handle bars and do it while riding.

http://www.active.com/…/articles/how-to-ride-with-no-hands

Therefore various benefits include: rest, balance/core work and practicality.

Now let’s move indoors. Rest? Sure. Especially if you are new to cycling and you find the normal position uncomfortable. I actually encourage little breaks where you roll the shoulders back, shake off you hands – a lot of beginners tend to squeeze the handle bars causing the shoulders to rise and the whole upper body to stiffen up.

I do however discourage sitting up for 30 sec or more at a time or doing it every minute. Why? As we are on a stationary bike when you let go of the handle bars you do not cause the core to engage in a more beneficial way – the bike doesn’t move, you do not need to balance. Pedalling technique suffers a bit as well, especially if you do it on a “hill”. And if you let go with too little resistance you are more than likely to be bouncing uncontrollably.

Mainly though, you are robbing yourself of a workout as sitting up significantly diminishes the power you are able to produce: you are not working as hard as when you are holding onto the bars. If you train on a bike with a power meter, try it: watch the Watts in both positions.

Now as an instructor you always look for reasons why people do things in a certain way, especially if it’s not something you do during the class so there must be other reason. I see 4 of them.

First, as mentioned above, stiff upper body due to squeezing the bars too tight. This can be trained over time.

Second, bad bike set up which is making riding uncomfortable. This can be easily fixed.

Third, issues that cannot be spotted unless the participant discloses them. It can be for example a chronic neck problem which again can be remedied by raising the handlebars slightly. Someone on the forum mentioned a participant who had the habit of sitting up a lot. It turns out he had a pacemaker and even with the handle bars higher than normal he found the position uncomfortable for longer periods of time. So as you can see there are exceptions to every rule.

Fourth, and that is my own observation: those unwilling to work hard do sit up A LOT. Mainly because when you are sitting on a bike for 45min, unless you are pushing hard enough to make it uncomfortable and raising your heart rate, it is plainly BORING. The only variation would be to sit up, look around trying to spot the clock praying it will show it’s almost over…

To sum up, sitting up hands free on an indoor bike for a few seconds to have a drink, a stretch etc is fine and is not dangerous. Longer or frequent periods in that position are just inefficient.

Now going hands free whilst STANDING is a totally different matter. Nobody would do it outdoors and you definitely shouldn’t do it indoors. It DOES NOT work your balance and core more – the bike is not moving so you do not really practice that skill. It puts unnecessary pressure on your knees and lower back, your pedal stroke is no longer circular and smooth plus you run a risk of losing your balance and leaving your teeth on the bars.

Exaggerating? This is what happened to me in June during my last class before the Tour of Cambridgeshire race. We were climbing out of the saddle and I let go of one hand to make a motion: keep your bum back and your bodyweight on your legs, when my cleat came loose and my foot came out. To prevent myself from falling I had to grab the handle bars quickly and trying to do that I jarred my index finger into the bars. My hand swelled up for a few days. Two months later and I am waiting for an x-ray results as my finger is not fine. I can’t shake hands with people as squeezing it is very painful, I can’t write with a pen without wincing and lifting a mug or a kettle causes discomfort too.

Consider yourselves warned 🙂

It’s your workout – make sure you are working out

I had a last minute cover today in a gym I used to be a member of. I like the crowd and I think they like me too because I always get asked if I teach a regular class there. Unless they want make sure they don’t accidentally run into my class ever again 🙂

Today as per my motto “keep it real” we climbed for about 30min. Mostly steady with a few hill attacks. Now bike set up is always important but in a class where you spend 50% of your time climbing and 80% of that time in the saddle, if your bike looks like a cruiser (or I call it Boris bike) it will: impede your performance, get your upper body tired, you won’t be able to really give your best because sitting upright in the saddle you haven’t got much power in your legs.

And if you can’t really challenge yourself then it’s a very long and boring 60 minutes. I did emphasise all this before we started. I went through the set up, walked around checking those who asked and some who didn’t. Still you can never reach everyone individually.

But there was a girl whose set up was so wrong, I assumed there must be a medical reason for it. I walked up to her during the class and asked her to chat to me at the end. And she did so I asked: “Do you have any medical issues, lower back or disk problems that you should have told me about? Is there any reason your bike is set up this way? You were very uncomfortable, your arms were getting tired etc. You really need to correct it.” The response that came back just took me aback: ” Yeah, yeah, I know. I am sitting too low, my handlebars are too high. I know.” Followed by a disarming smile and a shrug.

If you are actually AWARE your set up is wrong and not good for you, you know WHAT the problems are, why are you choosing not to correct them?!

And guess what, I think I figured it out. People associate hard, challenging workout with being uncomfortable. If you are uncomfortable just because of your set up you simply can’t exert yourself to the level you would if it was correct. Hence you have a great excuse to take it easy on yourself WHILE STILL feeling uncomfortable and exhausted. Yes, the main parts that are exhausted are your upper body and poor hip flexors but your body aches so it must have been a good class, right? You are sweating buckets so you are working hard, right?

Well, I hate to break it to you but no. That fact that a muscle aches doesn’t mean it is getting stronger and isn’t that why you train? If you carry your weekly shopping home and it takes you and your 7 bags 20 minutes to reach home, by which point your arms feel like they are 10 inches longer, does it mean you can skip the Bodypump class you planned to attend? If you pick up 1lbs weight and do bicep curls for 10min, will your arm be tired? Yes. Will you have made any lasting effect on it as in helped to build it and make it stronger? No.

The answer to the sweating argument? There are 17 people in a closed room with no air con, just massive alien looking units that blow super humid air at the temperature of 23 degrees right in your face: You will sweat even by thinking hard…

So next time whatever class or workout you do, listen to your body and be honest with yourself. It’s your workout. You are only going to get out of it what you put in…