Optimum Fitness Fitness News and equipment reviews
Race, Ride, Know Your Bike
If you have ever been interested in Spinning, a form of indoor cycling then you will have heard of this company. Many have copied them few are equal.
In my view, and I have ridden hundreds of spin bikes, these are the best. Hands down, no argument. Their official website is spinning.com where they offer training an cirtifcation for their spinning instructors.
What is Spinning?
Spinning in a gym is a class based exercises following a structured program of bike set up, warm up, intensive cardio training and finally a cool down. Each class is run by a trained and certified spinner trained instructor.
During a 45 minute session you will typically burn over 600 calories, for me this makes it one of the best forms of Cardio/Fat Burn exercises possible.
The session will start with a gentle warm up, then progress through simulated hill climbs, using the resistance of the wheel on the bike. Then you might move on to sprints, high speed pedalling either with or without resistance. Some classes may involve dynamic movements such as jumps – which involves getting out of your saddle in time with the music.
How is the bike special
A spin bike has a fixed wheel. That means that it is linked to your pedals, if you stop pedaling your feet will continue to be carried around by the momentum stored in the heavy fly wheel. This can be a little unnerving to new riders, but don’t worry you will soon get used to it!
The bike can always be brought to a fast stop by pushing down on the big red stop button.
All Spinner bikes are set up with perfect geometry in mind. I find them extremely comfortable and easy to set up. There is always somewhere to put a water bottle, and hang a towel on the front bars. You will need these as the class goes on.
With new technology coming to the market such as the eSpinner it is possible to recreate these classes from home. Normally a commercial grade Spinner Bike would cost about $1500, the eSpinner is an eye watering $4000. However it does not need an instructor to use.
If you are looking to buy for the home then prices start around the $600 mark.
Don’t expect any frills on these bikes, you can expect to use your own heart rate monitor. Some machines will monitor RPM, most of the time I measure myself with the tempo of the music
In Summary:
The Spinning is easy to learn, motivating and a great way to get in shape and stay in shape. From professional athletes to individuals simply looking for a program to lose a few pounds, regardless of age, weight, or skill level, it’s easy to get started with one of the world’s leading exercise programs.
