I'm not a fair weather cyclist. I rather enjoy riding in the rain.
In fact, I much prefer racing in the rain, as many others don't seem to like it
as much. I guess this is what comes of hailing from Rochdale! However,
yesterday I shamelessly avoided riding in the rain. There were a combination of
factors: 13C weather with rain and gales courtesy of Hurricane Bertha after
returning on Saturday from a fortnight in 33C sun, with no waterproof or
baselayer to boot, I elected to give riding a miss. Instead, I decided to go to
a spinning class to get the legs moving.
I've done spinning classes periodically -
usually when the weather is similarly terrible, or it's too dark - with varied
satisfaction. Usually I've found them to be very dependent on the instructor,
with one proper interval session in maybe 30 classes. It seems the classes are
either based on random music tracks, or follow a 'ride' with climbs, flats and
sprints etc. I realise that spinning isn't designed to be a training session
for a competitive cyclist, and is in fact designed to keep the fitness enthusiast
(or un-enthusiast in some/many cases...) entertained. Any fitness is good
fitness sort of mentality.
Of course there is no problem with this,
as it suits the purpose, and indeed my purpose in the instances of wanting to
spin the legs and earn some cake! However, this is the first class I've done
since becoming interested in/researching the science of
cycling/physiology/training, so I thought I would examine it from this
perspective. As a brief caveat, I am referring to general spinning classes one
may find in a gym, rather than some of the specialist studios that have begun
to spring up.
Most people see spinning as interval
training, and to some extent it is, as there are intervals of harder work
interspersed with lighter recovery. However, they may not be the kind of useful
intervals that competitive cyclists are used to. I realise there are many, if
not infinite variations of interval training, but all seek to train one part of
the physiology specifically. For example, 2 x 20 is a popular variation,
whereby after a warm up, 2 x 20 minutes are ridden around a threshold*
intensity with a low intensity recovery between. This helps to train aerobic
fitness. On the other end of the scale are sprint type intervals, which train
the anaerobic system. Examples of this include 20 seconds of maximum effort
followed by 20 seconds recovery, with a set number of blocks, and a set number
of repeats per block.
One of the 'problems' I have with spin
classes is the lack of specification within them. Take, for example, a class
whereby the activity type is based on song choice, be this at random or
planned. It is feasible, and likely, that 4 minutes of sprinting may be
followed by 4 minutes of low cadence, high resistance, and then 4 minutes out
of the saddle. Instead of training a specific area, this is essentially a sure
fire way to fatigue all aspects without making particular gains for any of
them.
Also, there is not enough structure within
the sessions. I appreciate that a 45 minute session is not a lot of time, but
more structure is more efficient and effective. For example, below is my heart
rate trace from the session. The first point is the lack of warm up included in
the session. In my case it wasn't a problem, as I had been playing squash
previously, but for those starting, there was little to behold. This isn't the
main issue I have though; it is the lack of peaks and troughs. It is clear that
although my heart rate raises and falls, it very rarely falls below 170BPM,
which would maybe count as recovery in a crit race, it in inadequate for an
interval session with frequent forays into 190BPM+ territory.
In fact I estimate my average HR to be
about 182-184BPM warm up and cool down excluded! To put it into perspective,
this is the kind of HR I would expect to achieve over a similar length of TT,
circa. 20 miles in my case. For these I would aim to average 180, with a
realistic average of just over. The point being, to get this average from
intervals, either the intervals have been prolonged and off the scale, the
recovery inadequate - non-existent, or - as I suspect - a combination of all.
In summary, there is no way you can
possibly carry out each interval with maximum effort, as there is simply not
enough time to recover before the next. It's a sure fire way to burn out within
minutes, as the body simply cannot process the lactate in that time frame. If
you persist, it's also a sure fire way to throw up... The answer may seem
obvious - go easy to fit the period of recovery. However, in terms of training
this is useless, as you don't get the stimulus required for improvement. It's
like a hybrid bike: whereas marketing says it's a bike for all terrains, really
it's crap at both.
All is not lost though. It is possible to
make the most of the benefits of the spin class (warmth, company etc.) whilst
still getting a good training session. It will become clear rather quickly how
the instructor will run the session. Once you figure this out, you can adapt
their idea to your own. For example, for a sprint session, you could take twice
the recovery time, doing every other interval. Or, for the spinning class
favourite of constant alternation between standing and sitting, imagine a
stream of attacks whereby you sit for 2 or 3 X (X = time or revolutions), and
stand for 1 X, i.e. chasing the attack.
From a practical point of view, there are
also several considerations when using spinning for training:
- Spin bikes vary greatly in adjustability
from the best part of nothing to very little. Ok, pessimistic view, but it's
not easy. Regardless, it's almost impossible to replicate your position on your
bike, especially in the 5 minutes or so you have to do it pre-class, so be
careful. Be wary of training slightly different muscles, or worst case
scenario, picking up an injury.
- On a similar note, the Q-factor (width
between pedals) tends to be larger than on a regular bike, and has the
potential to cause a little knee irritation if you are prone to it. That said,
I've never had too much of a problem, and I'm most certainly prone to knee
issues!
- Saddle sores can be more likely from a
spin bike for 2 reasons, the first of which is simply that the saddles tend to
be on the wide side compared to what us roadies would usually use. The second
is slightly more gruesome, and is the simple fact that lots of people use the
bike and sweat profusely, meaning many unsavoury bacteria can linger. Some
establishments have a disinfectant spray which I recommend use of before the
class! Otherwise, antibacterial chamois cream is the way forward.
- Less basic spin bikes have facilities
with clipless pedals, but none but the best will have anything other than
mountain bike SPD pedals, which can be a disadvantage for roadies. Otherwise
it's toe clips, which do the job fine, but try to get them ultra-tight, as it's
easy to slip out at 150rpm+!
- Finally, as a courtesy, make sure you
give the spin bike a good wipe down afterwards. Although some of your fellow
spinners may not sweat - I'm not sure how, but many manage it...- if you're
using it to train, you'll accumulate a lovely puddle underneath the bike!
Although this may seem overly critical of
spinning, I'm not trying to put anyone off, I'm simply highlighting the issues
for a serious cyclist looking to use it as a training session. If it's a case
of this or doing nothing, then I highly recommend it! Any riding is better than
none at all!
