November 3, 2008
Spinning Bike on Biggest Loser
Question
I was wondering if you can tell me what the difference is between a spinning bike, and something like a Precor recumbent bike? Is one better than the other?
The personal trainer from the biggest loser says that riding a spinning bike is one of the best things for someone heavy because it is great exercise that keeps the weight and strain off of their joints, and bones.
What are your thoughts on this idea? Is there a machine that you recommend? Thanks for any help you can offer.
Answer
The term "Spinning Bike" is copyrighted and credited to Madd Dog Athletics - with that legal disclaimer out of the way, spin bikes deliver a very effective cardio workout that's ratcheted up a notch over a traditional recumbent or upright exercise bike for two reasons:
1. Spinning Bikes are made to be used while standing up and grinding hard on the pedals to simulate hill climbs and sprints.
2. Spin bikes have a large heavy flywheel that dish out more pain and punishment than all but the most upscale traditional exercise bikes.
Is a spin bike better than a recumbant exercise bike? It depends on what you're trying to accomplish - if you're looking to get into racing shape and take the cardio beating of a spin style workout it's a good fit, but in reality most people aren't tough enough to handle the demanding workouts longer than about two weeks before giving up.
For most people, an upright or recumbent exercise bike is a better cardio machine choice (read my exercise bike reviews here), especially if you're deconditioned when you start as almost all riders are. Traditional style exercise bikes will give you an excellent workout that's easier to stick with in the long run.
As to "Bob the trainer from the Biggest Loser" and his comments on spinning bikes being the end all be all, take what he says with a grain of salt. A spinning bike will NOT get all your weight off of your knes and ankles unless you stay seated throughout the entire workout which is NOT what spin bikes are designed for.
On a related note, I came across this new spin bike called the "RealRyder" that's all the rage in the health clubs. According to the Realryder website, their new bike has a "unique, articulating frame that allows it to steer, turn, and feel like a road bike".
I don't know if the Realryder it all that, but it's interesting enough that I thought I would mention here and let you know it exists.
Spread the word
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6 Comments »
November 20, 2008
Hello, I have some issues with the answer you provided to this question since I am a Mad Dogg Athletic certified spinning instructor. I would like to respond to a couple of things in your response to the question asked…
"Spin bikes have a large heavy flywheel that dish out more pain and punishment than all but the most upscale traditional exercise bikes."
- Pain and punishment are NOT anywhere in the spinning program. It is a great workout, but you can work at your own pace and at your own intensity level.
"…but in reality most people aren't tough enough to handle the demanding workouts longer than about two weeks before giving up."
- If you overwork yourself, yes you will burn out. However, the spinning program is meant to be suitable for ALL types of people, no matter what their athletic/fitness background. A beginner can succeed extremely well with the spinning program. The great thing about the spinning program is, since it is so individual you can effectively work with a wide-range of people at one time. Just last night I was teaching a high-intensity ride (Race Day) and had two beginners who it was their first class. I was able to teach them how to get used to the bike, while challenging my other students to really push themselves hard.
"A spinning bike will NOT get all your weight off of your knes and ankles unless you stay seated throughout the entire workout which is NOT what spin bikes are designed for." - There ARE workouts designed where you stay in the saddle for the duration of the ride. Also, again with spinning since it is so individualized, if the isntructor says "Stand up!" you don't have to!! The beauty of spinning is that it is YOUR RIDE. The instructor is meant to motivate and lead the group, but if at any time you wish to be seated instead of "standing" or vise versa you may do so!
Spinning is a wonderful mind-body-soul cardio workout, and I think that more of the fundamentals of the program should be explained so as not to give a baised answer.
"Pain and punishment are NOT anywhere in the spinning program. It is a great workout, but you can work at your own pace and at your own intensity level."
- If you want to ride a bike at 25% of your AT and VO2 stay on a recumbent exercise bike at level 1.
"Just last night I was teaching a high-intensity ride (Race Day) and had two beginners who it was their first class…"
- Beginners should not be in a High Intensity Class unless they are well conditioned, which if that were the case they would not be beginners.
"There ARE workouts designed where you stay in the saddle for the duration of the ride. Also, again with spinning since it is so individualized, if the instructor says "Stand up!" you don't have to!!"
- What's the point of using a spin bike if you sit the whole time? It goes against the entire concept of the design of the bike.
The mistake that most people make is that you must be killing yourself to get a result. All over-exerting yourself does is put you up to be more likely to get injured or burn-out. Spinning is meant to be like any other cardio program where you raise your heart-rates at normal levels. Most of your working out should always be aerobic, and not anaerobic.
With the spinning program there are 5 different energy zones…
Recovery (50-60% of Max HR)
Interval (50-80% for aerobic, 65-92% for anaerobic)
Strength (65-85%)
Endurance (60-75%)
Race Day (75-92%)
(I am not sure if my percentages are exactly spot-on by what Mad Dogg goes by, but they are in the general area where they should be.)
In an endurance energy zone you are most likely seated for the entire ride.
The following is a handout on the Endurance Ride from www.spinning.com:
"The Endurance Energy Zone (EEZ) is the heart and soul of any
successful training program and an integral part of the five Energy Zones of the Spinning program. The EEZ builds an aerobic foundation, increases aerobic capacity and improves cycling economy (meaning your body has to expend less energy at any given intensity).
Endurance training should make up the largest percentage of your total training time and it is the foundation upon which you build your fitness and performance goals.
Whether you are a world-class athlete, a Spinning class regular or a beginning exerciser, most of your workout
time should be spent in the Endurance zone.
ENDURANCE ENERGY
ZONE PARAMETERS
Resistance: Light to moderate
Cadence: maintain 80-110
RPM (perform a cadence check
to determine leg speed)
Frequency: 60-70% of total
training time (two workouts/
week if you exercise three
times a week and three workouts/
week if you exercise five
times a week)
BENEFITS OF EXERCISING IN THE ENDURANCE ENERGY ZONE
•Builds an aerobic base (foundation), which is critical for
improving heart and lung capacity.Without a sufficient
aerobic base, you'll lack the stamina necessary to exercise
for long periods and boostintensity.
•Increases your aerobic capacity, which affects the body's ability to store and transport fuel (oxygen and nutrients) and
produce energy. High aerobic capacity also allows for faster
recovery between workouts.
•Improves fat metabolism by increasing enzyme activity in
the working muscles. This boosts your ability to use fat as
an energy source.As you become more proficient training
in the EEZ, you burn more fat than you used to (which
may be why you see your hips, thighs, arms and abdomens
shrinking).
•Protects against heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases. The heart muscle increases in size as a result of
proper endurance training and the volume of blood it pumps
with each stroke increases.This blood flow goes to nourish
your working muscles.You may notice your resting heart rate
decreasing as much as 1 beat/min. each week during
your first month of aerobic base building.This is solid proof
that your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump the
same amount of blood that it did before you started
endurance training.
•Improves oxygen consumption, which means your body utilizes more oxygen during maximal exercise.The more oxygen your body can take in and put to “work,” the more efficient you are."
Also– Rightfully so, the beginners should not have been in a high-intensity class. Unfortunately there was no way of pre-warning them not to attend that particular class. Rather than turn someone away, I worked with them seperately in an endurance ride. This way they got a feel for the basics and were not pushing themselves too far, too fast. All spinning instructors (well, ones that are good and care about their students) are usually always playing to more than one hand. There are older people, younger, more fit, less fit, all jumbled into one class (much like a normal teacher in a school setting), and it is the instructors job to make sure everyone is acheiving their best!
Also, I truly appreciate our discussion on this. Thank you
December 15, 2008
If a spin bike isn't designed to be able to sit during a workout, why was it designed with a seat????
Just had to add my 2 cents
December 27, 2008
It has a seat for practical reasons, and yes you sometimes will use the seat between sets of high exertion - but for the most part if you're sitting on the seat the entire workout you should go and pedal on a recumbent bike.
January 21, 2009
Does anyone have a suggestion for a good ,reasonably priced spinning bike to use at home.I don't have the work schedule for a gym membership right now and would like to get a spin workout comparable to a spin class.