For those of you that do spinning

I

icklemoley

Cathlete
I am thinking of buying a spinning bike (johnny g) and some DVD's. But before i do, i need some advice for those of you that have taken or have/do spinning.

Is it any good? Is spinning fun? Enjoyable?

Are ther results good? Fat loss?

And anything else you can possibly tell me.

Thank you for your help.

Wayne.

Ps i saw the Johnny G spinning on TV so this is why i'm thinking of it.
 
Wayne, spinning classes can be great fun with the right group chemistry, music and instruction. It can be as intense as you want because you control cadence and tension so yes, one can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. I've watched skinny women add muscle & shape to their legs, and seen pudgy people melt fat and add some definition to their lower body. I know triathletes & competitive cyclists who spin regularly because it's a time efficient training approach and doable in winter.

There are lots of diehard spinners at Video Fitness. Many use Spinervals (check at Spinervals.com). These workouts are serious workouts but the production, music and format is simple. I haven't read any reviews on Johnny G's new workouts (his old ones are outdated). There aren't a lot of spinning workout choices beyond Spinervals, but some. Cranking up the stereo might be the better way to go for home workouts (that's often what I do).

Hope this helps.

Debra
 
Hello,

I enjoy spinning but sometimes weeks go by before I do it. I cross-train and some weeks I spin for cardio and other weeks I power-walk, or Taebo. That said:

I enjoy Spinervals DVD's. Coach Troy has a way of making you push yourself. I enjoy the Ride & Stride the best. I can spin the whole tape or run for part of it.

I also enjoy spinning music but not over 75 min. These are for the days I just want "to zone out" and enjoy the workout with just me and sweat.

If I watched my food intake better, I would be cut but I am not over weight so that is a plus.

HTH
Kim
 
Wayne,
Spinning is pretty intense and other than my own individualized workouts, is the most intense thing I do. I think you'll find it will be one of the most intense cardios you will get.
I take classes and those are varied constantly by the instructor so it's never boring. With videos you may be okay but I am sure you'd have to purchase quite a few to keep from getting bored or complacent.
Spinning class involves mental imagery, the lights are turned down, and the music is upbeat except during the cooldown where it's more atmospheric. The bikes have tension knobs that are not numbered. This is because a "5" on a scale of one to ten is different for each individual.
Don't forget a good pair of bike shorts, lots of water, and a towel. I still recommend heart rate monitors so you know where you are in your heart rate work zones. Good crosstraining shoes with stiff soles are fine for spin. You may hear alot about clip-in pedals and shoes. These are a waste of money to me because you do not need them to still get a good pull up and push down during the pedal stroke. Straps in combination with crosstraining shoes are just fine. Of course, that's my old school mountain biking experience showing through when I say that. But seriously, save the clip systems for road racing. The so-called benefits do not justify the extra bucks in my opinion.
Otherwise go for it!! Spinning is very intense when done properly. Most likely it will beat any aerobic video you have ever done.
Trevor :)
 
I love spinning. I do it once or twice a month for cross-training. It is cruelly grueling (say that ten times!), which means I love it! Yes, Trevor is right. Remember a towel and water, and forget about the silly clip systems.

This makes your quads into jelly.
 
I love spinning! I crosstrain with it about twice a week. It's doing wonders for my quads, hamstrings and calves not to mention it's a great cardio workout.

And don't forget to drink your water! Keep hydrated -- you're going to need it!x(
 
I LOVE the new Johnny G Spinning DVD's (the older ones were terrible).

I don't have the bike, so I can't comment on it.

The dvd's, are AWESOME. Good music, and a top notch, intense cardio workout.

My favs:
Spin & Slim Express
Cardio Spin (an interval workout)
Spin & Sculpt

I'm lukewarm on the other two:
Spin Circuit (this would probably be ok with another instructor)
Spin & Burn (again...an instructor issue)
 
hmmmm as a cyclist... i would have to disagree about clipless pedals... they are NOT just for road racing.. i don't race.. i ride...

you get the BEST workout for your legs when you do a complete circle with your pedaling stroke vice just pushing down if you just wear normal shoes..
 
About those clipless pedals, I wouldn't spin without them. I thought I had a good pedal stroke before going clipless but when I switched, my hamstrings got a real shock. I go with cleats for road riding, mountain biking & for spinning. I know I'm not using my hamstrings nearly as much when I use a LifeCycle which is just a basket or clip. Just want you to know that there are different (& strong) opinions.

But if you do go with toe clips, please follow Trevor's advice to use a stiff soled athletic shoe. Running shoes would not be a good choice.

Wayne, didn't you post the link to an article by a trainer who declared Spinning worthless? What's changed your mind?

Isn't this forum great for helping people spend money?

Debra
 
I'm pro-clip, too. I can't imagine trying to get the most of my pedaling without them. Chiquita, clips are shoes and pedals that connect with a "clip". There's a clip on the sole of the shoe that slides into the pedal. It can be a trick to get in and out of them but you get used to it...and now that I'm used to it I wouldn't bike or spin any other way. I don't race, either.

I've REALLY enjoyed the benefits of spinning. It has and is increasing my aerobic base and is the hardest cardio I've found to date. DH and I use Spinervals when we can't ride outdoors but we may pick up some from Chris Carmichael for the winter. The music in Spinervals is pretty cheesey, but I'm not bothered by it...maybe I'm hurting too much to let it bother me! I've never taken a class, so I can't comment on that. I've noticed that my legs are stronger and leaner, spinning/road biking takes the weight off of me fast, my lactate threshold is higher, and my aerobic capacity is increasing.

Hope that helps. I love that there's bikers/spinners at this site. I'm pretty new to it so I love reading about others' experiences. Keep us posted!

CinDee
 
I just checked out the spinervals site and the new workouts look GREAT! Those will hold me over until Hardcore gets here.

CinDee
 
Debra, i did actually! Good memory.

I try to get as much information as i can about things and this time i found more good than bad. Though i agree that too much cardio isn't good...as i do none i thought this might be a good way to get some cardio in that is enjoyable.

Wayne.
 
You can pull up and push down with the straps/cage combination already present on the spin bikes. The difference is minimal believe me. The return on your money is not worth it for something like spin in my opinion.
T.
 
Hi Debra!
I am actually trying to keep Wayne from spending money when he doesn't need to! LOL! I've used both systems of pedals/shoes. The cage/strap system is fine if you have the form down and the difference is minimal. You can still pull up and push down if you tie in tightly. I think most people just only seem to think about push/pull AFTER they go buy their fancy clipless systems to be honest. I'd probably use them on a road time trial where you need every last millisecond of advantage but otherwise I view these as needless expense, especially for beginners.
T. :)
 
Hi Gymratt,

Would you mind telling me how and where you might purchase the new Johnny G spinning videos separately? I do have the old VHS tapes, and you are right, they are outdated. I have a really good bike, so I would like more DVD's for variety. Thanks for the info... Sandra

Wayne, as many of the others have said, it is good for cross-training purposes. I also go through phases where I don't spin for a few weeks and then I come back and do a few workouts in a week. Very intense and a nice change of pace from other forms of cardio. Good luck!
 
T, you're right...it's probably a needless expense at the beginning. I'm just so used to the clips now that it drove me nuts to not have them on my mountain bike (my mb now has clips, of course:) ). I'm finding this whole biking/spinning thing highly addictive after only 7 months of regularly cycling...many needless things to buy!

Wayne, do you have that article still? I'd love to read it. Also, if you decide to try spinning/cycling, you might need more than just water during the workout. Perhaps it's just my own physical makeup, but I've found that anything over 30 or 40 minutes (depending on intensity) is too much for just water. I always have Gatorade with me and I'm discovering that I need food, too. Yesterday DH and I did a 22 mile ride and even though I had plenty of fluids I ran out of steam on our last hill with about 5 miles to go. I take in some food on any spin over an hour, too.

Hope to hear from you!

CinDee
 
I had baskets on my spin bike for over a year and just changed to clips. I think Trevor is right that if I had concentrated hard enough with the baskets, I could have worked the push/pull thing a little more; however, now it's just automatic and I have to say I love them.

I ride outside, too, and would never have clips here in NYC! I recently rode 84 miles in an organized ride with my Trek hybrid and old-fashioned pedals (although I will admit to hard soled bike shoes) and will give Coach Troy's Spinervals credit for getting me ready to ride this one. My friend and I were actually annoyed with the "clickers" as I call them. At some points we had to carry our bikes up flights of stairs and then ride single file over a bridge and do some hairpin turns. All of the riders with clips slowed everyone down as they had to pull over and "click" back in, and then on the turns get off their bikes and walk. I also saw six (6!) people fall over at stop lights with the feet clipped in. Laughed every time! Not saying that they don't have their place, but I think in an urban environment, they are more trouble than they are worth.

Just my .02.
 
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