Yes, spinning is used by many runners to develop their running strength and capability and proved to be giving them positive results. This article then will try to explain how this happens. There will also be a sample spinning workout which you can use for your cross-training exercises.

Spinning Strengthening the Legs Muscles

If there is one obvious reason why spinning is good cross-training for runners is the fact that spinning makes the legs stronger than running itself. In the act of spinning, it takes a lot more effort and strength coming from leg muscles to spin the pedal than exerting muscle effort when running. (Though, running can also strengthen legs muscles especially when climbing up hill.)

When the legs are strengthened by spinning, this can lead to effective running economy, which is the ability to utilize air and oxygen efficiently. This can result for the runner to have improved endurance and speed. This conclusion is supported by recent studies that suggested that spinning/cycling helps in improved runners’ finish in 10K and 5K by about 9% and 3% respectively.

Spinning Trains the Aerobic and Anaerobic Systems

In a spinning session, the individual usually changes the intensity and cadence of his pedaling. He or she also makes a variation of his or her position such as sitting or standing while spinning. This mimics the challenges one normally experiences when cycling outdoors. During this workout, both the aerobic and anaerobic systems are trained and developed.

When the individual is spinning in a seated position, he or she is utilizing the slow-twitch muscle fibers while performing a steady spinning cadence. This make for the proper utilization of air and oxygen in the body which also makes for developing endurance. Likewise, when spinning in high intensity, the fast-twitch muscles fibers are utilized and the anaerobic system is also developed.

What this results to for the runner is that both their aerobic and anaerobic systems are fully developed. This makes him or her develop longer endurance when running in marathons where he or she can also finish strong and fast.

Efficiency in Pedal Cadence Means Powerful Running

Throughout the spinning session, the individual masters his efficiency in pedal cadence. When the session aims to mimic a hill climb, the practitioner goes for slow but powerful and intense spinning. Likewise, when the spinning mimics rolling hills, he or she spins steady. This efficiency in pedal cadence results to powerful running.

The explanation for this is the correlation of pedal cadence with foot strike cadence. The higher the former means also higher in terms of the latter. When this happens the runner improves his or her foot strike cadence, the runner then becomes faster and therefore gets less contact with the ground. This can only mean less impact for the runner while at the same time minimizing the probability of suffering from an injury.

Spinning Makes You Leaner

Runners are usually known for their fit and lean bodies yet this can come with difficulty for some, especially women who have problems with weight control. Hard that they may try to be lean and become faster, these women usually encounter trouble in this aspect. Spinning actually address this problem since pedaling will work the strong group muscles of the body. What happens from this is high calorie burn that lasts beyond the actual workout.

Spinning Cross-training Workout for Runners

We have already discussed scientific and personal testaments as to why spinning can be a great cross-training for running.  Now let’s look at how a spinning workout can be helpful to a runner. This spinning workout is primarily designed to mimic for hill drills, rolling hills, and flat road. This will strengthen the legs muscles while at the same time improve pedal stroke cadence which can assist you developing powerful running cadence.

• Intensity – moderate
• Equipment – a spin bike
• Total Time – 30 minutes

Conclusion

Given that spinning is great training for cycling, it can also be great cross-training for running. Numerous testimonial accounts from runners who used it as their cross-training.  Results from scientific studies attest that spinning indeed can improve runner’s performance. It is a fact that spinning makes the leg muscles stronger. Furthermore, spinning develops not just the aerobic and anaerobic systems of the body but also improve the foot strike cadence of runners. Any serious runner then should not hesitate to use spinning as their cross-training in improving their performance.

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Spinning and cycling share a lot in common, but there’s one important difference. While both activities involve pedaling away on two wheels for exercise purposes (and sometimes even fun), the key difference between them lies with where you do this: indoor vs outdoor bike riding!
The best way I’ve found to know if spinning is right for me or not? Just ask myself – would my favorite competitor ever ride an indoorspaced bike race?? If so then she might be more likely than most people who don’t live near enough large cities offer much opportunities outdoors anymore due their proximity from each other plus safety

What Is Spinning?

Spinning entails the need of a stationary indoor bike far different from the usual mountain bikes, road bikes or triathlon bikes. Spin bikes normally has a flywheel weighting 13-18 kilogram and by which mimic the same feeling when you use a bike. Spin bikes usually has dials so you can set up the resistance level which mimics the traction of the road when you pedal. In a spinning class, for example, instructors give instructions to participants how to set their spin bikes to mimic the same feeling of cycling outdoors. Examples of these are challenges of a hill climb and even bumps. When spinners do this, they can take the normal sitting position or stand while pedaling.

Studies on Cardiovascular Health Benefits

On the aspect of cardiovascular fitness, spinning gets a better grade than cycling. According from one study by the American Council on Exercise, spinning can give you a workout that far exceeds your minimum heart rate requirement. Based on this study, spinners usually work near of reaching their maximum heart rate. Compared with cycling, only those who are professional and serious cyclists can achieve this since ordinary cyclists do not work this hard since they just cruise on the road.

Yet, there is also a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research stating that cycling can burn you more calories compared with spinning indoor. The study was conducted with a group of cyclists who were told to exert the same effort that they put in when they ride outdoor during an indoor test. The result revealed that even though the feeling of toughness while riding was there, and even though the cyclists had a high heart rate, the exerted effort was still less than 24% compared while cycling outdoors.

How Do Spinning and Cycling Makes You Fit

Understanding that these two activities make you fit, spinning and cycling have different fitness outcomes. In spinning, your hamstring works harder considering you cannot cruise your way during the workout. Furthermore, the weight of the flywheel makes the hamstring work extra hard.

Yet, cycling proves to make you fit better. Cycling can bring general or overall lower body muscles a real workout since you need to balance the bike and maneuver it on the road. In cycling, you also have to use your thighs, hamstring, quads, calves, glutes, and shins.

Differences in Convenience and Logistics

Since spinning is done indoors, it gives a lot more convenience. You can buy a spin bike and do spinning in right in your house. Spinning in a class is convenient and motivating. The logistics of spinning is also easy since you only need to wear comfortable clothes and regular (or cycling) shoes. You don’t even have to wear a helmet since you will just stay in one place.

This is different from cycling wherein there are a lot of things you have to consider and take note of. Since you are going to bike outdoors, you need to plan your route. You must also schedule your activity according to the weather so you will not get caught up in the rain while cycling. Furthermore, the possibility of a flat tire and crashing is always there when you are on the road.  That means you need to know how to change a tire. Lastly, you also have to deal with stoplights, pedestrians, traffic, vehicles, and a lot more.

Spinning as Cross Training for Cycling

Spinning may look like a rival to cycling at first glance, yet this form of workout can also be a means for improving your cycling proficiency – spinning in the first place was invented by Johnny Goldberg who was a professional cyclist himself. It can be used to work on aspects of road cycling to improve fitness and technique.

First, you can improve your pedal stroke. With the spin bike’s flywheel you can learn how to smoothen your pedal stroke and at the same time strengthen your leg muscles. Spinning can also give you cycling training without having to worry about traffic, weather, traffic lights, potholes, glass in the road and pedestrians. Spinning programs usually will teach you how to prepare in dealing with hill climbs and other hurdles you will face in actual road cycling.

Conclusion

Spinning may come as a new or trendy type of workout for beginners that the question “what’s the difference between Spinning and Cycling”. The two activities may share similarities since they both use pedaling as a form to exercise. And they share differences in terms of health benefits, fitness results and conveniences on the part of the individual. One of the most outstanding advantages of spinning is that doing it can make you reach a higher heart rate and extensively strengthen your hamstrings and thigh muscles.  Spinning can also be used as a cross-training for cycling. It was developed in the first place by a professional cyclist to improve your cycling proficiency.

In a nutshell, the two workouts share similarities and differences, yet they can also work together to make you fit and healthy.

You're reading What’s The Difference Between Spinning and Cycling? by Samantha, originally posted on SpinBikeLab.com. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Samantha on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+!

Do these movements have a strong foundation rooted in science as well as true indoor cycling experience? Unknown to many who get easily swayed by their instructors to lift weights, do squats, perform push-ups etc. while spinning, they risk of suffering injuries in their legs, shoulders, knees, and necks. Like many other sports, there are contraindication movements that are discouraged while spinning. Do these contraindication movements and chances are you will have to suffer an injury.

So what are contraindication movements in a spinning workout? This article will walk you through some of the most common contraindicated movements you would not want do while spinning. These movements are discouraged on the basis of known science and common sense in experiencing real outdoor cycling. Experts usually advise: “When you don’t do it in outdoor cycling, don’t do it in indoor biking as well”.

Avoid Unnecessary Movements While Spinning

Several of the contraindicated movements in spinning are done usually in the goal of strengthening the core. These are lifting weights, doing push-ups and doing crunches:

Lifting Weights:

Many instructors and spinning gyms incorporate lifting light weights while spinning on the reason that it would strengthen your upper body. Lifting weights while spinning can put risk in injuring your shoulders, spine and arm muscles. This movement would get you in a compromising position since your hands are busy with lifting weights. This also compromises your cadence that results to mediocre cardiovascular workout and strength training.

Doing Push-Ups:

Another activity that is a contraindication to spinning is doing push-ups. Performing this movement is similar to lifting weights as they stray your focus away from pedaling. Moreover, doing push-ups will only encourage excessive upper body movements that prove to be risky as they can affect your balance and throw you off the spin bike. Besides disrupting your balance, it also misaligns the body.

Doing Crunches:

Last of the activity spinners usually do unnecessarily while spinning is doing crunches. This movement strays too much on the experience of mimicking a real cycling experience. More than this crunches only promotes the possibility of you experiencing an accident as keeping the balance on the seat becomes difficult.

All of these can be avoided through simple steps:

• If you want to strengthen your core muscles, then do exclusive training for this purpose. You can dedicate a separate time for lifting weights, doing push-ups and doing crunches without having to do it while you’re on the spin bike.
• If you want to strengthen your core muscles, you should instead engage in other workouts such as yoga, ball work, and pilates.

Wrong Techniques in Spinning

There are also contraindicated movements in spinning that are usually done due to techniques in spinning. Even though you are just sitting and pedaling on your spin bike, there are many variations on how to do this, and sometimes, most of these are contraindicated movements:

Spinning With No Hands:

Likewise, spinning with no hands usually occurs when you are warming up and cooling down with low resistance on the flywheel. Though this is allowed for these purposes, this should not be done in order to strengthen the core in the midst of the workout. Spinning with no hands will only put stress on the back muscles and lower spine. This also makes it difficult and hard to pedal in smooth cadence as you are more concerned with balancing on your seat.

Spinning Backwards:

This contraindication movement is discouraged more so due to the reason that standard spin bikes are designed for forward pedaling. You should avoid spinning this way to prevent damaging the spin bike, especially the crank wheel. When you do these contraindicated movements, they more or less put the next user of the bike at risk of getting injured. This movement is only allowed if you have a spin bike designed to provide resistance for forward and backward pedaling.

Spinning in Aero Position:

Spinning in the aero position is usually practiced by triathlon athletes and should not be done with standard spin bikes. Triathlon athletes can cycle in this position since they have custom bike top tubes. On ordinary spin bikes, doing this position can compromise your back. This position also puts at a disadvantage shorter people.

Spinning with a Dropped Seat:

There are many instructors that incorporate in their spinning workouts dropping seats during the workout. This should at all means be avoided as you should have the ability to spin at your own pace. You should have enough time and the option to recover from exertion. Taking away the option of having to rest and leave you standing for longer duration of time can put a risk on your legs and foot.

You can remedy and avoid these contraindicated movements by:

• Be mindful of your form: When you noticed that you no longer exert the usual effort to put strength on your pedaling revert to the normal pedaling or spinning technique.
• Sometimes you just need rest: When you cheat on resistance or lean on the handlebar, for example – you may rest instead of cheating on your form.

Conclusion

These are just some of the movements to avoid in spinning or riding your indoor bike. The rule of thumb for proper spinning is don’t do any movement that you don’t usually do when cycling outdoors. Follow basic science, true cycling experience, and common sense when riding your spin bike. You also need not follow your instructors in cases when some of those mentioned. If you follow this, you can help avoid injuries when spinning.

You're reading Movements You Should not Do in Spinning by Samantha, originally posted on SpinBikeLab.com. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Samantha on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+!

In spinning classes, for example, it is already common to get your adrenaline pumping as you spin amidst blaring energetic music while the instructor prods you to spin some more. For some, a spin class a week is not enough, that they got to reserve two to three more classes just to quench their thirst for this workout. Spinning really has gotten a long way since its first conception.

Do you know how spinning came about? Do you know who invented this amazing workout? Probably some of you who are active in this workout have no idea how it came about. Who are the pioneers in this kind of fitness workout? How long really has this workout been enjoyed by many health buffs? What are the new developments in this workout craze?

This history of spinning article will answer these questions one by one and by the time you are through reading, your spinning workout will never be the same – what with all the background information you have about this great workout.

Johnny G During the 80’s

Some of you probably would not think that spinning came from one person – Johnny Goldberg or Johnny G to most people. Spinning could not be what it is today without him.  That is why he is considered to be the father of Spinning. He was an immigrant from South Africa who happened to work as a professional personal trainer in a California gym.

During this opportunity to live in the United States, Johnny G came to actively participate in different endurance cycling. He was also competing in marathons around the country. During the period, when he could not train, he thought of a way to continue cycling when the weather would not permit it. He thought that he should develop something that could mimic the cycling experience when spinning indoors. The contraption should emulate the hill climb, rolling hills and flat road experience.

Thanks to this contraption, which became the indoor or stationary bike, Johnny G was able to set a world record of riding a bike non-stop for more than a day. This record still stands up to the present.

First Spinning Center

Due to the success Johnny G due on his personal indoor bike, there came a huge demand for a workout to train cyclists and health-conscious people. Johnny G then opened the first spinning center in California. In these spinning classes, cyclists were taught how to ride in groups.

Unlike, spinning that you see today, spinning classes during those days incorporate many aspects that can make you a total athlete. Johnny G’s spinning classes usually incorporate motivational coaching, urging each spinner to try to attain their full potential, both in body and mind. More than this, breathing awareness was also taught so each participant could last several hours cycling.

Madd Dogg Athletics and Spinning Programs

In 1992 Johnny G also made a business partnership with John Baudhuin, an accountant and avid cyclist during weekends, to form the Mad Dogg Athletics. Their main goal was to design and create an indoor bike that had similarities with real outdoor cycling bikes. They were able to manufacture more than a hundred of these stationary or indoor bikes in three years’ time. These bikes were placed in different spinning centers around the world.

These two knew they were not good manufacturers of indoor bikes.  So they decided that they should make a partnership with real bike builders. During those times, no company showed interest in their idea. But, in 1994, they were able to make a deal with a Colorado-based company named Schwinn. On this date, Schwinn is able to sell almost 2,000 Spinner bikes a month.

The two were interested in manufacturing indoor bikes.  However Johnny G came to focus on developing spinning programs for more than ten years. In 1995, his company began giving instructor certification for those who want to teach his program.

The History of Spinning – the Most Interesting Exercise circa 1993

During the time when Johnny G and John Bauhuin were struggling to be successful in their company and had been busy giving certifications on new instructors for their cycling programs, Rolling Stone magazine tagged Spinning the “Best Exercise” in 1993. This was a turning point as when the news broke out. A lot of people came to have an interest in Spinning Bikes as many wanted to try this new workout.

Spinning Became Popular and Even Became Virtual

These days, no gym is complete without stationary bikes or spin bikes to complete their fitness offerings. More than this, the spin class have been popping up in different places that it seems everybody is into this workout. The spinning classes evolved from motivational coaching and breathing training.  Virtual spin classes have loud, fun of music that urges participants to spin as they mimic cycling through hill climb, rolling hills, and flat roads.

There are even spinning classes these days when virtual reality is incorporated. Just recently, a start-up company in New York introduced group spin biking wherein their progress during the workout can be seen in widescreen wherein participants are represented by avatars.

Conclusion of the History of Spinning

Spinning has come a long way since it was developed during the 80’s. Our brief exploration into the history of spinning is an interesting story.  Spin classes are sprouting everywhere that it seems everybody gets fit because of spinning. This workout has really come a long way.

You're reading History of Spinning: From Johnny G to the Present by Samantha, originally posted on SpinBikeLab.com. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Samantha on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+!