Spinning Body Transformation – Introduction
Spin Class Body Transformation: Nine Results You Can Expect to See
Group exercise classes are a great way to get fit, lose weight, and have fun while doing it.
Working out with a bunch of like-minded people while being guided by an instructor makes it easier to stay motivated.
Most group exercise classes are accompanied by energizing music, which can help increase the intensity of your workout while lowering your rating of perceived exertion.
Working out in a group also creates an environment of camaraderie and support.
Together, you can do it!
But which group workout should you choose?
After all, there are a lot of different options.
For example, if you want to dance yourself fitter, Zumba is a good choice.
But, if you prefer to lift weights, Body Pump will probably suit you better.
Budding martial artists are bound to enjoy workouts like Kickboxing, Boxercise, and Body Combat.
Old-school fitness enthusiasts will undoubtedly love circuit training.
However, if you like cycling, you’ll probably enjoy spinning.
This article reveals the effects and benefits of this popular group exercise activity that you can also do at home.
So, What Is Spinning, Anyway?
Spinning is an indoor workout done on a spinning bike.
Spinning bikes are stationary exercise bikes fitted with large flywheels and mechanical or electromagnetic brakes.
Looking a lot like racing bikes, most spinning bikes do not have freewheels, which means you cannot stop pedaling.
Spin bike workouts tend to involve several different elements, all designed to maximize your fitness and burn as many calories as possible.
The parts of a spin class include:
- Gradual warm-up
- Pedaling technique drills, e.g., using one leg, focusing on pulling up, etc.
- Hill climbs – seated and standing
- Sprints – seated and standing
- High tempo pedaling
- Intervals of varying lengths
- Upper body exercises
- Gradual cool-down
Spinning is a very popular group exercise class, and a lot of gyms have rooms dedicated to this workout.
There are also spinning studios that only offer spin workouts.
You can also do spinning at home.
All you need is a suitable bike.
You can make up your own workout, and there are online classes to follow – some of which are delivered in real-time, so you follow along with a “live” instructor.
A spin class is a low-impact workout, so it’s suitable for anyone who finds jogging or running uncomfortable.
Also, because you can easily adjust the tension level on your bike, you can modify most spin workouts to match your current fitness level.
Spin Class Body Transformation – How Spinning Affects Your Body
So, what are the benefits of spinning, and what results can you expect to see?
Let’s take a look!
#1. Improved aerobic fitness
At its core, spinning is an aerobic workout.
Spin classes usually last from 40 to 60 minutes and include periods of low to moderate-intensity pedaling.
Sustained exercise like this increases your muscles’ demand for oxygen, which lead to increases in your heart and breathing rate.
After a few weeks, you should notice that you can work harder at the same heart rate or that your heart rate is lower for the same workload.
This indicates that your heart and lungs have become stronger and more efficient and that you can supply more oxygen to your working muscles.
In other words, your aerobic fitness has improved.
Increased levels of aerobic fitness are linked to better cardiovascular health, e.g., a lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and hypertension.
#2. Improved anaerobic fitness
Anaerobic fitness is your ability to exercise intensely for brief periods without oxygen.
Spinning workouts often involve sprints and hill climbs alternated with short rests.
These are forms of interval training.
Interval training improves your ability to exercise without oxygen.
Intervals are also good for burning more calories and weight loss/control…
#3. Fat loss
Spinning burns a lot of calories.
While the actual number of calories will depend on the duration and intensity of your workout, most people should be able to hit 400-600 per hour.
Assuming you are following a sensible diet, spinning can help you burn fat and lose weight or maintain your current weight you are not currently dieting for weight loss.
#4. Stronger, more toned legs
Spinning works virtually every muscle in your legs, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
You only need to look at the legs of an experienced cyclist to see how effective riding a bike can be for leg muscle development.
Bike sprints and hill climbs will make your leg muscles stronger and, combined with fat loss, will improve their tone and appearance.
You may even experience some muscle growth, especially if your leg muscles are currently underdeveloped.
#5. A stronger upper body
Contrary to what you might think, spinning is not just a lower-body workout.
In fact, during things like sprints and hill climbs, you’ll also be using your upper body.
While your arms, shoulders, chest, and back won’t be working as hard as your legs, these muscle groups do receive a beneficial workout.
Spinning won’t build massive upper body muscles, but you can expect it to tone and strengthen your top half.
#6. A stronger, more stable core
Core is the collective term for the muscles of your midsection, namely your rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae.
Erector Spinae
These muscles encircle your middle like a corset or weightlifting belt and support your spine.
Prolonged sitting and sedentarism can leave these muscles weak and underdeveloped, increasing the risk of low back pain.
Strengthening your core will stabilize your spine, reduce unwanted movement, and give you a tighter waistline.
Spinning, especially sprints and hill climbs, increases core engagement.
You’ll need to use these muscles to maintain your position on the bike.
Your instructor will also probably remind you to brace your core during your workout.
All of this means your abs, obliques, etc., will get a good workout during spin class.
Core muscles
#7. Better muscular endurance
While spinning is not as good as weight training for building muscle and strength, it’s arguably one of the best workouts for muscular endurance.
Muscular endurance is your ability to generate low amounts of force for long periods without undue fatigue.
While strength and muscle size can be welcome fitness benefits, endurance is often more useful.
Many of the tasks of daily life are low-intensity but repetitive, such as climbing a flight of stairs, carrying groceries, or just standing for long periods.
These are tests of endurance.
Spin class is an excellent way to improve muscular endurance without resorting to lifting weights.
However, if you want to get Hulk-strong or bodybuilder-big, lifting weights is invariably the best way to do it.
#8. Increased bone mass
While you can’t see your bones, it’s nice to know that spinning is good for them.
When your muscles contract, they pull on your bones which triggers cells called osteoblasts to lay down new bone material.
This results in stronger, denser bones.
Bone mass tends to peak in your mid-30s and decreases gradually after that.
This is a process called osteopenia.
If left unchecked, osteopenia can become osteoporosis, a medical condition characterized by weak, porous bones that are increasingly prone to fracture.
Despite being low impact, spinning is a form of weight-bearing activity, so it’s good for your bones as well as your muscles and cardiorespiratory system.
#9. Better mental health
Research shows that a healthy body often means a healthy mind famously known in Latin as mens sana in corpore sano.
Workouts like spinning are good for many aspects of your mental health, including:
- Less stress and better stress management
- Lower levels of anxiety
- Improved self-esteem and self-confidence
- Better cognitive function, including memory, problem-solving, and creativity
- Better sleep, resulting in more energy and less fatigue
While you won’t be able to see these changes, you’ll definitely feel them.
Regular exercisers often become addicted to their workouts, but this is no bad thing, given how physically and mentally beneficial working out can be!
Spin Class Body Transformation – Wrapping up
Spinning is a very accessible and effective workout.
Whether you go to a group spin class at your local gym, work out at home, or follow an online class like Peloton, working out on a stationary bike will do you nothing but good.
However, it’s worth noting that while spinning IS an excellent workout, it’s also a very sweaty one, so you’ll need to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated during your class.
So, keep a bottle of water nearby and take frequent sips to counteract sweat loss.
Also, the narrow saddles on spin bikes can be uncomfortable.
While you will get used to these slender bike seats, you’ll probably benefit from using a removable gel seat cushion or wearing cycling shorts, which are lightly padded.
Finally, while you can adjust the intensity of your workout by changing the resistance on your bike, some classes are definitely more challenging than others.
If you are new to spinning, seek out classes designed for beginners.
Doing too much too soon could leave you tired, sore, and unwilling to do another class.
It’s always better to finish a class wanting more than wishing you never began!
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Rich is a NASM-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer),