Spin Classes And Indoor Cycling: Get The Maximum Benefit
Jim Hofman
Cycling and spin classes are two of the very best low impact cardio workouts. Popularity of indoor cycling, also known as spin classes, has exploded as more and more people recognize its cardiovascular and muscle toning benefits. Let's talk about a few ways to derive maximum benefit from cycling, either indoors or outdoors.
If you're exercising to lose weight, you'll want your workout to be as efficient and optimal as possible. You may have heard the term "fat burning zone" from your instructor or personal trainer. For best results, your body needs to work at an optimal level, meaning not too light or not too difficult. Since everyone's fat burning zone can be dramatically different, you should understand the nuances of target heart rate and fat burning zone.
If you're interested in spinning classes and decide to participate, you'll go through five distinct levels (zones) of intensity during a class. These zones are warm up, endurance, strength, interval, and race. In a typical one hour class, you'll move between the levels, which will help improve your cardiovascular fitness level.
Here's how to know and understand your heart rate. First, calculate your maximum heart rate, which is the highest heart rate you should safely attain during exercise. Simply subtract your age from 220, and that's your maximum heart rate. Using myself as an example, I'd subtract 46 (my age) from 220 to find my maximum heart rate is 174.
Going back to the five zones, each zone has a heart rate range assigned to it, including upper and lower percentages. We'll explain in a minute. Basically, each of the five zones has a heart rate maximum and minimum, give or take a few percentage points. Each of these heart rate ranges are calculated by taking a percentage of your maximum heart rate (the rate we just calculated by subtracting your age from 220).
In the warm up range, also known as cool down, your heart rate should be 50% to 65% of maximum. Using my maximum heart rate of 174, my heart rate during warm up should be between 87 (50%) to 113 (65%). Let's quickly go through the other zones ...
Endurance Range: 65% to 75% of maximum heart range (MHR)
Strength Range: 75% to 85% of MHR
Interval Range: 65% to 92% of MHR
Race (also known as Sprint) Range: 80% to 92%
You'll work the hardest during the Interval and Race ranges. The endurance range is actually where you'll spend most of your time during the class. Not so coincidentally, that's the range where you'll burn the most fat!
Finally, the best way to check your heart rate while exercising is with a heart rate monitor. If you don't have one, you can place your index and/or middle finger on your neck artery where you can feel your pulse. Most spin instructors will do a six second heart rate check. Multiply your count by 10, and that's your heart rate. Compare your heart rate to the range you're at during the class, and increase or decrease your intensity accordingly. Here's to a great workout!
Jim Hofman has incorporated cycling and spin classes into his workout plan over the last six months, resulting in a 20 pound weight loss. If you want to learn more about spin classes and getting fit, visit Jim's recommended resource site dedicated to http://www.cycling101.info/ indoor cycling.
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