Spin class in the gym & triathlon - any benefit?

onimpulse

Just wondering what people think of the spin classes in the gym. I did a few the the last while on the basis that the weather is so bad & haven't been able to get out on the bike as much as I'd like. However, I've heard mixed opinions on the benefit of them from a triathlon point of view.

Just wondering what people think on them - are they good or should I just go buy a turbo trainer?

Thanks!

tunney

onimpulse wrote: »

Just wondering what people think of the spin classes in the gym. I did a few the the last while on the basis that the weather is so bad & haven't been able to get out on the bike as much as I'd like. However, I've heard mixed opinions on the benefit of them from a triathlon point of view.

Just wondering what people think on them - are they good or should I just go buy a turbo trainer?

Thanks!

No good I am afraid. Intensities all wrong, bike positions wrong, and too short really in general. Pretty much a waste of time for a triathlon perspective. Get a turbo, so e decent sets and do some sport specific training

silverside

tunney could you explain why you think it's wrong?

I feel i get more out of a 60-90 minute spin class than a 90-120 minute bike ride - on a gym bike (equivalent to turbo) i can happily ride at constant speed but find it hard to motivate myself to do sprints/get out of the saddle - for a 40k ride i think it would make sense to do both, no? similarly to the way one does fartlek or intervals for road running?

MCOS

I have to disagree with Tunney to a point. Tunney is an experienced triathlete and has great advice to offer on cycling and thus may not get any benefit from a spin class but for a noob like myself there is certainly a point in it if you cannot get out on the bike. Certainly Tunney's points of wrong intensity and position are correct and very valid, saying they are a waste of time however is just a bit of hot air tbh. I used to be a rower and while an ergometer can never prepare you for getting into a boat it has great benefits for fitness. Fitness is really all you will get from the spin class though. They are fun and you can push hard for 45-60 mins in an over heated room to some bizarre music choice. I did a spin class per week for about 2 months before I got on a road bike for the very first time, granted I had just completed a marathon also, I used to really enjoy the spin classes. I would be on the bike 15 mins early, do the class and a 3 mile run afterwards and it was a decent session. I did over 40k on my first attempt on the road bike. Fitness was not the issue. Bike handling was.

So, spin classes will not prepare you for handling a bike, nor are they as good as a sport specific turbo session but that should not take away from the benefit of them. They are more fun than the turbo though and if you enjoy them, what the hell just do them and get the miles in on the bike when you can. Best of luck with the training.

At the very least you will fly through a sprint Tri bike section!

Bambaata

Personally i think the weather has been great this past 2 months though apart from 1 week in December and the last 4 days. We've had very little wind and rain! Looks like the real winter is here now but i don't think any weather bar 100km/hr+ winds and torrential rain is too bad to get out in.

And i can see where Tunney is coming from. I think though it will help those who are starting out in the sense that they might not be all that fit and it will improve fitness but a turbo would be much more beneficial as you would be on your own bike.

tunney

MCOS wrote: »

I have to disagree with Tunney to a point. Tunney is an experienced triathlete and has great advice to offer on cycling and thus may not get any benefit from a spin class but for a noob like myself there is certainly a point in it if you cannot get out on the bike. Certainly Tunney's points of wrong intensity and position are correct and very valid, saying they are a waste of time however is just a bit of hot air tbh. I used to be a rower and while an ergometer can never prepare you for getting into a boat it has great benefits for fitness. Fitness is really all you will get from the spin class though. They are fun and you can push hard for 45-60 mins in an over heated room to some bizarre music choice. I did a spin class per week for about 2 months before I got on a road bike for the very first time, granted I had just completed a marathon also, I used to really enjoy the spin classes. I would be on the bike 15 mins early, do the class and a 3 mile run afterwards and it was a decent session. I did over 40k on my first attempt on the road bike. Fitness was not the issue. Bike handling was.

So, spin classes will not prepare you for handling a bike, nor are they as good as a sport specific turbo session but that should not take away from the benefit of them. They are more fun than the turbo though and if you enjoy them, what the hell just do them and get the miles in on the bike when you can. Best of luck with the training.

At the very least you will fly through a sprint Tri bike section!

Okay I was well aware that I was giving advice to a person new to the sport, hence my lack of ambivalence in my answer. I gave you the same advice MCOS when you asked about spin classes.

The OP, as well as many triathletes at this time of year, most likely has a substantially underdeveloped aerobic system. Spin classes by and large consist of a series of anaerobic intervals, separated with some recovery spinning. This will not train the relevant energy pathways required for any triathlon - even a Sprint triathlon.

Comparisions between an erg for rowing and spinning are invalid. Comparisions between an erg for rowing and a turbo session are valid.

On a separate note most people tend to vastly overestimate their aerobic fitness and decide that where they need work is the speed side of things.
jan-mar is for aerobic fitness and strength work.

tunney

silverside wrote: »

tunney could you explain why you think it's wrong?

I feel i get more out of a 60-90 minute spin class than a 90-120 minute bike ride - on a gym bike (equivalent to turbo) i can happily ride at constant speed but find it hard to motivate myself to do sprints/get out of the saddle - for a 40k ride i think it would make sense to do both, no? similarly to the way one does fartlek or intervals for road running?

You feel more f*cked aftetr a 90 minute spin than a 90 minute bike ride. Of course. One is balls to the walls anerobic stuff, one is aerobic.

That doesn't mean that the spin class is better training for your goals.

MCOS

tunney wrote: »

Okay I was well aware that I was giving advice to a person new to the sport, hence my lack of ambivalence in my answer. I gave you the same advice MCOS when you asked about spin classes.

The OP, as well as many triathletes at this time of year, most likely has a substantially underdeveloped aerobic system. Spin classes by and large consist of a series of anaerobic intervals, separated with some recovery spinning. This will not train the relevant energy pathways required for any triathlon - even a Sprint triathlon.

Comparisions between an erg for rowing and spinning are invalid. Comparisions between an erg for rowing and a turbo session are valid.

On a separate note most people tend to vastly overestimate their aerobic fitness and decide that where they need work is the speed side of things.
jan-mar is for aerobic fitness and strength work.

I know you gave me the same advice. Most newbies are getting into a sport to enjoy it though, not to conquer it, me included I agree about building the aerobic base early and also agree about the erg/turbo comparison. Fair point there! I guess where I was coming from was that spinning sparked my interest in getting on a real bike while attracting me to the gym every monday evening afterwork for a session (with its limited applications to Triathlon) that I enjoyed! Regardless of the set up of the bike or the workout in a spin class, you are still pedalling! It was the only option for me when I didn't have a road bike, but now that I do and I've done a few sessions on it I'm still glad I did those spin classes

tunney

MCOS wrote: »

I know you gave me the same advice. Most newbies are getting into a sport to enjoy it though, not to conquer it, me included I agree about building the aerobic base early and also agree about the erg/turbo comparison. Fair point there! I guess where I was coming from was that spinning sparked my interest in getting on a real bike while attracting me to the gym every monday evening afterwork for a session (with its limited applications to Triathlon) that I enjoyed! Regardless of the set up of the bike or the workout in a spin class, you are still pedalling! It was the only option for me when I didn't have a road bike, but now that I do and I've done a few sessions on it I'm still glad I did those spin classes

Do what you want I'll be very interested in your posts during the summer, during the racing season.

shels4ever

Well I did on Tri and prior to that was doing some spin classes managed them ok. But didn't find it helped me at all once i started training on the road.

Met up with a tri club and died on ever cycle, Turns out i'm usless on a bike, Actually think tunney was in a group one day, you were with belpark right?

Spin did help me get fitter but didnt really help on the road...but what do I know i'm just a runner..

tunney

shels4ever wrote: »

Well I did on Tri and prior to that was doing some spin classes managed them ok. But didn't find it helped me at all once i started training on the road.

Met up with a tri club and died on ever cycle, Turns out i'm usless on a bike, Actually think tunney was in a group one day, you were with belpark right?

Spin did help me get fitter but didnt really help on the road...but what do I know i'm just a runner..

When was this Shels4ever? I used to be with Belpark but stopped cycling with them years ago as their bike training is less than ideal.

shels4ever

tunney wrote: »

When was this Shels4ever? I used to be with Belpark but stopped cycling with them years ago as their bike training is less than ideal.

Must have been 3 years ago now maybe even 4, Went on a few cycles from near the spa well up to blessington direction...

tunney

shels4ever wrote: »

Must have been 3 years ago now maybe even 4, Went on a few cycles from near the spa well up to blessington direction...

Did you have really flat tyres where the rubber was pretty almost rotten on them? Got dropped on the Embankment but myself and another lad came back down for you?

shels4ever

tunney wrote: »

Did you have really flat tyres where the rubber was pretty almost rotten on them? Got dropped on the Embankment but myself and another lad came back down for you?

Yep, went out and bough a new bike that week .Didnt have a clue what i was doing then....

tunney

shels4ever wrote: »

Yep, went out and bough a new bike that week .Didnt have a clue what i was doing then....

I remember that ride, yourself and a new girl came out. Came back downhill for you with Darren Cranston after everyone else decided to drop the newbies and forget about them, turned a corner and found you trying to jump back on your bike after walking up the hill? That you?

shels4ever

tunney wrote: »

I remember that ride, yourself and a new girl came out. Came back downhill for you with Darren Cranston after everyone else decided to drop the newbies and forget about them, turned a corner and found you trying to jump back on your bike after walking up the hill? That you?

Yep thats me , Cheers for coming back by the way..

tunney

shels4ever wrote: »

Yep thats me , Cheers for coming back by the way..

Faces to names, faces to names. You've come along way since then. Well done!

One of the reasons I left Belpark, didn't like the attitude of leaving people on rides.

stmochtas

I was just thinking myself if I ever wanted to start bike training with a tri-club and everyone just left you behind I wouldn't stick at it long.

shels4ever

Yep did put me off a little , got lost on a cycle a few week later after that, then just trained on my own from then on.
Looking back I dont know how I got around a tri back then even if it was a sprint ,I was so unfit.

digitalage

Your better off with a proper road bike as tunney mentioned, but spinning can be good for you overall fitness, its also helps you in the running department, heres an article in relation to spinning and running.

http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_running/tno_runarticle_07.asp

danburke

I find that spinning sessions probably help me more mentally than physically.

I agree that at this time of year I probably should be concentrating on building up my aerobic base but I find it nice to know that when I am suffering on the road that I can really suffer for 60-90 minutes and still get home.

McTigs

Similar question.

I'm trying to build up my running abilities both speed and distance. My prefered choice is to run outside on the roads and parks I don't mind a bit of wind and rain but not gales and torrential downpours like we get here in galway.

So in the event of me not being able to motivate myself to face the elements does work on the threadmill do me any good?

tunney

McTigs wrote: »

Similar question.

I'm trying to build up my running abilities both speed and distance. My prefered choice is to run outside on the roads and parks I don't mind a bit of wind and rain but not gales and torrential downpours like we get here in galway.

So in the event of me not being able to motivate myself to face the elements does work on the threadmill do me any good?

Not really that similar as you can get good specific training on a threadmill. Just make sure the inclination is 1 degree.

tunney

I find it quite amazing that people come on, ask for advice, and then decide to completely and utterly ignore it when it doesn't match the answer that they want. Not just this thread but happens alot, so much so that you have to question actually giving advice...........

Woddle

tunney wrote: »

I find it quite amazing that people come on, ask for advice, and then decide to completely and utterly ignore it when it doesn't match the answer that they want. Not just this thread but happens alot, so much so that you have to question actually giving advice...........

I agree with you but the one thing to remember is, you never know who else is reading the advice and taking it on board

McTigs

tunney wrote: »

Not really that similar as you can get good specific training on a threadmill. Just make sure the inclination is 1 degree.

Thanks for that

*sets the inclination to 1 degree*

as for people not taking advice, you should see the Investments and Markets forum. There are regulars over there that are gonna literally explode if one more person asks if this is a good time to buy bank shares.

It's quite funny for any bystanders but frustrating as hell for those involved

MCOS

tunney wrote: »

I find it quite amazing that people come on, ask for advice, and then decide to completely and utterly ignore it when it doesn't match the answer that they want. Not just this thread but happens alot, so much so that you have to question actually giving advice...........

Not sure how to go about it but

Create a Running or Triathlon Wiki? or one to match the new Forum --amadeus-- is working on?

pgibbo

Woddle wrote: »

I agree with you but the one thing to remember is, you never know who else is reading the advice and taking it on board

Totally agree. Although I may not respond to a lot of threads, I certainly take on a lot of the info that tunney, et al kindly supply. So please don't stop passing on those nuggets!

onimpulse

tunney wrote: »

I find it quite amazing that people come on, ask for advice, and then decide to completely and utterly ignore it when it doesn't match the answer that they want. Not just this thread but happens alot, so much so that you have to question actually giving advice...........

Thanks for the advice... not sure who you're referring to there but I appreciate it anyway! I find it hard enough to find the time to train properly for all three sports without doing something that's of little benefit!