[jddjirikian]

I've taken up spinning during the wintertime as a halfway acceptable substitute for mountain biking.

I've been able to build up a fairly good resistance level on the spin bike using pretty much the same resistance level over the course of 3 months.

Would it be better to go lighter on the resistance to exercise/activate some other muscles that may otherwise not benefit from a heavier resistance workout?

Do you fellow spinners vary your workouts on a weekly and/or monthly basis?

Please advise.

TIA!

 

[formica]

you are working out at home or in a class?

 

[jddjirikian]

you are working out at home or in a class?

Class

 

[ZoSoSwiM]

Variety is always good for any form of working out. Don't just vary your cadance but vary everything.

Try a high cadance with low resistance.. then the next day try the opposite with heavy resistance and lower cadance. Mix it up and you should see decent results.

 

[formica]

well maybe I"m missing something, but if you have a decent instructor with decent tunes, wouldn't you just follow the music and the class? The classes I take usually recommend a cadence/beat, and a HR range to be in for the different portions. The music usually matches the requested activity. For example, a long steady climb at a medium cadence will have different music than the high interval section, or the high cadence section. I vary it by taking different classes with different instrcutors.

 

[PointBoy]

The classes that I take offer varying degrees of cadence and resistance. It has also been my experience that spin classes do nothing for biking leg strength but work well to build cardio endurance.

 

[watermoccasin]

In general, more resistance is better for spinning. Most people don't use enough resistance, which doesn't build any leg strength. Variation is good, but the only real reason to back off the resistance is if you are sore from the previous day and using the class as a recovery workout. If you keep the resistance higher than is comfortable, you will crush the trails when you get on them...

 

[venus1]

Variation is key. There are lots of programs w/ both high cadence endurance & strength-building profiles.

 

[BobKreyole]

A lot of misconceptions about Spinning in this post. If you have any questions, ask your certified Spinning instructor. Also go to the Spinning web site for more info. There are 5 types of training rides referred to as "Energy Zone". Each zone is goal specific. Remember Spinning is not a substitute for outdoor biking but one of many training tools you can use.

http://spinning.com/page.asp?id1=33&nLevel=1

Energy Zones
Endurance Energy Zone™
One of the five Spinning program Energy Zones, Endurance is designed to help students build a strong aerobic base.

Interval Energy Zone™
One of the five Spinning program Energy Zones, Interval focuses on anaerobic training.

Race Day Energy Zone™
One of the five Spinning program Energy Zones, Race Day simulates an intense "race" environment, allowing students to monitor training and gauge improvements in fitness.

Recovery Energy Zone™
One of the five Spinning program Energy Zones, Recovery allows students to experience "active" recovery in the context of a periodization schedule.

Strength Energy Zone™
One of the five Spinning program Energy Zones, Strength uses low cadence and high resistance (climbing) to build muscular strength and endurance.