Spinning - WOW

[ArcticDiver]

I have a bike trainer (regular bike on a stationary stand) in the garage- how is that different? other than the fact that you have a trainer pushing you harder?

Class #3 today. This was with a different leader. She used a different music mix and encouragment method. Prior classes were a whole different experience with only 6 people vs. different instructor and 12 people. Now, I'm hooked!

You hit the difference right on the head. You have a trainer to help you maintain proper form, to vary the routine to get a better workout and to keep an eye on people so no one gets hurt.

I've only used a Bike Trainer once. But, I think that unless you go for a much higher end trainer Spinning Class is not only cheaper, but you get the benefit of a real person helping you.

 

[frankc420]

So did you stop already? or just no more posts?

 

[ArcticDiver]

So did you stop already? or just no more posts?

Just was off the road system on a solo trip for a few days. Had plenty of exercise building a snow ramp, digging out the paths and buildings, hauling wood, etc. One of the privileges of living in a wonderland.

Now I'm back and have had two more one hour spinning sessions. I'm the only guy in the class with a varying number of girls. We have a couple of excellent leaders who know just how to make up a music mix and to lead us up and down the hills and on the speed flats.

Unlike some people I don't ride my cycle in the snow. So, come summer and I'm more comfortable riding my cycle I may back off on Spinning. But, until then this is without a doubt the best cardiovascular exercise a person can do. I've lost some weight that, since I can still lift the same amount of weight, I am pretty sure is ugly fat.

 

[ArcticDiver]

Spinning has turned out to be a very expensive sport; but a sport well worth every penny.

I've now done about 30 sessions. The last one was not intended. I went to the gym to do some light weights. But, several of the folks in the class greeted me in such a warm and friendly way I could not help but join them in the class. You see; with a good instructor and good classmates the spinning class turns out to be the highlight of the day.

Was one downer though. The instructor said that "today is 80's music day. How many of you were born in the 80's?" About half the class held up their hands! Nothing like working out with your grandkids!

At the same time I've taken off enough body fat and developed enough strength and endurance that I want to go faster and easier on my bike. So, today I rode over to the bike shop (about 10 miles) to check on road bikes.

My current bike is a hybrid and is very nice with disc brakes and all. He had me ride a road/touring bike with an aluminum frame, carbon fork, etc. Nice. Then he had me ride a road bike that is all carbon fibre. It was about $400 more than the first one. But, in my estimation worth every penny. The smoothest bike I've ever ridden is this one. The second smoothest is my hybrid.

Originally I had two questions. First, could I get fit enough to ride 20 or 30 miles through the hills without exhausting myself? I've found that I can. Second, if I can get fit enough do I want to spend the money to go faster and smoother? The answer is yes.

If you want to get fit with cardio and strength that is directly transferable to scuba take up cycling. If you want to get a good foundation for cycling and have a fun time join a good spin class. The combination ain't cheap. But it sure makes this terminaly fatal conditiion called life have a lot more quality.

 

[coach_izzy]

Congrats on finding an activity that is both pleasurable and productive for you! I'm sure you will get many enjoyable decades out of that worthy investment. What caught my eye, was the following statement:

If you want to get fit with cardio and strength that is directly transferable to scuba take up cycling.

How is cycling directly transferable to scuba? Considering the mechanical aspects of cycling (even in the competitive level) I cannot quite make a direct connection. In general, distance cycling is an expression of endurance, rhythmic cadence, and linear displacement. The objective of the grand majority of cyclists is to complete their routes in less time and with less physical fatigue.

Recreational Scuba Diving on the other hand, is an activity that IS NOT physical in its entirety. There are some aspects of scuba diving that are physical depending on the environment and type of diving (as in hauling heavy gear for shore diving, surf entry, climbing a ladder in rocking water with heavy gear, fighting against current for certain portions of the dive) none of which shares the mechanical aspects of distance cycling.

Proficiency in recreational scuba diving is more dependent on skill acquisition rather than physical fitness. Now, before anybody gets bent out shape (no pun intended ) thinking that I said that physical fitness is not important, please read again.

Physical Fitness is a tremendous asset and one that will without a doubt, increase your safety margin. However, when it comes to improving efficiency in diving, not to mention gas consumption, NOTHING beats diving, diving, and then diving some more. It is very common to see the novice diver sucking an 80 Al dry in 40 minutes at depth of 40 feet his first few dives. It's also common to see the very same diver improve his bottom time under the same conditions to 60 minutes or more by the time he hits his 50th dive. All that without changing the level of physical activity.

Going back to the topic, when the term "Direct Transfer" is used in motor learning and biomechanics, it means that what is transferred will reinforce and facilitate the mastery and execution of a specific skill.

If we are referring to how cycling has given you a level of physical fitness that manifests into better scuba diving, then we are talking about conditioning (which is a different topic) and not transference. In that case, ANY type of structured exercise program that induces a new type of adaptation will provide significant benefits.

Or did I miss something?

Have fun in your rides and enjoy your new bike. It sounds like you made the right decision and a smart investment. Hopefully you'll be telling us about completing centuries in the future.

All the best!

 

[coach_izzy]

About the water consumption you can never consume too much water while exercising your body is very capable or "expelling" it if need be.

Oh yes you can! The condition is called Hyponatremia (or water intoxication) and it has caused plenty of deaths in endurance athletes. Remember that sweat expelled carries electrolytes, which are crucial in cell metabolism and neurotransmission. Feel free to browse for info pertinent on the subject.

Now if we are talking about fluid replacement, then we should be referring more to the composition, volume, and administration of the solution, all of which varies depending on many factors.

Happy Diving!

 

[ArcticDiver]

First of all: I was amazed at the difference between department store bikes and those sold by bike shops, especially those who cater to afficianados and competitive cyclists. After riding their offerings I'm convinced the latter offer a more refined and fun product.

I say cycling is directly transferrable because the leg motion used for proper cycling is very analagous to that used in the flutter and modified flutter kicks. Plus, the mental discipline is the same. Plus, the areas that give pain are, in my experience, the same. Plus, the cardiovascular effect is extremely similar. Is it "identical"? No. But it is directly transferrable.

While I have respect for correct usage of the english language sometimes a person can get twisted about the axle with a distinction without a difference. Such is the question that was raised about this subject.

 

[coach_izzy]

First of all: I was amazed at the difference between department store bikes and those sold by bike shops, especially those who cater to afficianados and competitive cyclists. After riding their offerings I'm convinced the latter offer a more refined and fun product.

Absolutely! That is why I said you made a VERY good investment. The bikes you'll find at the bike shops are definitely high end specialized tools. An equivalent would be the mask, snorkel, and fins one finds packaged in nets at department stores, and the mask, snorkel and fins one finds at the dive shop.

I wish you lots of fun with your new toy.

I say cycling is directly transferrable because the leg motion used for proper cycling is very analagous to that used in the flutter and modified flutter kicks.

Let's not confuse motion with resisted motion. The mechanical aspects of resistance is what dictates what the outcome will be in the form of motor unit recruitment, demands on the systems, and ultimately, transferability.

Let's take for instance the motion for the overhead press. Whenever I make the motion and ask people what the motion works, 9 out of 10 will say "The shoulders". My answer to them is "Not necessarily". You see, the motion will use the shoulders as primary movers ONLY if the direction of the resistance is inferiorly directed (going towards the floor) as is the case with gravity and traditional weight training.

If the resistance is superiorly directed (going towards the ceiling) I can oppose it using the same motion, but because of the direction of the resistance, this time my upper-back muscles would be the primary movers.

Even more, if the resistance is posteriorly directed (towards the back) opposing it with the same motion would use the chest muscles as primary movers. What about with the resistance anteriorly directed (towards the front). Opposing it with the same motion would target a huge deal of middle and posterior deltoid, along with significant rotator cuff involvement (supraspinatus and infraspinatus to be more specific). And just like that, just by changing the direction of the resistance, we can generate an infinite number of motor patterns that emphasize some areas more than the other, while still using the same motion.

My point? Motion alone does not determine the productivity of an exercise or activity. Swimming takes place in an environment where the demands of gravity are not as crucial, and that is far denser than the atmosphere. Eccentric phases of muscular action are virtually non-existent. If we were to accept that the motion of pedaling is directly transferable to those who flutter kick, shouldn't then we tell all those who prefer the frog kick to stay away from cycling? If something is not transferable, then by default it becomes disruptive, and real life has shown us that this is not the case.

Plus, the mental discipline is the same.

Mental discipline is more a function of sports psychology rather than motor learning, which is what transferability is all about. Mental discipline can be obtained in pretty much ANY activity that demands focus and problem solving strategies.

Plus, the areas that give pain are, in my experience, the same.

What the body recruits as a response to a resistance and to what degree has a lot more to do with your particular structure rather than the activity itself. Shape of femoral necks and heads, length of femur vs. length of tibia vs. length of trunk, compensations and many other factors will dictate how you will respond to a particular level of resistance.

Plus, the cardiovascular effect is extremely similar.

Similar to what? Scuba Diving? Scuba diving is a recreational activity in which the user shows mastery by showing how much he or she can be relaxed underwater. Are you saying that scuba diving incites a significant cardiovascular response similar to cycling?

Is it "identical"? No. But it is directly transferrable.

Based on the direction of resistance, environment, and neuromuscular recruitment, I still do not see how there could be a DIRECT transfer.

While I have respect for correct usage of the english language sometimes a person can get twisted about the axle with a distinction without a difference. Such is the question that was raised about this subject.

It was not the use of the language, but the claims of direct transferability that prompted me to post. Those claims were reiterated here again, and once again, I provided with the mechanical analysis of both to conclude whether those claims held ground or not.

Please keep in mind that I speak PURELY from analyzing the physics of the motion, and I always pay attention to the overlooked aspects. My analysis are never meant to be taken as a personal attack, but rather, as an invitation to look beyond the obvious.

I have a tremendous level of respect for your accomplishments and I truly wish you the best. Looking forward to your response.

Take care

 

[wb416]

Taking this back in a slightly different direction, and looking at it from the Conditioning aspect....

I think that most of us can agree that given the sedentary lifestyle of most of the divers out there (recreational, technical, and cave in particular), any program that improves metabolic conditioning (e.g. traditional cardio, cycling, rowing, Olympic lifting, kettlebells, etc) can help lower our gas consumption and improve our safety margin when dealing with unexpected opportunities underwater.

As a cyclist that put about 1600miles on my bikes last year, even though I use the frog kick over 99 percent of the time, I noticed an improvement in my gas consumption during my last full week of cave diving. Given the relative improvement in my physical activity level pre-cycling and after I'd started, my diving has benefited just from being more physically active. (e.g. carrying gear to/from the caves/boats/entries).

Anecdotally, there may be certain exercise regimens that might be better suited to diving than others, but overall, any activity increase for the average sendentary diver will provide a benefit to your diving.

While cycling alone was a nice increase in physical exercise (and one that we enjoyed), we have taken up other fun weight-bearing exercises to make it easier to handle double tank configuration, and the wear & tear they can cause over a week of cave and/or wreck diving.

 

[bsumner]

Had my first spinning class today. Wow!

I'm one of those people who put Spinning in the class of the latest fad machine and worth just about as much.

But, when I was talking to one of the trainers at the gym about needing to figure out a way to get my butt and body in shape for summer biking she suggested Spinning. I figured the class was cheap and she told me I could quit at any time during the class. So, today I tried it.

After the 45 minute class all I can say is: If I can walk tomorrow I'm doing it again. And I'm going to keep on doing it.

If you are a cyclist. Or you want to be a cyclist. Or you just want an excellent low impact leg and cardio workout this is something you must try.

I have a bum left knee and am wondering whether this might work for me....