Top 10 tips for spin classes

So if I'm not to go too hard, too easy, too high of cadence, or too low of cadence... it's just a steady Z2 workout? Might as well sit on the trainer in my living room.

I go to spin classes for the variety and challenge - even if it means getting a little outside of "tri-specific" stuff. And that's okay.

As for #9, my gym(s) keep the spin studios locked as a policy and don't let you come early or stay late - not more than about 5-10 minutes on either side. Bummer.

While a steady zone 2 workout would be good for 4+ hour rides, I wouldn't recommend it for a trainer workout. Re-read above post about Tempo, Threshold, and Sweet Spot. Those are not easy zones, but they are the most effective for building cycling specific endurance fitness. Tempo is quite uncomfortable. Just alternating 10 min endurance and 10 min Tempo is not that easy of a workout, but it is a very effective one. For harder workouts, going 20 min intervals at Sweet Spot with 3-5 min rest is a very good one and very hard as well. One of my favorites is to step up throughout a 20 min interval from Low Tempo (Ironman pace) to High Tempo (Half-Ironman pace) to low Threshold (Oly pace) to high Threshold (Sprint pace). Repeat for as many intervals as you can do or have time for.

I like to vary cadence occasionally between 70 and 110 rpm. I can't see a benefit from training outside of that when my optimal cadence is in the 80's.

I find myself agreeing with some of those, but disagreeing with a lot of it.

1. Yes, keep cool, but not for those reasons.  Keeping cooler allows you to ride harder, achieving a higher TSS.  I don't understand the part about it slowing you down.  You're on a spin bike, not riding outside.  Try to grab a bike directly beneath a ceiling fan.  Air moving over you is the best way to keep cool, because it evaporates your sweat.
2. I disagree that most spin classes will have you ride at too high of an intensity.  But I do agree with going there most of the time with specific goals in mind.  For example, if you train with heart rate, you can plan on shooting for 40 minutes of the class in the zones 3 and 4.  A little time in zone 5 isn't going to hurt you.
3. See my comments about #2.
4. I think saying to stay seated and avoid climbing out of the saddle is too broad of a statement.  Again, working at a wider range of intensities is good.  Sometimes this means you're going to have enough resistance on the bike that the only way to turn over the pedals is to stand.
5. If your low cadence riding feels too easy, you're not doing it right.
6. I agree.  Spinning super fast that results in either bouncing in the saddle or just getting pulled around by the fly wheel's momentum is pointless at best and can result in injuries at worst.
7. Just...huh?
8. YES!  Some spin instructors do things that you would never do on your bike outside.  As a rule, don't do anything in class that you wouldn't do on your own bike.  Specifically, this means "jumps", push ups on the bars, and anything else that seems more like a stunt than part of a workout.
9. It depends.  How long of a session did you have planned?  More isn't always better.  And, why stay out of recovery?
10. This is too broad of a statement too.  Sometimes it's ok to feel trashed after a bike session.  Sometimes it's not.  It depends on where you are in the training cycle, and what your goal was for the session.  Generally speaking, how you feel immediately after a session isn't as important as whether you're recovered enough to complete your next planned training session whether it's later the same day, the next day, or 2 days later after a planned recovery day between.

Another tip I'd add is to talk to the instructor before the class and let them know you might not follow every thing they do exactly, because you're there to replace a cycling training session, not for a general cardio workout.

11. Position yourself behind the best looking pace booty in the room.  Unless it is my wife...eyes off her, please).  It will make the class time pass quickly.

All of this is too much mumbo jumbo for my simple little brain, but thanks for the attempt in clarification.

Some of us go to spin classes for the variety and challenge, no need to make it more complicated than it is - I guess that's what I was trying to say.

As a 'don't' for most spin classes I've been to -

'1.  Don't turn the resistance level up to the level that the instructor is suggesting.  If it requires cadences lower than you would do outside on the bike, just... pass.

2. Ignore the specific number of turns the instructor is calling for.  For me, the active range between when I can start to feel the resistance and when it becomes too heavy is about 1.5 turns - requesting 'up another turn.... turn it to the right one full turn... turn it to the right one full turn... ' repeatedly is impossible.

(Just as a side point, the spinning instructors at the gym I go to are very competitive triathletes and are serious hard cases.  One of them had a c-section schedule Tuesday, but taught her Monday morning class and was back teaching again two weeks later.  And she does 7 minute mile tempo runs on the treadmill after a full hour spinning class.)

Do you have any research to support these claims or is this just your conjecture?  Have you tested these theories on athletes?

In general, I disagree with those statements.  There is specificity that be acquired from training at a low or high cadence.  It largely depends on what the athlete is trying to achieve.  This time of year might be more ideal for low cadence and the recruitment of certain muscle fibers.  I don't think it is good advice to tell people to avoid changing up their cadence in training. 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19675486

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21479957

A simplified list of tips for spin classes:

Don't do on the spin bike something you would not do on your bike.

If it is the off season, enjoy the class as a distraction from your normal training routine. 

Bring water and a towel.

That is all.

Not saying that there aren't some good nuggets and philosophy in your post, but I'd share: 

2 and 3: Why are you going as hard as someone else makes you? Know what workout you want, need, or can handle, and do it. You don't have to answer to anyone other than you for the spin bike resistance and cadence. ETA: if you're going to do a very different workout than the instructor is teaching, 1) put your bike in the back of the room, and 2) politely share with the instructor before the workout that you've got a different workout planned than the one they're gonna teach. 

4: Why the hell not?  Plenty of rides and tris have places you need to stand. Plus standing gives you an anatomy break that most folks would appreciate greatly. 

5 & 6: Why?  Looking for any research that shows what optimal cadence is - hint - there is none. You've got your Jan Ullrichs that pounded hills and flats at 50-70, and Lance that spun up at 95-105+. I agree if you're talking below maybe 60, or over 110, but inbetween, it just.doesn't.matter. 

8. It sounds like you're advocating a spin class where you get to use your own equipment. Obviously better than a Schwinn or Lemond stationary bike. But a cycling-specific class is so much more than your own equipment - what you've suggested is misleading. There are cycling classes. Hill classes. TT classes. Recovery classes. Aerobic classes. Anaerobic threshold classes. All are cycling classes. Just saying 'cycling class' is too broad. Hope you can clarify what you mean.

9. No, don't go early and stay late. Plan to get the workout that you want. If that involves more riding than the actual class, great. More is not always better, as has been stated before.  I'd only suggest getting there 5-ish minutes early to get the bike set up to your liking so you don't eat into class time fiddling with adjustments, and

10. The recent research on endurance training completely contradicts your point 10. Sources for your research, please?

And, just to be a nitpicky wiener ...

These would be INDOOR CYCLING classes, unless they are actually bona fide Spinning(R) classes.

Might be crazy, but SPIN Fitness does actually hold trademark and copyrights to anything with the word "spin" that refers to indoor cycling. Like Kleenex, Xerox, etc.

Thanks for the insights! I have trouble clarifying my thoughts as I would like and I think you've highlighted some of that.

Specifically, for the climbing out of the saddle or even riding ultra low cadence on a spin bike in particular, I've found it impossible to get a high enough setting that simulates climbing in any way. I basically end up having to turn it to where the pedals only move in a choppy up and down fashion and it's still too easy. Maybe other bikes don't have this problem?

The statement about recovery is simply that I feel it is wasting time unless it is absolutely needed. If I am able, I prefer to warm-up, cool down, and recover between hard sets at an endurance pace for most intervals done under Threshold. If this does not provide the recovery between sets that I need in the specified interval, then I back it down to recovery. For V02 max intervals or anything approaching max effort, max recovery between intervals is a given.

You are right, it is too broad of a statement, but I was trying to make the point that MOST of the time, I do NOT feel that those that are not training full-time like I have should feel trashed after a workout. The workout itself should feel very hard, but not so hard enough that you can do it again the next day and then the next day after that if you are very fit. Even for me, the workouts where I have absolutely trashed myself over and over again have not led to good results.

Thanks for the links! The only research to reference that I can think of off-hand would be Coggan and Hunter’s book “Racing and Training With a Power Meter” where they discuss in detail their ideas about why strength training on the bike does not work (because of the very low percentage of maximum neuromuscular power that it takes to ride at threshold power)

Also, I have found with spin bikes that I cannot personally get them to spin correctly at a low cadence with a high enough resistance to work at any decent level. I figured it was the same for others as well. After reading the above reference though, I no longer train under 60rpm for any reason, and usually do not go under 70rpm.

For very high cadences I see most just bouncing too much and not spinning with proper form which I would suggest is not a good idea, hence the arbitrary limit that I recommended.

60-70rpm and 110-120 is not that far outside the 70-110 that I recommended for my optimal cadence range. Obviously, it should be adjusted for someone with a different optimal cadence range. This is also geared more towards endurance triathletes and would not be applicable to cyclists.

Once again, thank you for helping clarify what I am trying to convey.

Great tips...

one thing to add...Stay out of the SPRAY ZONE

at the spin class I attend, there is a very intense instructor who does a lot of shouting and fist pumping, all the while completing the workout at a very high intensity. This creates a zone encompassing the first row in the radius of the instructors stage that can get quite a lot of splash back!

Soooo, with all that being said (the above posts) If a guy were to spin at the house on a trainer, are there any online video's that are any good? I have looked and done a couple but haven't found one worth repeating.

I know what you might be saying, "just break down and buy a series"BUT (and its a weak one).

If I save up a couple more $'s then I can register for the last of my '13 races....

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I don't mind Sufferfest and you don't need to buy the series.  How about Ebay for some DVD's?Also check out Chris McCormack's site, Maccax12 link below, there are a couple of free downloads on there and REALLY good.  I've subscribed to the whole plan but for some freebies they are good value too.  Τhe free ones are Over Unders - 30mins of sweat and sometimes may need a bucket!  the other is Stackers which is a good interval build.  All you need to do is submit your email address - and no there's no spam or crap advertising.

heres the link

http://www.maccax12.com/

Agree 100% with all that.  There is some debate about low cadence and high cadence effectiveness.  And Coggen (IIRC) is not in favor of it from the perspective that you mention.  He has written a number of times about quadrant analysis (my eyes glaze over). 

Some the of the best advice I give athletes is to just avoid spin classes (as in spin instructor and stationary bikes).  IMO, they are training of last resort.  I'd rather have an athlete on their own bike than the local gym's bike for many of the reasons you state.