V-CLUB TRAINING CORNER
We’ve teamed up with Marilyn Trout, certified USA Cycling Elite Coach to answer V-Club members’ training questions. You can view her coach profile at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mountainpedalscoaching80903
Send your cycling inquiries to Marilyn, and for a limited time, if yours is selected to be answered in our V-Club column, VeloWear will send you a $20 gift certificate that can be used towards any purchase on VeloWear.com. To submit your inquiry, e-mail her at trout_mic@msn.com, and type “V-Club Training Question” in the subject line of the e-mail.
V-Club member Bill Kaufner is our 47th winner of a $20 VeloWear gift certificate! His question follows ...
Addicted to Spinning Classes
Hi Marilyn,
Lately I have become somewhat addicted to Spinning Classes. Attending three to four times a week with various instructors for variety. There are the usual hill climbs, in and out of the saddle, jumps up and down from the saddle (one instructor favors 100 jumps), sprints on the flats (low resistance) I know as a roadie there is no substitute for the road but what are the advantages and disadvantages of Spin Classes as training for the road? Any things to avoid and any things to encourage?
Bill Kaufner
Oakland, CA
P.S. Going on a 5-day bike trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada
Bill,
Sounds like the Spinning instructors are doing a good job with keeping you motivated. This is so important in any training plan and sometimes a real trick to keep the athlete psyched to develop and maintain fitness. From what you describe, the variety of workouts seem to target a well-rounded cycling program (aerobically, anaerobically and some force/strength work) while trying to mimic the road and its varying terrain. These classes also offer a concentrated and controlled training situation – no interruptions like stoplights, waiting for a training partner, mechanicals … So in my view the 3-4 times a week in the Spinning Classes are a plus.
Some advantages:
- Helps keep you motivated.
- Good variety of workouts to generally target a well-rounded fitness.
- Controlled training environment promoting specificity and concentrated work.
Indeed there is no substitute for the road. No matter how closely the workouts mimic it, the Spinning bike is in a fixed and stationary position so there is no need for the body to engage its balancing mechanism. As well, your optimal climbing/sprinting position (out of the saddle) may be compromised when you finally get out on the road with either your front or back wheel coming up off the ground since your center of gravity is a non-issue on a stationary bike. Lastly, I would suspect that the classes are at the most an hour long. Certainly this amount of time can carry you through a 3-hour ride day but any longer would leave you a little spent especially with on a multi-day tour.
Some disadvantages:
- No balancing mechanism engaged due to the stationary aspect of the bike.
- Optimal position could be compromised when you get out of the saddle on the road.
- Endurance training not an ingredient of the indoor classes but needed for preparation of multi-day cycling event.
As far as I’m concerned, the advantages of the Spinning classes far outweigh the disadvantages. The downsides of the indoor training can be remedied by spending a few hours, (3+ hours and more if available) on the road at least once a week with a few back-to-back endurance days as you get closer to the event. Include some of the terrain you’ll encounter if possible. You’ll enjoy the scenery of Prince Edward Island because of this extra time in the saddle.
All the best,
Marilyn
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