bfit4life
20 Oct, 2008

Ask the Coach: Spinning and High Resistance Interval Training

Question

I used to participate in spinning classes four times a week for fat loss but I understand you are not a fan of this activity to achieve my goal. I like cycling and I was wondering is it o.k. to do high resistance interval training on a spin bike. On a spin bike after I have completed a warm-up, could I perform a sprint or a hill climb with heavy resistance followed by a recovery of very slow light pedalling and repeat it 10-15 times. Is the bike used in spinning o.k. for this type of training?

Answer

pictureHigh resistance interval training is the opposite of spinning. Spinning is low-resistance-high velocity cycling. It is the same principle whether it is cycling, running or rowing. What are more important are the loading parameters such as the work to rest ratio. When the pedals have an RPM revolutions per minute go above 60 RPM you are not burning fat. It might make you tired if you are going faster than that but it will not burn fat as there is no resistance.

The point with high resistance interval training is to exercise really hard for a given time between 20 secs and 2 minutes and then to rest or to slow down the pace of the exercise to a much lower intensity for between 20 seconds up to 5 minutes. The length of the work intervals and the rest intervals are determined by the factors such as the years of the client training, their goal and their current level of conditioning. A beginner will use a short work interval and a long rest interval to begin with and the variables will change as they become fitter.