DT Active Life 050617 for web-REVISED

Glens Falls YMCA
personal trainer
Bob Olden gives me
a run-through on
the basics.
Right: A better view
of my spin cycle.
5
Expand Your Routine:
Push Your Fitness
Limits with Spinning
By Gabrielle Katz
If you’re looking to change up your
current workout routine, or supplement
your bike training when
the weather doesn’t cooperate, then a
spin class may be for you.
I jog somewhat regularly, but sometimes
find it a little tedious. When
Spring arrives, I like to hop on my
bike to break up my routine. However,
I’m never sure that I’m giving myself
a great workout. The memory of two
bike accidents many years ago has
made me over-cautious
and keeps me from pushing
my limits when I’m
out on the road.
I was interested in
learning what a proper
bike workout might feel
like. I had heard through
the grapevine that the
12:15 class at the Glens
Falls YMCA was popular
and motivational, so I
chose it as my first foray
into spinning.
The Glens Falls YMCA
spin studio has 34 indoor
cycles, all maintained in excellent condition.
I was warned to arrive early as
the class is often close to full, even at
lunchtime. The class is appropriate for
people at all levels. I did have some
concerns heading in: would I be able to
keep up, and would it seem as boring
to me as running on a treadmill does?
Luckily, I learned that the Friday class
I chose would be a virtual class, and
we would be working out to a video as
well as music.
We passed a
roadside food
stand and an
ice cream
truck, but our
pursuit of the
rider ahead
of us never
wavered.
When I arrived at class I met the
trainer, Bob Olden, who was super
friendly and helpful. Bob introduced
me to my cycle, a beautiful Keiser M3,
and helped me adjust the seat and
handlebars to my height. Next came
the pedals which have two options:
You can lock in with your bike shoe, or
you can wear sneakers and strap into
the basket. He showed me the computerized
console and the separate
indicators for RPMs, watts, heart rate,
elapsed time, gear and
mileage. The stem of the
cycle has a red lever at
a convenient spot where
you can easily adjust
gears with your thumb.
Of course, we are not
actually shifting gears,
but increasing tension
up and down to replicate
gear shifts. I learned
that I would need to find
a “base” gear that I was
comfortable with, and
that I would be shifting
up and down at his direction
throughout the workout. Once
we were “in the zone”, we would burn
10-12 calories a minute, and 400-500
calories per session.
In an actual bike ride, the movements
your body makes as you pedal
up and down hills naturally work all
the parts of your body. On a stationary
bike, you are coached to shift positions
forward and back, up and down,
to give everything, glutes, hamstrings,
calves, etc., a good workout. Bob does
the workout along with the class, guiding
and motivating us.
Bob informed me that we would be
travelling to the Canary Islands for
our ride. He finds destination videos
of virtual bike rides on YouTube and
plays them for the class. The video
also shows a graphic of the ascents
and descents of the ride, as well as
the route and our progress. Our trip
that day would entail a short incline,
a short downhill, and then a long
steady incline. The lights dimmed, the
music played, the video started and
off we went.
Following the bike rider on the
screen felt very real. At various times,
Bob urged us to get out of the saddle
and try to pass him. We pedaled past
an overlook, but didn’t stop to catch
the view. We passed a roadside food
stand and an ice cream truck, but our
pursuit of the rider ahead of us never
wavered. This was a tough workout
and I pushed myself hard. There were
a few times when I felt I was struggling,
but Bob’s motivation got me through.
“Put more water in the back of the
bucket”, or, “Put more water in the
front of the bucket”, he would shout,
to get us to shift our hip positions and
work a different part of our legs. On
steep inclines he would urge, “Dig! Dig!
Dig!” and dig is what I did. Best of all, I
found myself leaning over the handlebars
and pedaling really hard down the
hill, something I would be too afraid to
do out on the road. I learned not only
what a phenomenal workout spinning
is, but, as an exercise loner, I learned
how great it is to work with a trainer in
a class setting.
Soon, the ride was over. I got off the
spin cycle feeling like my entire body
had been well-worked. Better yet, I had
one of those after-workout highs and
felt great all day. My first spin class
was a terrific experience, truly one of
the best workouts I have ever done. I
highly recommend adding spinning to
your routine!
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