fitbody
CYCLES OF SPIN
Returning to its Heart-Healthy Origins by Janet Osen
L
ike many newly minted sports, “Spin” has at its center a near-mythi- cal figure: its creator, Jonathan Gold- stein—better known as Johnny G—by most accounts a unique eccentric with an unheralded passion for cycling. In 1987, while training for the
renowned The Race Across America bike event, a mega-marathon 3,100- mile race from Los Angeles to New York, Goldstein was struck by a car and nearly killed. It produced an epiphany: Building an indoor bike simulating the outdoor experience would create a novel workout that would incorporate
cardio training and emphasize a mind- body connection. With the formation of Mad Dogg Athletics in 1994, the Spinning craze began rolling. Rolling Stone magazine named it the newest hot exercise and by 1996 there were 1,000-plus Spin- ning centers in 30 countries.
True to Form Conceived as a form of cardio biofeed- back, the activity keyed on training the heart muscle aerobically using a heart monitor. The original goal was to provide an “aerobic base” by working
at 65 to 80 percent of one’s maximum heart rate, making the heart a more effective pump and increasing oxygen levels throughout the body. The Spin program follows the prin- ciple that participants will train aero- bically for six to 12 weeks prior to a “Race Day”—a special ride performed at a steady anaerobic threshold gener- ally at 85 to 95 percent of maximum heart rate. Anaerobic threshold, or AT, is the point at which the body accumu- lates lactic acid in the muscles faster that it can be removed. “Aerobic base building creates a strong foundation for increasing one’s lactate threshold,” explains Lorey Pro, a master Spin instructor and assistant direc- tor of fitness and wellness at Louisiana State University. “Riders can increase their tolerance for anaerobic exercise.” “The metabolism’s foundation is
strengthened by aerobic base building. Without it, the body will fall apart if the athlete moves right into anaerobic thresh- old training,” explains Shannon Derby, a master Spin instructor and certified group fitness and personal trainer at Mountain’s Edge Fitness Center, in Boulder, Colorado. In contrast to indoor cycling, Spin requires that exertion rates be correlated to levels based on maximum heart rates, and revolutions per minute (RPMs) or pedal strokes be kept at pre-specified levels. According to Pro, Spin should combine mind and body training by using a variety of heart rate zones to improve health, fitness and performance. Instructors take participants through a series of rides known as Energy Zones, each serving a specific purpose like endur- ance, strength or recovery. Terri Arends, a master Spin instructor and group fitness director at the Jewish Community Center
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