Group Indoor Cycling
5 September 2024
Warren Higgins
Firstly, to introduce myself... I'm a qualified Group cycling exercise instructor and thought you might like to share my insight into how this very popular group exercise was formed and grew into a worldwide phenomenon.
The founder of spin cycling was Johnny Goldberg, a South African racing cyclist who was nearly killed while training at night for the “Race across America” event in the late 1980s. His near-death experience encouraged him to find another way to train and looked to do it indoors. He created a stationary cycle and then gradually introduced workouts to do on the bike.
Due to Spinning being a registered trademark other organizations have to use 'Group Cycling exercise' when advertising their classes.
The indoor group exercise bike varies with different brands but generally have the same functions and are fully adjustable to cater to each rider’s physique.
The Benefits:
- Physical benefits include:
- Targeted training, endurance, hill climbs, intervals (Tabata), sprinting or a combination of each of those.
- Improved cardiovascular fitness with high intensity workouts boosting cardiovascular health, leading to improved endurance and stamina transferable to outdoor rides.
- Muscle development as key muscles are targeted building strength and power for hills and endurance.
- A safe environment (away from traffic) with low impact exercise and under the guidance of a qualified instructor who will advise on your limits should you declare any injuries.
- Mental Benefits:
- Motivation and group dynamics create a motivational atmosphere aiding cyclists to push beyond their self-imposed limits and help progress.
- Mental strength. The group setting and your own sense of competitiveness will assist in your pushing yourself a little harder and stay committed to you training even when you do not feel you can.
- Consistency. Indoor cycling provides a consistent training option, especially when outdoor weather is not very pleasant or limited by daylight hours.
- Skill Development:
- Pacing and rhythm, develops consistent cadence (varies song to song) following the beat of the music.
- Power generation, gives an accurate measure of your actual power output throughout the session and allows you to monitor progress.
- Core stability. The instructor will encourage you to engage your core and assist in making sure you adopt the correct position.
While it is acceptable to use trainers, regular cyclists will benefit from using 2-hole SPD cycling shoes.
