Question:
How can I make my
spinning class more effective? I spin 3-4 times a week
and love it, but want to keep improving cardio-wise &
fat-burning wise.
Answer:
Spinning is
a great way to do cardio work on the stationary bike.
Here are some recommendations for your goals.
Fat
Burning:
1. Do your
spinning class on a fasting state. What this means is
that you should not eat or drink anything with calories
for several hours before your class. The absolute best
example of this is first thing in the morning. You can
burn about 300% more fat if you do your cardio first thing
in the morning before eating or drinking anything (except
water). If your class is later in the day, be sure to
have your closest meal before it at least 2 to 3 hours
prior to the class.
What the fasting
state does for you is put you in a condition of low blood
sugar. If your body doesn't have much blood sugar (carbohydrates)
to fuel your exercise, it will dip into your fat stores
much sooner. Be aware, however, that you may not feel
as though you have as much energy to train when you first
start doing this, especially if you are used to eating
right before.
2. Do not eat
anything right away after the spinning class. Your body
will continue to burn fat after the class because you
have cranked up your metabolism. Wait about an hour, then
eat protein and carbs to help fuel your recovery.
Cardio:
1. Your frequency
of classes is good. I wouldn't recommend going much over
3 to 4 times per week. This gives your body a chance to
recover. You didn't mention how long your classes were
but another option towards increasing your endurance may
be to get there a few minutes early and stay a few minutes
late just doing some low-intensity pedaling.
2. Increasing
the resistance on the bike, naturally, will make the workload
harder and build leg strength as well.
3. Increasing
your cadence (leg speed) will also increase your workload.
4. I am assuming
that your class consists of interval training where the
resistance and speed is varied during the workout. One
trick you may want to try at the very end of your workout
is one all out sprint with everything you've got on a
high resistance until you feel you can't go any more --
then do five more seconds. Not only has an all-out, lactic-acid
building sprint like this has been shown to increase growth
hormone levels in your body, it will build up your wind
and give you a good challenge. Keep track of how long
that last sprint lasts and try to increase it's time each
session you do it.
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