Spinning® Foundations Class – Why is it so important?
Mim Kleiberg
Background of Foundations rides at THE CYCLING ROOM
One of the many rides that we offer at THE CYCLING ROOM is the Foundations class. Many people ask me if this is the beginners ride and I always answer the same way: It’s a great place to start building your fitness, however, the foundations class is the class where everyone can build a strong fitness base, beginners or advanced.
There are two basic energy systems you use when training:
Anaerobic – used in Performance, Belief and Tabata rides. This energy system is split into 2 pathways: ATP-CP and Glycolytic
- Aerobic – used in all rides
- Foundations rides only utilise the aerobic energy system. The benefits of aerobic exercise include:
- Increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max)
- Improvement in cardiovascular/cardio respiratory function (heart and lungs)
- Increased blood supply to muscles and ability to use oxygen
- Lower heart rate and blood pressure at any level of sub-maximal exercise
- Increased threshold for lactic acid accumulation
- Lower resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people with high blood pressure
- Increased HDL Cholesterol (the good cholesterol)
- Decreased blood triglycerides
- Reduced body fat and improved weight control
- Improved glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance
Foundations rides train your fitness base.
Unfortunately, you can’t build both your aerobic and anaerobic systems at the same time very well. The idea behind foundation rides is to train your aerobic energy system specifically and solely.
Why is this important? The more work you perform aerobically, or in the presence of oxygen, the more efficient you are. Prolonged aerobic training produces muscular adaptations that improve oxygen transport to the muscles, reduces the rate of lactate formation, improves the rate of lactate removal and increases energy production and utilization. These adaptations occur slowly over time.
Fat is a primary fuel source for the aerobic energy system. Over the course of a base period your body learns to break down and utilize fat as an energy source more efficiently. As an added bonus, this adaptation helps post-exercise fat metabolism as well.
There are 3 styles of Foundations rides that you will find at THE CYCLING ROOM:
· Steady heart-rate rides
· Aerobic interval ride
· Low end strength rides
1. Steady heart-rate rides
This is a class where participants will be moved through a series of techniques whilst maintaining a heart rate within a 5-beat-window.
2. Aerobic interval rides
This is a class where the participants will be moved through a series of techniques which will move their heart rate through a series of high and low intervals
These rides should hold a clear structure and repetitions to teach participants control over heart rate, consciousness of intensity and limits and the skill of recovery through efficient breathing.
3. Low end strength rides
In this class, participants will be lead into climbing techniques. The aim of this class is to develop muscular endurance at an aerobic level and prepare riders for harder workouts such as Performance and Tabata. These rides contribute vastly to strengthening of tendons and ligaments which contributes largely to prevention of injuries later on.
To attend our Spinning(R) Foundations rides or any of the other different ride at THE CYCLING ROOM, check out our latest schedule here at
http://www.theroom.ae/timetable.php
Mim Kleiberg is a Star 3 Spinning Instructor, personal trainer and Co-owner of THE ROOM Abu Dhabi. She is an avid cyclist and triathlon competitor and is currently training for long distance triathlon.