Spinning® Myths – and the actual truth
Mim Kleiberg
1. Spinning® is only for fit people
Spinning® is an excellent cardiovascular workout for everyone. It is low impact and always
recommended for people with knee and lower back issues. In Spinning® you are in control
the resistance of your bike. It is one of the best classes for beginners and advanced
participants to work together as the intensity of the workout is in your hands. With an
experienced and caring instructor, you are guaranteed a workout that will benefit your
health and fitness enormously no matter what your fitness level.
2. Spinning® Instructors are scary
I hear stories from some of my clients saying that they were afraid to take indoor cycling
classes in the past because they had experienced the “Drill master” instructor. This
instructor is like an army sergeant screaming at the participants to go harder constantly.
Whilst the instructor should be encouraging, Spinning® encourages participants to work to
their own level. At THE ROOM you will always find highly motivational yet empathetic instructors to guide you along the way.
3. Spinning® is only HIIT (High intensity interval training)
These days most gyms teach predominantly HIIT indoor cycling classes but many of my
clients are surprised to hear that there are many variations of class types in Spinning®. These
include Strength, Endurance, Recovery and Aerobic Interval classes. Each type of class comes
with its own unique set of challenges and you will soon discover your favourite type of class.
4. Spinning® makes your legs bulky
Ahhh, this old one always makes me smile. My usual response to this myth is to ask if the
person has ever seen a Tour de France cyclist with bulky legs? (I’ve never had a yes to that
question either). Simply put, the answer to this question has its roots in pure sports science.
Its time to get a little technical: We have 2 types of muscle fibers: Fast twitch and Slow
twitch. Fast twitch muscle fibers (the ones that bulk up your legs) are used and trained in
very short, explosive, high resistance efforts. You will find these muscle fibres being
developed in sports such as power lifting, 100m sprinting, velodrome sprinting.
The training is very specific and athletes that take part in these sports train for hours and hours at this to achieve an abundance of these types of muscle fibres to help them improve at their sport.
Which brings me to slow twitch muscle fibres. These are the muscle fibres we use in
endurance sports like cycling and long distance running. These are not bulky and are the
ones developed in Spinning® class.
Spinning® WILL make your legs more toned as you lose the fat over the top of your muscles,
Spinning® WILL improve your cardiovascular fitness and endurance, and Spinning® will make
you feel better and more comfortable in your body.
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.