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I've got a feeling this has been asked countless times, but I am just starting out my health regime and have just signed up for spin classes as I have read in men's health and other familiar mags that it is a great class to burn a lot of calories and therefor a lot of fat. So my questions are how often should or should not do spin classes in order to get the most benefit of it and also, what should I eat or take before hand in order to help 'spike' my metabolism to eat up more fat ?

In order to burn the most calories possible you will need to spin 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In terms of what to eat and drink, you should eat nothing but drink as much water as you like.

I Spin 3x-4x a week!! I LOVE it!!!! As for what to eat specifically before & after that all depends on what your goal is & desired outcome. Spin class is not easy & keep in mind of your posture & make sure your form is correct & then worry about building momentum. Although this is an instructed class, go at your own pace & resistance I CANNOT stress more that you MUST make sure your form is correct or else it is all pointless!!!

LOL.

Question of the day!

The more work you perform, the more calories you will burn...spinning, swimming, farting...whatever.

That's just the laws of nature!

Good luck!

I'm feeling extra smart today! Woohoo!

Hey guys,

He's asking a legit question...

Basically, to lose as much fat as possible you should be exercising as much as possible, consuming as few calories as possible.

If you are on a diet you can stick to (Weight Watchers, Body for Life, whatever), working out consistently (spin classes, running, etc.) and getting enough sleep you will see improvement.

At your level, you should be focusing more on life style modification....

swimbikerun saidHey guys,



Basically, to lose as much fat as possible you should be exercising as much as possible, consuming as few calories as possible.

that's a great recipe to lose muscle mass and to plateau eventually

Right...he wasn't talking about gaining muscle he was asking about maximum fat loss

swimbikerun saidRight...he wasn't talking about gaining muscle he was asking about maximum fat loss

Indeed now re read what I put

It would be impossible to add muscle mass if you have just created a calorie deficit through diet and or exercise.

You are correct he was talking burning body fat not WEIGHT thats a vast difference

I was talking retaining muscle mass, if you are not providing the muscles with increasing stimulation which running or spinning will not do sufficiently you will lose muscle mass.

Hmmm...not sure what you are jumping all over me for...?
Also not sure what muscle gain or loss has to do with the poster's original question.

swimbikerun saidHmmm...not sure what you are jumping all over me for...?
Also not sure what muscle gain or loss has to do with the poster's original question.

I am not jumping on you at all

The original poster asked what is the best way to lose the fat, you responded "Basically, to lose as much fat as possible you should be exercising as much as possible, consuming as few calories as possible"

I responded no this is not the best way as to take that approach would result in the loss of muscle mass. Losing muscle mass slows down the metabolism. Spinning no good for preserving lean muscle mass and therefore exercising as much as possible would actually slow down his fat loss.

However if he were to train with weights 2 sessions a week alongside 2 spinning sessions his metabolism will stay revved providing his calorie intake is not too low.

Right... I'm sure throwing in a session or two of weights would probably be a good idea as many programs suggest it.

What I'd like to point out though is you should focus on lifestyle modification rather than specifically fat loss as there are many theories about fat loss versus muscle gain and the specifics involved.

You could eat right, exericise but if you drink booze like a fish or eat a six pack of doughnuts on the weekend you might not get the results you want.

swimbikerun saidRight... I'm sure throwing in a session or two of weights would probably be a good idea as many programs suggest it.

What I'd like to point out though is you should focus on lifestyle modification rather than specifically fat loss as there are many theories about fat loss versus muscle gain and the specifics involved.

You could eat right, exericise but if you drink booze like a fish or eat a six pack of doughnuts on the weekend you might not get the results you want.

Totally agree with you on the lifestyle as penance on the treadmill doesnt pay for exuberance in the kitchen. At the end of the day results are 80% kitchen 20% gym.

You have choices in life eat less work out efficiently
Eat more and be prepared to work even longer in the gym burning it off.

BTW swim you still didnt get what I put, I am not advocating adding muscle mass, bulking to burn fat is total hogwash as you wont ever get passed the equilibrium point ie add enough muscle to burn off the existing fat, its virtually impossible unless you get yuor diet and all other factors 100% spot on and lets face it if you are fat in the first place you havent got it right so far so dont expect to get it right now.

I was suggesting get your diet in deficit and work the weights hard to maintain the muscle you have and let that work for you by retaining it not against you by depleting what you have

If you are new to a gym and cant afford a trainer a great investment for whatever your goal is New Rules of Lifting by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove

Ok..yeah I see what you are saying...maintaining lean body mass helps to maintain a high metabolism thus increasing fat loss...

Thank God THAT'S settled. Now you two kiss and make up.

Umm only if you watch us! Oh and please wear the bear costume

thanks so much for the advice guys. It really is helpful. Actually, now that someone has already suggested it I have thought of adding some weight training a couple of days as well to add some muscle to my frame, as I read also that it takes more fat to burn in order to keep the muscle, so by having more muscle you are burning more fat while resting. As for my diet I am on a high protein and low carb deal with six small meals though out the day and trying to get about seven hours of sleep a night.

a1972guy saidI Spin 3x-4x a week!! I LOVE it!!!! As for what to eat specifically before & after that all depends on what your goal is & desired outcome. Spin class is not easy & keep in mind of your posture & make sure your form is correct & then worry about building momentum. Although this is an instructed class, go at your own pace & resistance I CANNOT stress more that you MUST make sure your form is correct or else it is all pointless!!!

Yes, it is important for a spinner to ensure he/she has good form. However, that is primarily to prevent injury.

I think you may be overstating the importance of form in terms of getting a great workout from spinning (in general)

bfg1 said[quote][cite]swimbikerun said[/cite]Hmmm...not sure what you are jumping all over me for...?
Also not sure what muscle gain or loss has to do with the poster's original question.

I am not jumping on you at all

The original poster asked what is the best way to lose the fat, you responded "Basically, to lose as much fat as possible you should be exercising as much as possible, consuming as few calories as possible"

I responded no this is not the best way as to take that approach would result in the loss of muscle mass. Losing muscle mass slows down the metabolism. Spinning no good for preserving lean muscle mass and therefore exercising as much as possible would actually slow down his fat loss.

However if he were to train with weights 2 sessions a week alongside 2 spinning sessions his metabolism will stay revved providing his calorie intake is not too low. [/quote]

Before I read the last paragraph I was going to reply that my routing (cardio...i.e. spinning + lifting works well for me)

Well I think I will be sticking with spin classes as my main source of cario, as the weight seems to be dropping a lot faster thanks to them than when I was doing walking or running, and my bum feels rounder and more muscular too LOL. As for my diet I decided to go on a high fibre and protien one with moderate carbs and good fats such as OMEGA 3 and Flaxseed Oil fats.

I have been teaching Spin for the past ten years. I have also trained many instructors to be Spin Instructors.

Feel free to take class 3-4x a week. Keep in mind that three days in a row is the maximum, and you need a day off from it before you go back to class. And make sure you Cross-train. Your body eventually adapts to the stress that is placed on it. Have a little bit of carbs and protein before class, drink plenty of water during and after class, and then fuel your body again with carbs and protein within 45 minutes after your workout.

At my gym, I have seen Spin instructors do some crazy stuff on the bike so be careful in class. If the riding drill doesn't look like something you would do on a bike outside of class or riding down the road, there is no point doing it in Spin Class. You will eventually get hurt. So be careful.

Good luck to you.

nikeathlete saidI have been teaching Spin for the past ten years. I have also trained many instructors to be Spin Instructors.

Feel free to take class 3-4x a week. Keep in mind that three days in a row is the maximum, and you need a day off from it before you go back to class. And make sure you Cross-train. Your body eventually adapts to the stress that is placed on it. Have a little bit of carbs and protein before class, drink plenty of water during and after class, and then fuel your body again with carbs and protein within 45 minutes after your workout.

At my gym, I have seen Spin instructors do some crazy stuff on the bike so be careful in class. If the riding drill doesn't look like something you would do on a bike outside of class or riding down the road, there is no point doing it in Spin Class. You will eventually get hurt. So be careful.

Good luck to you.

thanks for the great advice ! I will definately take this on board in future classes and get back to you and let you know how i go.

Depending on the resistance and speed of the Spin class the class may be more focused on being a cardio training session rather than fat burning.
I like to use the recumbent bicycle or elyptical machine and work at my target heart rate for fat loss.
Cardio workouts are great for the heart but this stimulates a higher target heart rate and therefore focuses on burning glycogen and not so much fat during the Spin class.
I think it's great for endurance and training the heart but I don't think Spin classes are great for fat loss. Especially when you want to work hard at just losing fat and holding onto precious muscle mass.

I've also been leading spin classes and training spin instructors for years. I agree with almost everything nikeathlete had to say, but I do take exception to this:

"If the riding drill doesn't look like something you would do on a bike outside of class or riding down the road, there is no point doing it in Spin Class. You will eventually get hurt."

Spin bikes are not like regular bikes. When you do a drill like a "hill" in a spin class, for instance, you gear up instead of gearing down.

There are several other differences between spin bikes and regular bikes, mostly because one is stationary and the other one isn't. For that reason, it is illogical to relegate a spin bike to "functional training" status. It's like telling a runner that doing incline walking on a treadmill will hurt them.

I've also seen some instructors do some pretty crazy things on spin bikes, but not all of them should be dismissed as having no value in a spin class.

art_smass saidI've also been leading spin classes and training spin instructors for years. I agree with almost everything nikeathlete had to say, but I do take exception to this:

"If the riding drill doesn't look like something you would do on a bike outside of class or riding down the road, there is no point doing it in Spin Class. You will eventually get hurt."

Spin bikes are not like regular bikes. When you do a drill like a "hill" in a spin class, for instance, you gear up instead of gearing down.

There are several other differences between spin bikes and regular bikes, mostly because one is stationary and the other one isn't. For that reason, it is illogical to relegate a spin bike to "functional training" status. It's like telling a runner that doing incline walking on a treadmill will hurt them.

I've also seen some instructors do some pretty crazy things on spin bikes, but not all of them should be dismissed as having no value in a spin class.

I never said Spin bikes are like regular bikes. Yes, I realize one is stationary and one is not, I am a college graduate.

If a spin bike doesn't have "functional training status," then why do so many road bikers take my classes during the winter? The specificity of training states you train a muscle, you get a bigger muscle; you train a movement, you get a better movement. What a road bike enthusiast does in class will translate out to the road.

I wasn't talking about hills and gearing up inside versus gearing down outside. I was referring to tricep/chest dips, squats, and standing runs on the bike do not translate out to the road. You do not see any road bikers riding like that.

No, but many of the exercises and drills on the bike that don't contribute to functional bike training do contribute to overall fitness.

I agree that many instructors on spin bikes do stupid things (the dips you mentioned), but just as many think outside of the box to make spin classes exciting and enjoyable for their participants. Dismissing those activites as injurious simply because they don't fit into a functional, road-biking training regimen is shortsighted.

You made a blanket generalization when you said "You will get hurt." I said that it was illogical to only apply functional training status to piece of equipment that was designed for multiple purposes. It was. I'm also a college graduate.

I would strongly suggest you re-visit the Spinning website. And maybe I should have said, "Someone could possibly be injured and hurt in class." It was not my intent to make a blanket generalization.

Resistance, position, and cadence are your three variables in class. There is no need to "think outside of the box" as an instructor with some drills. Games in class, maybe.

The Spin bike has multiple purposes? A stability ball has multiple purposes. A Reebok Step has multiple purposes. A Reebok Core Board has multiple purposes.

nikeathleteIt was not my intent to make a blanket generalization.

I strongly suggest that you shouldn't get pissy when someone corrects you. I agreed with what you said, but then I mentioned that your generalization could have been taken out of context. You made an error while donning the guise of an expert, like so many guys on these fitness forums do.

As for spinning, different people attend the class with different goals. The PURPOSE of the equipment, therefore, is different for each participant. I get guys in-training to be firefighters in my class who want an edge when they take their VO2 max test. That certainly is a different purpose than a road biker. I get runners who limit their training in winter so that they can give their joints a rest. Than's another purpose. I get people who just enjoy being in group classes because they find it more motivating than working out alone.

I'm not doing handstands on the bike, but I'm also not limiting the style of class and the variations of drills to suit the bikers who attend my classes.

If you came to my class, you'd probably see that we're probably on the same page here; I'm not doing anything that a pro from Keiser or Schwinn wouldn't do. However, I'm not going to apologize for telling you to be more responsible with the way you dole out information in these forums. You were wrong. That's that.

Fellow spin instructor here. Teach 4-6 classes per week. Sundayy's class is 2 hrs. Agree totally with Art_smass.
Spinning is what you make it and I try to make it enjoyable however hard by using the music the class recognizes; what they came of age hearing.

I'm done to little bodyfat but still lose 2 lbs of water per class.

Bob

I just starting 'spinning'. Gold's gym does something similar, I guess, called RPM.

Anyway, some of the instructions being called out are to lift UP on the pedals on the upstroke as well as pushing down (there are foot straps). Another is to keep your butt tight when you do all this.

My question for both is -- what, REALLY? Is that what you spinning experts do??? If so, HOW?

That's how bicyclists climb tough hills. My cycling shoes clip into my pedals and as I push down with one leg I pull up with the other.

The only thing I am still bitching about after these classes is how my glute muscles feel like granite afterwards and are so sore. Strangely exhilirating sensation though

I'm getting it almost exclusively in the quads. I know that's not right. Who would have thought riding a bike could be so complicated, especially a STATIONARY bike!!

So, ok, you got to pull up with one leg and push down with the other WHILE keeping your butt tight...? ;(

been afraid (intimidated) to join a spin class. Same with yoga. Can you usually just walk in and pick it up?

Oh, yeah, it's just riding a bike in the dark (seriously). Everyone's going at their own pace. I'd DIE if I tried to keep up with the instructor. I've only been going a week and am still kinda doing it wrong, but it's still good excersize.

DJBens77 saidbeen afraid (intimidated) to join a spin class. Same with yoga. Can you usually just walk in and pick it up?

Also a good class to check out guy's bums if one is pedalling in front of you LOL. God, last night one guy in front of me wore shorts so tight you could see the outline of his briefs ! And quite a beefy pair of glutes on him too He looked like SquareJaw come to think of it