Spinning

posted November 2006

Since reading Younger Next Year I've taken up spinning. Used my new bike shoes with clips for the very FIRST time. They reduce the work of the calves and help focus the big muscles on the doing the heavy work. Yields a better workout for the glutes, and especially the hamstrings. I notice right away when getting off the bike that my quads didn't feel "swelled" like they did after using my running shoes for biking.

Today's am workout was a rigorous spin of 50 minutes, 45 in my zone of 118 to 168 with an average HR of 142 for the 50 minutes (84.5% of max). Calories burned 643. Dipped in hot and cold tanks after 1 minute cycle 2 times, then 1/2 hour sports massage. No major issues.

The highest HR was 159 for about 3 minutes (95%). This is well into the Anaerobic zone. I'm able to sustain this rate for several minutes. Once I start to reach my max. of 168 then I can feel things starting to get "edgy." My breaths are very shallow and short. My muscles burn and feel like they are about ready to quit.

This week was week "one" of phase 4 (core performance) with Athlete's Performance Cardio program designed to improve VO2 max.

PM workout included Movement Prep (warmup) of 6 minutes, Elacticity for 10, Strength for 35 then cold and hot plunges for 3 minutes X's 3 cycles. Strength includes: 4 super sets of 2 exercises each with about a 45 second rest in between. These are the pairings; 1. kneeling cable one are rotational row/russian twist on plyoball; 2. One arm one leg row/Plyoball tuck with one leg; 3. Romanian straight leg dead left on one leg/Plyoball reverse crunch; 4. Cable chop/dumbell press to curl. Repetitions vary from 15 to 2 depending on the day and exercise.

PM calories burned= 405 with an average HR of 116 for 50 mintutes or 70% of max. My heart rate varies widely from 90 to about 160 depending on the exercise.