5 things to know about Practicing indoor cycling at Spinbreak !

Indoor cycling is one the best sports you can think of !

I swear, we don’t say this because we love our sport. Indoor cycling is extremely complete. It allows you to work on your muscles and your cardio at the same time without impacting your joints.

The benefits of coming at Spinbreak is that whenever you pass the door of the studio, you can stop thinking and just relax. Classes are great fun and the studio is luxurious, chic, calm and very clean. We will also supply you with water bottles and towels. You can manage your own schedule thanks to the app which will make you save a lot of time. Wheter it is summer or winter, it is easy to come, install yourself in the air conditionned room and enjoy your workout and the music.

That’s why for us, indoor cycling is the perfect sport. You only depend on you will !

However, when you start a new sport, there are a few things you need to know before getting started. So just for you, here is our top of the things you need to know before starting the Spinbreak adventure !

1. Picking your seat :

Newbies are going to run to the last row of the bikes, but this is not a great way to tackle indoor cycling. Sessions after sessions,you’ll start to have a favorite bike ! You should be reserving a bike in the first row, where you can see your instructor. This way, he can advise if you are not moving right and you can get more motivation from his pace.

2. Learning Spinbreak’s lingo :

Break it down, left right in 2, in 4, around the world, super slow… Damn what are those ?

Theses are the position’s names and trust us, after your first workout it will become your second native language !

3. Getting used to clipping and uncliping :

When you are cycling, clipping in helps you focus more on the pull, because your feet stay in place as you cycle. To clip the special cycling shoes we lend you at the studio, just clip one foot at a time, by putting the toes in a downward angle on the pedal, then pushing the foot until you hear the shoe is locked in.

4. Getting used to pull with your feet :

Most cyclists focus on pushing the pedal, but the real work is done when you are pulling up, because this is when you are building momentum and increase your RPM. Concentrate on the upstroke, for a more effective cycling session.

5. It’s all about yourself, just don’t forget to be happy !

The best thing about cycling classes is it’s all about yourself. As soon as the lights dim and the music turns on, you are alone with your bike. Focus on yourself and allow your mind to empty, as you follow the rhythm of the music. You can even close your eyes and pedal, listening to the instructor and the music.

Depending on your mood, you’ll have different objectives. Maybe you just want to relax from your busy day and let yourself go on the music, maybe you want to push your boundaries and increase your stamina, maybe you want to sweat through a decision you have to take… Everytime you come to Spinbreak you’ll be able to choose why you’re pedaling and why you’re giving it all during the sessionn !

The importance of mental conditioning

Most people think that sports and performance are about your physical condition but in fact it is mostly about being in the right mindset.

During the physical preparation to train for a competition or to reach a personal goal, most athletes will go through a lot of stress- which they will feel it both in their bodies and their minds.

It feels like a real pressure and they will go through many different mindsets while they try to stay motivated and focused on their objectives. Staying strong at this point is the key to success- no matter how unattainable your objectives will sometimes feel, pushing through this barrier will make your success stronger, greater and sweeter.

You should not underestimate the power and conviction of your mind. When we face an obstacle, most people will automatically tend towards thinking: « this is too hard for me » or « I can’t do it » This is just a mindset. We can trace it back to early childhood when we are told by the world around us that « No, you can’t do that”, or « No, it’s too hard » etc… We learn to limit our coping mechanisms. Only very few people grow up with a positive reinforcement, like “Yes! Go ahead and try it”, or ‘You’ve got this, I know you can do it”.

This is the core of Spinbreak: “You have definitely got this!”

Of course, during your first class, you will probably think « This is really hard, I’m not used to this » but with the cheering of the instructors, the group, and the motivating playlists, you surpass yourself and finish your first class. What happens next? You are intrigued because you pushed passed your comfort zone, and it felt GOOD!

You are, rightly, proud of yourself. But can you get this feeling again? You try it a second time, and since you know what to expect, you enjoy yourself so much more- and your coach can help to push your limits a little bit more. A third time is followed by many more and you quickly want this feeling as an integral part of your week.

Spinbreak is not just about the endorphins or the fun and relaxed physical fitness, it is also about the positivity and motivations the coaches give you that help you push passed your comfort zone. Whatever your objectives are (better fitness, more toned body, a way to release your stress/energy, training for a sports competition…) your coaches will help you get there!

As we say to every person before they try a class for the first time… you really have to experience it to understand it. And trust us, you will never look back again!

Why Indoor Cycling rocks ?

1. A motivated and entertaining coach changes everything! Enough with boring sports sessions!

2. Playlists will make you sing and dance on your bike!

3. You are surrounded by an awesome community!

4. You’re done with basic cardio equipment; it’s time for your favorite bike!

5. You’ll get fitter and strengthen your core.

6. Your head will say thank you as well!

7. You’re going to become addicted and you won’t see the time fly during the workouts !

8. THIS is your Happy Hour!

9. Whatever the weather is like, you can come to the studio all year round…

10. Everyone can ride, whatever your fitness level is…

Does Indoor Cycling create fat thighs ?

What exactly is “bulk” ? Basically, it’s adding a lot of muscle mass to your body. Bulking up is something that needs to be trained for – you must have the goal of major muscle growth in mind.

It’s a form of exercise that anyone can do, since indoor cycling is a low-impact activity that allows you to determine your own intensity level. That’s the pro.

Proper indoor cycling, just like any other form of cardio (we know, we know, even though sometimes pushing that resistance feels more like anaerobic strength training than cardio!), uses your slow twitch muscle fibers, which are designed for long stretches of endurance that can accommodate short bursts of high intensity without completely fatiguing. Slow twitch muscles can’t increases in size like those fast twitch fibers can.

Spinning is not meant to be easy, and especially when your body is not used to it, your muscles can get temporarily inflammed as they try to figure out what the heck is going on and rush blood cells in to aid recovery. This slight inflammation can last for an hour or two, but will in fact go away

Just like any new activity, your body can take some time getting used to indoor cycling – and your muscles might get a little inflammed right after a good sweat. Be sure to gauge your intensity on how hard you are working, not how fast you are going. It’s not what it looks like that counts, it’s what it feels like. Verdict? The claim that indoor cycling makes your legs bulky is definitely a fit myth that needs to take a hike…or rather, ride.

Our low levels of testosterone make it pretty darn difficult to build bulging muscles, according to the American Council on Exericse.

If you ride 15 to 20 (or more) hours a week, you better believe you’ll have the legs to show for it.

The anabolic hormone regulates and stimulates protein synthesis, such as cycling, works your endurance muscle fibres – these become more resistant to fatigue with training, but don’t bulk up.

Cycling, alongside a healthy diet, will result in a lean physique for most people.

So if you’re worried about developing tree-trunk legs, here are some things you need to know…

Aerobic exercise, such as cycling, works your endurance muscle fibres – these become more resistant to fatigue with training, but don’t bulk up. You’d need to lift heavy weights on a regular basis to get a reaction from the muscles responsible for power.

Women have much lower levels of testosterone than men (around 15% less), and higher levels of body fat (around 10% more). The body fat is necessary for a healthy menstrual cycle and it’s just the way we are.

So yes, cycling will change the shape of your legs, but unless you’re doing a LOT of squats, and maintaining the same levels of fat (by eating A LOT), you’re not likely to get “bigger”.

Happy riders are a lot more attractive than anyone stuck indoors, dreaming of skinny legs and cucumber. So go ride your bike!

Pedal with or without resistance, that is the question!

During your session, your coach will often tell you to crank it up. But is it necessary and how can you judge when you have enough resistance?

First, let’s make something clear: you always need to pedal with a bit of resistance. What do we mean by « a bit » ? You have to control the wheel. On our RealRyder bikes, the wheel is at the back and weighs 30kg, so that is 30kg pushing you forward. Without resistance, the power of the wheel might overtake you. Because you will try to slow the wheel down with the strength of your legs, it could lead to a knee injury. Needless to say it’s not recommended!

BUT: we all come to the studio for a different reason. Whether it is to have fun, to fill yourself up with positive energy for the day, to relax from the stress accumulated during the day or even to prepare yourself for a sport objective… every reason is different… The best thing you can do is to speak to your coach so that he can give you advise on what resistance level you should put to reach your goals depending on how many times you come per week to the studio.

ONE MORE IMPORTANT THING : a lot of girls think putting resistance will make their thighs bigger. Take a look at Sandrine’s thighs and you will know it’s not the case. She’s been pedaling every day for years now. To get big thighs, you need to practice with a completely different technique than ours and put a hell of lot of resistance!

So what are the the « pros » and the « cons » of both ways of riding:

Pedaling without resistance (still a bit as mentioned before)

Pros:

• You have fun
• You improve your cardio
• You get an energy boost!

Cons:

• It is harder to stay on the rhythm
• You burn less calories
• You can’t really differentiate a downhill from a sprint
• The wheel is not going to get hot!

Pedaling with resistance:

Pros:

• You’re going to tone your muscles and you’ll see the results faster
• You burn more calories
• You’re going to let go
• Your cardio and lungs capacity increase

Cons :

• You’ll get tired a bit sooner during the sessions (but you will learn to recuperate faster)
• You’ll sweat more (but that’s why we come right?)

Once again, this is YOUR RIDE and it is YOUR CHOICE. The coach is here to guide you and help you push beyond your limits. You are the only one who can decide with what level of resistance you want to ride, depending on your mood, your day’s energy or depending on the playlist!

Don’t hesitate to come and talk to us about it if you have question on the topic!

LET’S RIDE !!