Riding the Exhilarating Highs in a New Cycle of Fitness

When I looked up over the handlebars and saw the peaks of Latigo Canyon ahead of me, I knew there was no way I’d make it to the top--at least, not on my bike. Yes, I’d run a marathon a few years before, so I understood something about endurance training, but as a bicyclist my experience had been limited to Sunday jaunts along the beach.

Fortunately for me, my riding partner that day 15 years ago was the incredible Johnny G. Keeping up a constant inspirational patter about the mountain being a metaphor for life and how you had to struggle to overcome obstacles and reach your goals one pedal at a time, he kept me in that saddle, moving upward and onward, until I finally reached the top with an exultant whoop of joy.

It didn’t occur to me at the time, and may not have occurred to Johnny until years later, but in his ability to inspire me (and, I’m sure, others), the seeds were being planted for his exercise concept that has taken root across the country. Spinning is now one of the most popular club workouts, with tens of thousands of adherents who reap its fat-burning, metabolism-raising, mind-clearing, confidence-boosting benefits every day.

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If you’re new to Spinning, think of it as a cross-country bike race. At some points, you cruise along on the flats at a moderate pace; other places, you recover; still others, you huff and puff up steep hills, your thighs screaming to stop. But instead of doing this out in the real world, you’re on a stationary bike while the instructor decides what kind of terrain to traverse. He or she shouts instructions about the perceived terrain and exhorts you either to go faster and faster, harder and harder, or to slow down and enjoy the ride.

Because they offer such a strenuous workout, Spinning classes are conducted in four cycles, or zones. “All-terrain” days range from 60% to 90% of your maximum heart rate; strength-training days go to about 80%; endurance days, to 65%; and recovery days go only to 50%. (Some Spinning tips: Wear padded bike shorts; get there early and have the instructor adjust the bike to fit you properly; and never, never wear thong or bikini underwear.)

One of the things that makes Spinning so enjoyable is that you’re surrounded by other Spinners, picking up their energy (and giving them yours) as much as you respond to your instructor’s enthusiasm. In some sense, you feel as responsible for the success of your fellow Spinners as you do for yourself. It seems like a real team effort.

Meanwhile, music is playing (in my Spinning class, taught by Gary Korbat, it ranges from Gregorian chants to African drums to techno to songs with messages, depending on the “terrain” to be covered) to set the appropriate tone and mood. Unlike aerobics classes, for example, which typically use music that connects your body to a beat, Spinning classes select music to manipulate your emotions.

This is important, because Spinning is as much emotional and mental as it is physical. Though the instructor is there to guide you up the imaginary terrain and provide motivation, this is your ride: You control the resistance knob on the bike; you decide how much you’ll get out of the class.

At the conclusion of 45 minutes or so of Spinning, you know without doubt that you’ve accomplished something extraordinary. You’ve been pushed harder, probably, than you ever have before. You’re drained physically, dripping sweat like a faucet. But you feel absolutely wonderful, experiencing an endorphin rush that’s second to none.

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There are also collateral benefits to Spinning. You see, Spinning, like most intense workouts, is 80% psychological and only 20% physical. It’s a mental game. The biggest barrier you have to overcome is your own mind. And when you do, it pays off in other areas as well.

While you may have entered the class skeptical about your ability to cycle to the top of that imaginary mountain with the other Spinners, you somehow succeed--maybe it’s the instructor, maybe your colleagues, maybe the soundtrack, maybe a combination of them all. But because you do, you realize that you can go back the next day and succeed again.

In my experience, this kind of improved confidence bleeds over into greater self-discipline. I’ve talked to a number of Spinners who, having conquered the mountain, decide that they really don’t need to visit the refrigerator again tonight or put quite as much butter on their bread. In general, they feel empowered to make more healthful, disciplined choices.

No, Spinning isn’t for everyone. It requires a commitment that some people aren’t willing or able to make. But for those who do, this stationary ride is well worth the trip.

Copyright 1998 by Kathy Smith

* Kathy Smith’s fitness column appears weekly in Health. Reader questions are welcome and can be sent to Kathy Smith, Health, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. If your question is selected, you will receive a free copy of her book “Getting Better All the Time.” Please include your name, address and a daytime phone number with your question.