At the conclusion of Wednesday’s HIT session, someone asked (wearing an elfish grin): “So, Calnan… how does HIT compare to spin class?”
High Intensity Training (a.k.a. HIT) is a structured series of cycling-specific workouts that you perform on your bicycle, whilst clamped into a stationary trainer. I am about to begin week 6 of this 13 week series of workouts.
Spin class (as my long-term readers may recall) are the mainly aerobic lower body workouts done at the gym on a stationary exercise cycle. Whilst the motion of turning the pedals is pretty much the same as on the bike, that is just about all the similarity between the two.
Equipment:
In spin class, we would use the Lemond Revmaster, a stationary exer-cycle. You can adjust seat height, handlebar height, and some forward and back seat positioning to approximate your bicycle, but it is less than exact. The cycle has pedals (obviously) connected to a big flywheel. Instead of gears, there is a resistance knob that puts more (or less) friction against the flywheel.
In HIT, you ride your bike as it is clamped into a stationary trainer. The bike should be equipped with a cadence sensor, and a heart rate monitor is helpful as well. The rear wheel of the bike rides against the resistance unit of the trainer, creating the workload. I have a fairly cheap magnetic-resistance trainer which has three settings of resistance, which I always have on the highest (3) setting. Put your front wheel on a block of some sort to simulate a fairly constant climb, hang towels all over to catch the sweat, and you are ready to go.
Environment:
Spin class takes place in a gym. The room is 67 degrees or so, and there is a large fan that blows on at least half the cycles for those that want the cooling effect. There is carpet on the floor, and hardbodies wandering around to take your mind away from the task at hand. 30 or so cycles are arranged in concentric semicircles, the prime space to “hide” is the middle of the back row where the fewest eyes land on you. Music is a fairly tight playlist (built around classics like MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This”, and Will Smith’s “Get Jiggy With It”), played at about 110 decibels. The music is occasionally interrupted with P.A. announcements that someone’s left their lights on, or the men’s toilet is backing up.
HIT class takes place in a 3 car garage. The garage is usually between 40 and 45 degrees. 10-12 bikes are arranged in a circle. There are old boxes of stuff on shelves to look at, but nothing to really interfere with the task at hand (except maybe that clown mask hanging on one wall… very strange). You can try to figure out if the stains on the concrete floor are shaped like States of the Union, whether cracks resemble nearby rivers, or compare the size of the pools of perspiration under the respective bikes. There is no place to hide on a bad day, everyone sees everything. Music thusfar has been a mix of Neil Diamond and AC/DC, but played at a more reasonable 80 decibels. This is easily masked by an iPod run at a moderate volume.
The Workout:
Spin is primarily focused on providing a cardio-type workout in the context of turning pedals. Pedaling is done at a cadence matching the beat of the music being played. At various points in the exercise routine, you will be instructed to stand and pedal, sit and pedal, increase resistance, and “sprint”, or pedal at a high cadence for short intervals. The workouts are technically not longer than 60 minutes, but you can attend the “beginner” 30 minute session just before the 1 hour session, extending your workout to 90 minutes.
HIT is a structured cycling workout, designed to increase strength, endurance, and specific neuromuscular skills related to cycling. Sessions vary in length, from 90 minutes to 2 hrs 25 minutes (so far). Exercises include:
- Spin-Ups: pedaling at ever-increasing cadence until one’s knees de-laminate (highest cadence to date, 150 rpm).
- Individual Leg Training: a series of 3 minute intervals where you pedal with one leg at 60 or 80 rpm. During longer HIT sessions you may spend 36 minutes doing these gems, just slightly more fun than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
- Standing Interval: Switch to your hardest gear, stand and pedal for 30 mind-numbing minutes.
- Surges: For the last X minutes of the Standing Interval, increase your pedal cadence by 30% or so for the last 15 seconds of each minute. We’re up to 10 of these during a 30 minute Standing Interval. The goals are to 1.) get your heart rate up to around 90% of maximum during the last two surges, and 2.) don’t puke.
- Pace Interval: Sessions usually conclude with an interval of 5 to 10 minutes where you must ride at a sustained high cadence. Wednesday we did 10 minutes at 115 rpm. At the end of a 2+ hour workout, these are not necessarily welcome.
If I had to gel it down to a single sentence, I’d say that HIT is a cycling workout, while Spin is a workout done in a cycling context. Spin is first and foremost exercise, and any increase in cycling ability is a secondary benefit. HIT on the other hand is specific workouts targeting specific muscles and abilities to improve your cycling. For folks new to the fitness and cycling game, spin is ideal (as it was for me). For cyclists that want to raise their game to the next level, HIT is a good way to go for an off-season training regime. Just try not to puke in front of everybody.
