I didn't put together anything too new this week. I did a variation of the 3-set workout, incorporating drills, hills, and sprints. I included beats per minute this time (bpm) so if you have a monitor on your bike, you can get an idea about how fast you should be pedaling. The general rule is to keep your speed in the 60-120bpm range because below 60 you're just mashing the pedals and could break the bike and over 120, you are no longer gaining any benefits from pedaling faster. It's better to stay at 120 with a few gears on your bike than to be flying away at 150 with no resistance. It's like pedaling down a hill- it just doesn't do anything!
After a rough weekend of coping mentally with my mom not feeling well and losing tips, I needed a cathartic play list. Lots of rock. Lots of noise. A little Flo Rida (it always puts a smile on my face because I just imagine Alexis bouncing around, trying to sing along). As I told my class, when life is challenging and things seem overwhelming, it's far better to seek a reprieve from our daily demands at the gym than just sinking into our sofas, losing ourselves in "reality" TV or worse, heading to the bar to self-medicate.
I'm all for a good cocktail, don't get me wrong. I'm just far less likely to overindulge if I make sure I work out my anger on the bike or the road than if I take my emotions straight to the bar (or kitchen.... chocolate has a tendency to call my name in times of stress.)
So here's my cathartic playlist. It's my basic spin formula, with a few more sprints for the added endorphins. And as much as this workout is for me, with only 50 minutes to work hard the most important thing for
me is that I get hearts pumping, give options to make adjustments to
really maximize one's efforts, and put a few smiles on peoples' faces. That's where Bon Jovi comes into play.
Fast n' Furious Spin
1. warm up, flat road, alternate focusing on just the right leg then just the left (leaving both feet on the pedal). strong pace, aprox 100bpm. "The Power is One" The Go! Team
2. add a gear, alternating all 3 riding positions 2X; pos 1 verse, 2 bridge, 3 on the chorus. Keep it at 100bpm. "Know Your Enemy" Green Day
3. endurance run, 70% effort with bursts of 80% effort (try to increase cadence by 10 bpm). 15s on, 30 recover. 30s on, 45 recover, 45s. on, 30 recover, then add a gear and go back down the ladder. For the last minute of the song, do a few 10s bursts with recover @ 90% effort. "Breath" Prodigy
4. add another gear, pos 1 seated climb for the verse, pos 3 and pick it up on the chorus, adding a gear and leaving it on each time. don't dip below 60 bpm."In the End" Linkin Park
5. flat road +1 gear, sprints. take it all the way up to 120 bpm on each chorus. "Beat It" Michael Jackson performed by Fall Out Boy
6. jumps, 8/4/2-count, light to medium resistance, about 80 bpm. "Jump" Flo Rida
7. runs on a hill, medium resistance to start, add another gear half-way through. pos 1 for the verse (75-80 bpm), pick up and run in pos 3 (100bpm) for the chorus. "Arlandria" Foo Fighters
8. climb to the max, starting at medium resistance. pos 1 verse, pos 2 for the bridge, add a gear and take it up to 3 on the chorus. leave it on and repeat until you can't maintain 60 bpm and/or pedal smoothly. "Livin on a Prayer" Bon Jovi
9. recovery runs, flat road, 60% recovery, 75% pickups. "Hysteria" Muse
10. standing runs with light resistance (+2 gears from your flat road). Take it up to 3 on each chorus and push hard to get up over 100 bpm. "Like a Pill" Pink
11. seated climb to the max, starting at medium resistance. add a gear every minute until you have to stand/ slow down below 60bmp/ can't pedal smoothly. "Clint Eastwood" Gorillaz
12. sprints. don't hold back- last chance to let it all out! "All My Life" Foo Fighters
13. flat recovery - "Run to the Water" Live
14. stretches - "Be Like That" 3 Doors Down
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