BP and Spin Profile #1

Blurb on BP:
Today I am back in MA (staying in C-town with my sister) for a weekend of Body Pump training. Body Pump (BP) is a 60-minute workout class set to music. Each music track focuses on a different muscle group: Glutes/thighs (squats), Chest, Upper and Lower Back, Tri's, Bi's, Quads/Glutes (lunges), Shoulders, and Abs. Basically, you use a barbell and your choice of weights to perform the classic weight room exercises like squats, presses, dips, lifts and curls in a ball-busting routine set to music. BP is great because you get your heart rate up while doing high intensity lifting: so it's both a cardio and muscle building/fat burning/toning workout in one! I'll be doing a whole post on this after the training. Just wanted to put a quick "definition" out there for those of you wondering what the heck I'm doing this weekend.

Blurb on Spinning:
This week I've had inordinate amounts of adrenaline and endorphins coursing through my body; not only have I been getting ready for my BP training, but also my first official spin class at the Penn gym. It's going to be Monday morning at 6:30 am, less than 12 hours after the finish of the BP training. I hope that I'll be able to get on the bike! Anyways, I've been prepping all week for the spin class: selecting music and the accompanying workouts. This is called a "spin profile".

For those of you who have never been to a spin class (what are you waiting for, get yo' ass into gear!), spinning is more than getting on a stationary bike and riding fast to music. There are a variety of hand positions on the bike which each work a different grouping of leg muscles (see www.spinning.com for positions). Also, there is a "resistance knob" on the bike that controls how difficult it is to pedal. Turning up the resistance creates the illusion of going up a hill. Thus by adjusting the hand position, resistance, and tempo, you can get a variety of workouts on the bike.

And remember, the goal is not always to pedal as fast as you can; sometimes it's all about trying to get up a steep hill at a slower cadence. We often say that if you're able to pedal faster than the beat during a hill song, you don't have the resistance jacked up high enough. "Honest changes in resistance" are key to getting the most out of the workout as per my old spin instructor, Joanna, at the Beverly YMCA.

This is why spinning is so great: the workout is as hard as you want to make it. If you're not sweating by the end of a spin workout, it's most likely because you haven't challenged yourself enough.

One of the nicest aspects of teaching spin is that we instructors have complete freedom in selecting music and workouts (barring profanities of course). The creative juices really start to flow as I listen to music and to try to figure out what the best workout would be to the proposed song. Indeed, more and more I catch myself listening to all music everywhere with this spin-sensitive ear.

For my first official class at Penn I have created the following spin profile. I have no idea what kinds of people are going to be coming to the class (obviously intense people--6:30 am Mon morning!), so I tried to add a wide variety of music.

Warm Up: Save Me by Remy Zero (Smallville :) & Single Ladies by Beyonce
Standing Run: Can't Buy Me Love by The Beatles
Seated/Standing Climb: Disturbia by Rihanna
Standing Climb: Under Pressure by Queen/David Bowie
Seated Climb: Chasing Cars (remix) by Power Workout Music
Sprints: Phantom of the Opera (remix) by Harajuku
Jumps: Jump by Madonna
Modified Jumps: U Can't Touch This by M C Hammer
Seated Climb/Standing Run: Proud Mary by Tina Turner
Cool Down: Aicha by 1, 2, 3 Soleils

I'm also subbing a class on Tuesday @ 4, and I have another spin profile lined up for that one--to be shared at a later time.

I'm starting to understand why aerobics instructors always appear so freakishly peppy. It really is exciting to build a workout and then get to share it with other people (and you want everyone to love your workout as much as you do). Plus, I'm being PAID to workout! How awesome is that!!! Lastly, when you prepare and workout this much, large amounts of endorphins and adrenaline course through your body, which really masks any pain you may be feeling...I'm counting on that this weekend!

See ya on the flip side.