Nowadays, spinning is one of the most frequented classes ever. Not only because it’s a fun and energizing workout, but also because it can positively impact your physique in the long term since the calorie consumption during spinning is comparable to that of fast running. If increasing your calorie burn, weight loss, or boosting your metabolism is one of your goals, keep reading to find out the science behind it.

What is spinning exactly?

Spinning is endurance training on an indoor bike, which uses numerous muscle groups of the body. During indoor cycling, thighs, lower legs, as well as glutes are trained, and by repeatedly lifting out of the saddle, the core and upper body are engaged as well (which is the case for both Veloburn and Velobeat workouts).

Have you ever wondered at the beginning of your spinning career: why do others burn 700 calories and I only burn 300?

Science has proven that you can definitely lose weight through regular indoor cycling. Studies also show that people put more effort into a group workout because they are more motivated by the instructor, the music, and the other participants. However, to achieve the highest calorie burn, you must have enough resistance on the spinning bike. Your muscles need to push against resistance to burn body fat and produce more energy to get the effect. When trying to lose body fat, building and maintaining muscle strength is especially important. The formula for fat burning in indoor cycling is as follows:

RESISTANCE + SPEED = HIGHEST POSSIBLE CALORIE BURN

On our Power meters, it is easy to see how challenging your resistance is and how fast you are pedaling (speed, or RPM).

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of an indoor cycling fat-burning workout:

• Patience: working out for an extended period of time helps build and maintain muscle mass. Only through a larger muscle mass, fat can be burned. Through indoor cycling, you can help boost your metabolism, which is your body’s calorie-burning engine.
• Eat something real BEFORE your cycling workout: it’s not smart to work out on an empty stomach. Your body needs to be fueled with the necessary energy to tackle strenuous indoor cycling.
  If you’re working out in the morning, eat a small snack, like fruit or muesli 30 minutes before your class. If your workouts tend to be during the day, opt for carbohydrate and protein-filled lunch 1 to 2 hours before spinning. Don’t forget to drink enough water BEFORE, during, and after the workout so that the body can maintain its metabolism to burn calories.
• Don’t eat right after your workout: If your goal is to burn more calories, refrain from eating 2 to 3 hours after a workout. This will keep the afterburn effect going as long as possible. Beware, as any snack could interrupt fat burning. If your workout was done in the evening, it is best to eat modestly and opt for a fuller breakfast instead.
• Vary pace and resistance constantly: Interval training results in more calories burned than steady, uniform exertion in many workouts. Indoor cycling in particular burns more calories by alternating high loads and speeds, rather than a monotonous ride. And the best thing about variation: you get a higher after-burn effect that keeps you burning more energy even hours after the workout.
• Change up your workouts: doing the same cycling workout day after day will only make your body adapt to it very quickly, which means the effect on metabolism will diminish over time. The solution is to keep switching between different workout types and keep your body guessing. Velocity gives you the possibility to vary between Velobeat, Veloburn, and Power classes, which offer the perfect balance.
• Strength training alongside spinning classes: The more muscle mass you have, the greater your resting metabolic rate will be, and the more calories you’ll burn during the day. That’s why your workout plan should include strength training, where you work all the major muscle groups.
  Velocity’s Power workouts give you the chance to engage your whole body and the workouts can be customized for all fitness levels and fitness goals under the umbrella of strength training – so no excuses.
• Recharge your battery: Don’t forget to fuel your body. Your muscles need a combination of protein and carbohydrates 2 to 3 hours after a workout for the glycogen stored in your muscles to be recharged and your metabolism to remain active.
• No free pass on fast food: Although the workout was intense, you can’t eat whatever you want if you want to lose weight. If you burn 500 to 600 calories in an indoor cycling hour and eat a Big Mac (498kcal), you will have recouped your energy expenditure of the workout.
• Keep moving: Being exhausted after indoor cycling is perfectly normal. However, some people make the mistake of spending the rest of the day resting on the couch. This only jeopardizes the fat-burning effects and progress of the workout. The rule here is: walk more, use the stairs instead of the elevator, bike to work or home, etc.
• Values on the display: Our spinning bikes are equipped with a bike console, or computer, which shows the speed, time and calories burned. However, the values are only rough guidelines. The computer cannot provide an accurate assessment of calories burned.
  IMPORTANT: If you indicate your body weight on your profile online, your weight is taken into account on the Veloboard. This is why men are often at the top of the leaderboard in strength mode, while women with lighter weights move up the rank in speed mode (lighter people go farther and faster than heavier people).

Finally, an important point: calorie consumption in spinning can never be determined across the board. Factors such as age, training condition, body weight, training intensity, the proportion of dynamically used muscles, the duration of the load, and gender play a major role, as with any other sport. A comparison with others is therefore often not the end all be all. Rather, focus on your individual goals and break your own record!

Check out the schedule to find your next ride.