May 10

Spin workout tonight. I love that thing. Its great...active rest, low impact, high energy for my fast twitch self. For those of you wondering, I'll explain below. But first, the basics.

Required:
Spin bike or other exercise bike with heavy ass flywheel and no gearing to let you coast. That is, your legs go as fast as the wheel goes.
Music
Motivation

For clarity's sake, a spin workout is a lot like good sex...a variety of combinations of positions, tempo, resistance from your partner (the bike, in this case) and great background music.

Positions: 1, sitting. 2, off the seat standing near upright (no hands if possible). 3, off the seat, leaned into the bars like you're climbing a hill.

Tempo: 1, as slow as your legs will go. 2, just a click above one, moving. 3, working to push the pace, breathing hard. 4, as fast as your legs will go.

Resistance: 1, none, free-wheeling. 2, minimal, probably a turn or two above 1. 3, solid, you have to work to push the wheels, but you can do so comfortably. 4, a lot, it takes all of your might to keep the damn thing turning.

My workouts typically traverse a playlist of songs with beats to match my desired pedal rate. I use a clock (or the verse/chorus) to perform intervals.

Tonight's workout:

7 minutes of Eric Clapton's "Layla" to get warm. P:1 T:2 R:2
5 minutes of Aerosmith's "Dream On". Cycles of P2T2R3 for 30 seconds, P1T2R1 as rest for 30 seconds
4 minutes of Natalie Merchant's "Because the Night". Cycles of P3T3R3 for 60 seconds, P1T2R1 as rest for 60 seconds
5 minutes of The Who's "Who Are You". Cycles of P3T1R4 for 30 the verse, P1T2R1 as rest for the chorus
4 minutes of Bomfunk MC's "Rockin' With the Best". Cycles of P1T4R2 for 30 seconds, P1T2R1 as rest for 30 seconds
8 minutes of Black Eyed Pea's "Imma Be Rocking That Body". 4 cycles of P3T3R2 for 30 seconds, P1T2R1 for 30 seconds, and then 4 cycles of P3T4R3 for 30 seconds, P1T2R1 as rest for 30 seconds
12 minutes of a great live version of "Free Bird". 3 cycles of P3T1R4 for 60 seconds, P1T2R1 as rest for 60 seconds, then, 3 cycles of P1T4R1 (as fast as I can possibly go..the dogs look at me like I'm about to go flying off the bike) for 60 seconds, P1T2R1 as rest for 60 seconds.

It's a great workout. Lifting tomorrow.