RPM is a fantastic way to melt the fat off your legs, and get that cardio workout utilising only the largest muscle group in your body. You want beautiful quads? This is the way to get them..
What is RPM? Well basically for those who do not have the time (or a bike) to cycle outdoors, this is stationary cycling/spin for indoors – in the gym. During the class, depending on how good the instructor, you will get the maximum benefit out of cycling through imaginary terrain – through hills, flats, mountain peaks, time trials, and interval training. The better the instructor, the better your RPM class because you need to visualize the challenges up ahead of you, and the instructor is the one who paints the picture for you. This class really gives me a kick.. a real endorphin high. The music is great, and makes you want to pump faster. My only advise is the invest in a good pair of biking shorts (with padding) coz the friction will cause skin chaffing around the inner thighs if you don’t watch it. Also, a padded ass is good so the seat won’t hurt your tail bone (the coccyx).
The term RPM is also “revolutions per minute” and is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis. It is used as a measure of rotational speed of a mechanical component. So pretty fitting for the name of a class where all you do is spin!
photo credit – esquire.com
The benefits of RPM are :
1. REDUCES weight when done regularly. Cycling increases calorie consumption and raises the metabolic rate, which can help to lose weight.
2. IMPROVES control of blood pressure by 10/8 mmHg in patients with hypertension.
3. LOWERS resting heart rate. A high resting heart rate has been linked to increased death from cardiovascular disease and increased risk of sudden death after a heart attack in healthy individuals.
4. IMPROVES HDL (good)/ LDL (bad) cholesterol ratio. If the ratio of LDL to HDL is too high, that means your blood is being loaded with cholesterol faster than the HDL cholesterol can remove it, which means excess cholesterol is building up inside the tissues and arteries. Eventually hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which causes most heart attacks, takes place.
5. PREVENTS heart disease. Regular cycling halves the chance of suffering from heart disease, one of the top 3 killer diseases in Malaysia. A study reported a 50% reduction in fatal and non-fatal heart disease in civil servants who cycled over 20 miles/week.
6. BENEFITS cardiovascular health. Cycling also reduces the risk of stroke (a major killer in Malaysia) and coronary heart disease. In a study, regular exercise on a static cycle machine in patients with heart failure improves cardiac function.
7. REDUCES diabetes. Exercise has been to shown to lead to a reduction in the rate of diabetes mellitus. In patients with diabetes mellitus, regular exercise leads to an improvement in control of blood sugar and can help to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
8. REDUCES cancer. Physical activity has been shown to be associated with reduced rates of cancer (eg: bowel cancer, and possibly also breast cancer)
9. REDUCES cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder) rates in women
10. BENEFITS pregnancy. Cycling when pregnant improves cardiovascular fitness. And regular exercise may ease childbirth
11. REDUCES anxiety, depression and stress
12. TRAINS respiratory muscles
13. IMPROVES muscle strength. Cycling is a non-weight bearing activity and regular cycling leads to improved muscle strength and improved mobility and coordination
There.. is that enough reason to do, RPM? 🙂
I surprisingly prefer the stationary bike to the treadmill. Sounds like a good idea to incorporate it into my rainy days workouts.
sexy legs here you come! 😀