What is spinning (still bicycle) good for? What benefits does it give to the body?

Answer 1

Spinning is an excellent workout. Cardio-vascular, for starters, but also abs and lats, strengthens the leg muscles from the gluts, to the hamstrings, but one very overlooked use for spinning is to strengthen the tibial anterior muscle, which helps prevent shin splints. TA is the muscle on the front of the shin and it's difficult to find ways to strengthen it. However, spinning can help.
If you use the toe to lift the pedal, instead of pushing it, you are working the TA. You'll feel it if you are doing it right! This is something that runners should be aware of, so as to help prevent those very painful shin splints.

Answer 2

Spinning is designed to beat your cardiovascular system into a pulp. There is a measurement called VO2max, and it's basically how much oxygen your body can actually USE in a given amount of time. Just because you're breathing heavy doesn't mean you're using all of it!

The spinning workouts let you warm up, then they peg your heart rate sky high for 30-40 minutes to stress your cardio system. In turn, your body gets more efficient at using each breath, and you can push harder and recover quicker with less fatigue when you actually ride.

I use the Spinervals DVDs in the wintertime, and though they hurt (a lot!) they work VERY quickly to improve your VO2max and your overall spin.

Answer 3

It's a good cardiovascular workout. It helps you burn calories, and actually helps build strengthen your lower body.