Spinning – Does it make the Legs Bulky?
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say that they do not want to participate in a Spin class because they don’t want bulky legs. I know how people can come to this false conclusion since we are using the legs to power the bike throughout the class. It is true that the hill climbs that are statically placed during the ride are designed to build strength, endurance and definition in the legs, but they are usually no more than a few minutes in duration, so unless we are riding the largest gear possible for the entire ride, it is unlikely that our spin classes will produce bulky legs. Strong, lean and tone legs – Yes, bulky legs – No.
Don’t believe me? The next time you see a cyclist out on the road check out his or her legs. Are they bulky or are they lean, trim and tone? Next time the Tour De France comes around, tune in and check out the legs, Bulky?? No? Then what makes you think that you will be the one who manages to build bulky legs while riding a bike for an hour a day when even the most conditioned professional cyclist don’t manage to do it riding a bike for most of the hours in a day?? Still not convinced? Okay; let’s let at exercise science of building muscle.
The process of hypertrophy or building muscle is done by stimulating the muscle with enough resistance to cause trauma (damage) to the muscle. The greatest damage to the muscle occurs at least three days post exercise and is due to the production of free radicals and accumulation of calcium in the cells. This explains the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) that accompanies muscle damage. It is a common misconception that muscle soreness is caused by a build-up of lactic acid; studies have shown that lactic acid is removed from skeletal muscles usually within one hour after exercise.
Almost immediately following muscle damage neutrophils (the most abundant type of white blood cells) travel to the injured area by way of the bloodstream, initiating the immune response. Neutrophils release free radicals and other toxins that help remove any dead muscle fibers. Following the neutrophils, monocytes (white blood cells that respond to inflammation signals) migrate to the area and differentiate into macrophages. Macrophages cells are white blood cells that are responsible for phagocytosis; engulfing and then digesting cellular debris and pathogens. Microphages are also responsible for activating the satellite cells that are essential for tissue repair. These cells are called satellite cells because they are located on the outer surface of the muscle fiber, in between the sarcolemma and basal lamina (uppermost layer of the basement membrane) of the muscle fiber. They remain dormant until an injury occurs at which point chemical signals stimulate these cells to rush to the damaged muscle tissue where they are then capable of forming myoblast that fuse together to form immature muscle fibers, which eventually develop into muscle fibers. This process is not creating more skeletal muscle fibers but is increasing the size and number of contractile myofilaments (actin and myosin) within the muscle fiber. The satellite cell activation and proliferation period last up to 48 hours after the trauma from resistance training, which is why it is important to allow at least 48 hours in between training sessions.
The whole process will only be successful if the body is well nourished, providing the nutrients required for muscle growth, and well rested, which is when the body does most of its repair work. There is great importance in getting a good night’s rest!
The resistance we place on our spin bike and the length of time we spend climbing does not met the required stimuli to cause the above mentioned response. What we are getting during our ride is cardiovascular training; increasing the heart and lungs capacity, muscular strength and endurance; utilizing mostly slow twitch muscle fibers and weight management assistance. If any of these are of importance to you then wiggle into a pair of bike shorts and meet me in the spin room!
Written by: Barbara Nobles of Body BenefitsPosted 12th July 2013 by Anonymous
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