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Class #69 Spinning Saturday 8:30 a.m. (Charlie)
This is my second Charlie Hoolihan Spinning class this week and I get another shot at his current speed interval format. Charlie takes a "periodization" approach to planning his Spinning class seasons. He breaks the Spinning year up into different periods, each focusing on a different aspect of competitive training, e.g., speed work, foundation base training, and stamina/endurance. Today's Saturday morning edition is all about improving our ability to move from 90% of exercise maximum (speed) to full recovery and back again. Once again I must mention Charlie's signature musical touch he adds to each class. He always makes sure there's music playing as we filter in before class and go about our pre-class preparations. Today we listen to the George Harrison classic "As My Guitar Gently Weeps" and one of my very favorites from yesteryear, "More Than This" by Roxy Music. Charlie and I are definitely from the same musical generation. Okay, it's time for class! This is a well-attended Spinning class time slot and we're 15 riders strong this morning.  We began with a nice five-minute flat ride warm-up and then we increased our bike resistance a tad and did a couple of two-minute hill pick-ups. We were now ready for the heart and soul of today's workout: three 4-minute pick-up segments consisting of 20 seconds hard followed by a quick 10-second recovery (four minutes of 20/10). Our 20-second pick-ups were fast but Charlie made sure we stayed in control, pointing out that our RPMs (revolutions per minute) shouldn't exceed 90 RPMs. He pointed out that 90 RPMs is usually the top-end for most world-class cycling competitors.
I participated in one of Charlie's classes earlier this week and it was quite similar. It felt good once again and I'm convinced this type of interval training is the key to improving one's fitness level. To maintain a high level of fitness, it's okay to push the pace (within reasonable boundaries) taking into account our age, orthopedic limitations, and years of training experience. Wonderful class Charlie. You always make it a lot of fun. Bravo! This PAC gift card winner this morning is Lisa Horner. Participation Honor Roll: Lisa Horner (gift card winner)
Holly Ruli
Jack Ruli
Debbie Broussard
Stephanie Mahoney
Wayne Horner
Mark Wallace
David Doherty
Cynthia Branch
Jean Loeb
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