Sweat, mirrors, pumping music and burning quadriceps. These are the mental images one takes away from their first RPM group exercise class. There’s also plenty of lactic acid build-up in the lower-body muscles, which causes soreness — pedalling on a resistance exercise cycle for nearly an hour will do that. “RPM is a 50-minute studio cycling class where we ride to music based on high-intensity interval training (HIIT),” explains Gary Leeman, RPM Master Trainer at FitRepublik.
RPM classes are available across the UAE at a number of big and small gyms. “The structure is broken into eight different workouts, each correlated to a different song, which all relate to different types of training,” says Leeman. “For example, one would be a hill climb, which would be strength training. One would be a fast ride, which is more endurance training. Then you have your walks and cool downs, as well as some high-intensity short bursts, what we call power training.
“It covers all aspects of your cardiovascular fitness plus some strength training too.”
It will hurt, but in a good way
Beginners, even those with above-average levels of fitness, may struggle with the pace of their first RPM — also known as spinning — class. “It is going to be high intensity; you will have some challenges; you will feel soreness in your legs; you will have a high heart rate, rapid sweat and heavy breath,” says Leeman.
“In my experience, for newcomers, completing an entire class is the challenge.”
Research indicates the physical and psychological effort is worth it. A 2015 study by the UK’s Loughborough University and Les Mills — the organisation that developed and licenses out RPM, among other fitness classes — found group studio cycling to be an effective intervention to improve cardio-metabolic health in overweight physically inactive individuals. Eight overweight but otherwise healthy volunteers attended studio cycling classes three times a week over a two-month period.
The sessions progressed from 20 minutes long to 35 minutes over the first two weeks, upping to 50 for the remaining six. On average, participants’ body fat percentage dropped 13.6 per cent, LDL (bad) cholesterol was down 23.3 per cent and 3cm shaved off their hips. “The prescription of such exercise classes by clinicians may offer a wide-scale community health benefit without substantial cost to healthcare services,” said the study.
It’s easier in a group
As with other group fitness sessions, RPM participants spur each other on to expend that little bit of extra effort. “In a class in our studio, for example, we have 35 bikes all around the instructor so the energy in the room is more motivating, more enthusiastic,” says Leeman.
“You get more energy from other people around the room when you train together. It’s probably more than you’d get when you run on a treadmill or outside, when you may not want to do that extra interval or go for the extra five or ten minutes.”
Leeman’s point of view is echoed by the American College of Sports Medicine. Writing for the institution’s website, Shawn Dolan, a PhD holder in exercise physiology, says, “Group exercise offers a workout for all levels, ranging from beginner to advanced. Participants do not need to know how to develop a safe and effective workout or which machines to use or for how long; it is already done for them.
“An exercise class structured with a purpose can be beneficial for people with limited knowledge about safe and effective exercise programming. An appropriately designed class includes warm-up, cool-down and flexibility in addition to the conditioning section. When people exercise on their own, they often skip portions of a workout they know less about or are not their favourite to perform. [And] the class is designed appropriately to improve cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness.”
Pedalling benefits
For Leeman, two to three sessions of RPM a week offer the benefits of core and leg strength training as well as a good base of cardiovascular fitness. “In general, you should be exercising the recommended 45-60 minutes, two to three times a week to maintain some kind of health, general fitness and maintenance of weight.”
The benefits of HIIT have been well documented in recent years, especially in this publication, but what sets RPM apart from, say, running speed intervals on a treadmill or weights-based group fitness classes?
“The biggest thing about cycling is that it’s very low impact,” explains Leeman. “An older person, someone who may have issue with their joints or bones, could potentially come into an RPM class and cycle without having that consistent impact in their legs and joints. People with lower back problems would also [benefit from RPM]. It lets you ride and train for longer periods without worry of impact affecting joints and ligaments. You can actually ride for longer and train smarter or healthier than with, say, a jog or sprint training.”
Things to be aware of
However, it’s important to note the risks associated with a group dynamic, which can often become competitive, encouraging people to push their bodies beyond their limits.
In an online article for Time¸ Dr Maureen Brogan, an assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College, said, “If you’re not used to vigorous exercise, or to exercising the large lower-body muscles involved in spinning, you can overdo it.”
A kidney expert, Dr Brogan has conducted research into the effects of spinning on the body. One of her research papers links the activity to rhabdomyolysis, a condition that occurs when muscles are broken down to the point where they release a protein poisonous to the kidneys. She adds that while this can happen during any kind of over-exercise, a class such as RPM carries added risk due to the amount of water lost during a session.
Thankfully, stationary exercise bikes are equipped with holsters for holding a standard 500ml bottle. Additionally, RPM’s structure includes low-intensity — but still active — intervals where it’s possible to slow down for a few important sips of water.
As with any form of strenuous exercise, people with cardiovascular health concerns should consult their physician before attempting an RPM class.
