SWEAT IN THE CITY – You could be forgiven for thinking an RPM class is just a spin class by another name. And you’d be right. The only difference between the two is that RPM classes are Les Mills’ creations so no matter which gym you go to, if you’re taking an RPM class, the movements will be the same.
Being a bit of a bro I’ve become overly attached to my muscles and skipped cardio for longer than I should have. So it was with some reluctance that I attended a RPM class at Fitness First Platinum in the Landmark Hotel.
What first attracted me to RPM classes (the coloured disco lights, the blaring pop music, the shouting instructors and the fact that it requires very little skill or thought to peddle hard and fast) are the very things that put me off classes as well. Sometimes it gets you pumped up and ready to work hard, but sometimes it makes you wonder who the hell thought peddling madly under flashing lights would be fun.
Fortunately, when I approached the spin studio this time the pulsing musicput me in a frame of mind to go hard, rather than turn around and go home.
The class started with a gentle warm-up track before easing into a hill-climb. After that we had an interval workout followed by some speed work.
When all you’re doing is sitting and peddling it’s often hard to fell much of a difference between the tracks, but there are subtle changes. For a hill especially, the gear resistance is upped to the point where you might be standing up on the bike pedalling.
There are also plenty of ‘recovery’ sections when you have a chance to catch your breath and contemplate just how unfit you’ve become. This kind of interval training is a pretty effective way of getting you to sweat buckets. In fact, from the third track onwards, I was dripping from my face, arm pits and arms to the point that my towel was soaked through by the end of the 45 minute class.
Another plus point about RPM classes is that nobody can see when you’re cheating. Sure, they can be the hardest class in the world if you’re really increasing your gear resistance and going as hard and fast as you can but, if you’re feeling a bit lazy, you can always pretend to increase your gear. Nobody has to know…
Bon this occasion I was feeling energetic however. The class was small and Toom, our instructor was about as motivational as they come. Not only does he never look even slightly out of breath, despite spinning at an incredible pace, but he also manages to do all this whilst shouting instructiona and rapping along to Fat Man Scoop. Ladies, I can additionally verify that he has killer arms, but I suspect RPM has little to do with that.
His lovely singing got me through to the end of the class with a smile on my face (and sweat patches under my arms). Although nine tracks sounds like a whole lot of peddling, the warm up track, ‘ride home’ track and stretching track make it a much more manageable six tracks of hard work. Even the most cardio-phobic of us has time for that.
Fitness First Platinum, Landmark Hotel RPM Class
For a three day free trial, visit www.fitnessfirst.co.th
