Contraindications in Spinning®

The information on this page comes from anonymous postings to various cycling forums, and is not my work! As mentioned in one posting: "the biggest reason for not doing a contra move, is related to risk to benefit ratio as said many times by the master presenters. If there is even a slight risk for a particular move and you can accomplish what you are trying to do by doing a safe move, why do the risky one?" Also, "if there's even one risk if done 'properly', it shouldn't be done. There are still so many incredible ways to keep your class interesting, motivating, engaging and fun without introducing odd, contrived movements that you would never do on a road bike. The reason why you wouldn't do it on a bike is that it would hurt - if not right away, in the long run."

If you take a class where the instructor does contraindicated stuff, like hovers and pushups, don't follow along. Just ride your own ride, or even leave the class. Put another way "some instructors coach movements that are absolutely contraindicated, so if something doesn't feel right, or you wouldn't do it on a bike, don't do it." See also: Spinning Newsletter, June 2009

If you are worried about any move, ask yourself:

• Is it safe?
• Is it efficient?
• Is there another way to accomplish this same goal that is safer and more efficient?
• Does it correspond to movements done on a road bike?

This information on contraidicated movements from Spinning News, December 2009, is very informative.

Not giving a safety speech

An associated thought is not reminding participants about proper style. Included in safety is ensuring that no particpant continues spinning (after the end of the scheduled class) while off-bike stretching is occurring

Talking in class

The instructor should remind participants that talking disturbs other members of the class. However, talking should be reduced as the particpants get exhausted!

Popcorn Jumps or Rapid Lifts or Hurdles

i.e. Quick transitions in and out of the saddle, without time to sit completely or pedal more than once or twice while standing. Definitely stressful on the knees and can lead to knee injuries over time, especially as they are often done at high cadence with too little resistance. Excessive numbers of lifts in a row (100 or more) also sacrifices safety and form

Straight Knees

Don't lock your knees—can lead to knee injuries over time. Hard to do while sitting (!) but locking MUST be guarded against while in any standing position

Bouncing in the saddle

This is indicative of too little resistance for the flywheel (or too high a speed, or uneven pedal strokes.) When the speed of the wheel exceeds the speed of the legs, it creates a disconnection of the foot from the pedal at the bottom of the pedal stroke. This disconnection creates vibrations that travel up the legs, creating a bouncing effect in the butt. Another description has "Bouncing in the saddle is a reliable indication you're no longer 'spinning circles.' The bike will begin to behave more like a high-frequency pogo-stick. Throttle back before things get any more ballistic [...]. Spinning at a cadence beyond your wildest expectation can open the soul. Turning cranks at a rate beyond your control can open the skull"

Hovering (keeping the hips still, moving just the legs, while standing. Also termed 'no bounce')

Do you see anyone doing this on a normal bike? Stresses the knees.
In the same vein, isolation or hovering with the hips back and off the saddle with the arms fully extended to the ends of the handlebars produces excessive hip flexion which can stress the low back and alter pedaling form forcing the knees outward. It's really unnatural and, frankly, painful!

Stretching on the Bike

Stretching the lower body while seated or standing on the bike is thought to be less safe and less adequate for the improvement of range of motion than stretching off the bike. Inadequate time spent stretching increases injury potential. Stretching off the bike but also including the bike as a prop for assisting the stretches is a great way to end the class!

Stretching hamstrings with leg on handlebars

Hopefully, the pedals were stopped! Many riders are not flexible enough to swing a leg up onto the handlebars. Instead, use the centre frame of the bike for an equally effective hamstring stretch

Using the bike as a weight training tool (i.e. push ups, squats, tricep curls, etc.)

Makes my knees hurt just watching

Sprinting with no/low resistance (and the other extreme of Low speed/High Resistance)

Pedaling at high cadences with too little resistance (standing or sitting) results in sacrificing form for speed and a decrease in caloric expenditure. Pedaling at very slow cadences with high resistance can result in premature fatigue and can be inefficient metabolically. Both can put undue stress on joints (especially knee) and muscle. Cadence and resistance need to be balanced to safely increase workload. The most efficient riders ride at cadences between 60 and 90rpm (recommended limits range from 60-120rpm) with the resistance set to prevent "bouncing" or to increase workload within the class format. "Pedaling really fast without resistance is not safe because it can hurt your knees. Think about it. When you use resistance it engages your muscles, not your joints" From Spinning Newsletter, June 2009

Sprinting at a cadence of more than 120rpm

This is closely tied to the previous point. Basically, spinning at a high cadence is placing more stress on the knee joints, and does not use the muscles effectively

Running with light/moderate resistance in hand position 3

Control of the flywheel is difficult and the rider usually feels uncomfortable

Seated climb in hand position three

Proper breathing technique is compromised as the lungs are 'squashed'. This position also takes a rider out of the ideal biomechanical riding position and causes increased flexion of the hips and spine, which may lead to back pain. It often causes riders to strain their necks in an effort to look up

Breathing and Keeping your Core Muscles Tight

Please see this article for an explanation. Basically, keeping a relaxed stomach allows our breathing to be more effective than if we tighten our abdominals

One handed climbing

Your cycling posture changes, producing stress on the lower back

Touching the handlebars with fingertips in hand position two while standing

Just unsafe. The handelbars bars should be held, for stabilization

Pedaling backward

Not natural, and researchers have shown that pedaling backward burns the same calories and uses the same muscles as pedaling forward. This movement could also unscrew the pedals from the crank arms, which can lead to injury when the pedals fall off

No hydration

Drink lots of water, especially before and after the workout

Huge resistance on hills...way low cadence

Can build strength and increase thigh size, but hard on the knees. Cadence should never drop below 60rpm

High Intensities all the time

Harder is not always better. It is hard on the system and offers only a small part of "fitness". It also leaves the participant more susceptible to illness and injury. Consider your training as more than just putting time in the saddle, but also training your body's energy systems

"Figure 8s" or Four corners or Banking on Turns

Also bobbing, ducking, weaving and other 'evasive' techniques. These excessive upper-body movements all introduce safety concerns, such as bike balance, as well as undue stress on the spine

Removing seats or lowering them while on the bike

Yes, I've actually seen someone do it!
Cycling without a saddle or lowering the saddle so that participants cannot sit down has been used as another method to increase intensity. This is never done on the road! A number of safety issues arise including the danger of not being able to sit if the bike malfunctions or the participant gets tired. Changes in position (e.g. standing to sitting) help to decrease the injury potential—and you can't do this without a saddle!

Changing the handlebar height during workout

If done carefully (not at full cadence), for comfort or safety. Best to stop pedalling before changing the height

Riding with "Look, Ma, no hands" on a hill or otherwise

Can lead to injuries of an acute nature — i.e. nose plant, if one of your feet slipped off the pedal — as well as chronic lower-back problems.
Cycling without hands (except during posture breaks) in order to increase the workload (such as in a climb or seated with high resistance) can compromise the knee joints. Also, your cycling posture must change, producing stress on the low back.
Basically, while it's OK to ride with no hands at low resistance during warm-ups and cool-downs doing so at other times is unsafe and places excessive pressure on the lower spine and makes it difficult to maintain a smooth pedal stroke

Using a hand position other than one of the three

The five movements and three hand positions were designed with safety and performance in mind. Bad form can reduce fitness benefits and may lead to injuries

Leaning the arms (or forearms) on the handlebars

This refers to laying the forearms on the handlebars (triathlete style or similar to professional cyclists) or isolating one part of the body. When you ride outdoors, your body stays relatively calm because the bike is moving back and forth. A stationary bike can't move, so your body needs to be relaxed enough to dissipate the energy created. Forcing one part of your body to remain still makes it a magnet for tension in your neck, back and hips

Purposefully incorrect bike set up (saddle too high or too low)

Why? Who would do this?

Riding without resistance

Even warmup and cool down should have some resistance. Riding with no resistance increases the risk of injury and wastes workout time because resistance is what develops speed, power, strength and endurance

Lifts (Jumps) with little or no resistance

The risk (from losing control of the flywheel) far outweighs any potential benefit

Use of resistance training equipment on the Spinner® bike

Lifting weights on any bike is ineffective and unsafe. Weight training is most effectively accomplished when your body and core muscles are stabilized. This is difficult to accomplish at even the lowest recommended training speed of 60rpm. However, look at the new class offered by Mad Dogg Athletics on SPIN® Flex

Riding with pointed toes (or ankling)

This can lead to severe damage to the Achilles tendon, and inflammation of the tibial tuberosity, an overuse injury that stresses the knee, ankle and supportive structures. It can also cause numbness in the feet. Usually newer riders tend to point their toes as they pedal. And more women than men—high heels? Perhaps the seat may be too high as well. "With a fast cadence the feet should be flat. However, the foot should flex naturally with the pedal if there is medium to heavy tension, i.e., the heel goes down slightly with a down stoke and comes up with the up stroke. Telling them to think about pulling the heel up on the up stroke helps them to engage the ham strings and glutes. Trying to pedal with flat feet when there is medium to heavy tension may cause shin splints"

Adjusting a participant's resistance

Aimed at the class leader—don't change anyone's resistance while walking around the class

Riding without strapping or cleating in, with one or two legs

If your feet come loose, those pedals can wreak havoc on your shins! Riding using just one foot (with the other foot loose), is unnnatural and stresses the lower back

Too short of a warmup especially for higher intensity classes

Proper progression building to higher intensity levels helps the body to prepare for increased work loads and is important for injury prevention.
(From Spintensity guide) "Abruptly starting or stopping your training sessions greatly increases your stress level. A variety of physiological changes take place when you introduce your body to exercise. Going from complete rest to doing even moderate aerobic exercise causes your heart rate to nearly double. Your heart is a wonderful machine, but increasing its workload too rapidly causes a significant physiological stress. At rest, most of your body's blood supply is concentrated in your torso, nourishing your internal organs. During exercise, much of that blood is shunted to the extremities to enable them to handle the demands placed on them during exercise. This process is best completed gradually, so your organs don't experience the sudden shock of diminished blood supply and your arms and legs can work efficiently without injuring a joint or muscle. An additional benefit of proper warm-up is energy utilization. Easing into your training session helps your body choose fat for the preferred source of fuel during your exercise. Jumping right into strenuous exercise requires you to utilize quick burning sugar for fuel, a metabolic change that is not easily reversed even if you slow down later in your session"

While out of the saddle doing 1 or 2 count changes between hand position 2 and hand position 3

Especially if rider's hands are sweaty, while changing hand positions so quickly while out of the saddle, they may slip and go tumbling down on the handlebars

Seated, no hands, high cadence, pushing resistance to 'strengthen the core'

Uncoordinated or weak riders will have a problem with this and start wobbling, potentially compromising their knee joints

Too short of a cooldown especially after a high intensity class

(from Spintensity guide) "Failure to do so results in blood pooling in your extremities [and the possibility of dizziness or fainting]. This blood contains waste products like lactic acid and carbon dioxide generated by your training session. When waste products aren't properly cleared out after exercise, you experience sore, stiff muscles the following day. Pooling blood and failure to gradually return your body temperature to normal after exercise contributes to an unnecessary increase in muscle inflammation. Many joint and muscle injuries are a result of improper warm-up and cool down. The same is true for digestive difficulties like stomach cramps and nausea"

Standing flats performed at high cadence while holding on with one hand and pumping the other arm back and forth alongside the body

3 reasons for not doing this. 1. Risk of injury from holding on with one hand and running at high cadence; 2. Risk of injury from torquing the body; 3. What is the reason for doing this? I have never seen this movement done on an outdoor bike

Standing Starts with Resistance

Standing starts with resistance have been used to simulate race starts. If used, they should be limited in number and reserved only for the very fit. The amount of stress on the knees limits the usefulness of this technique

• Choking the guy on the cell phone next to you!
• Playing dominos with the bikes while the people are still on them!
• Playing any Barry Manilo, Perry Como or any singer whose name ends in "O" (except maybe Bono)
• Reaching a new mind/body experience using the "body" next to you because you figure they won't "mind"
• Petting the sweaty and sweating the petty

January 26th, 2005, February 24th, 2007, June 2009