TOUR: Spinning has been popular in fitness centres for years. What role does spinning play for professionals?
WEBER: I don't know any professionals who incorporate spinning sessions into their training. Professionals either ride outside or have a good cycle ergometer on which they train. They also fly south when the weather is bad.
So does spinning not make sense for amateur athletes?
You have to differentiate: What is spinning? The spinning bike as a training device makes more sense than training on a roller - if the pedalling system and sitting position are right. Spinning bikes have a large flywheel. This gives you a more realistic riding experience than on a roller. 200 watts on the roller and on the spinning bike are basically the same power, but it's two different things for the body: if I ride 200 watts on the road with a cadence of 120 revolutions per minute, it's very unrhythmic. It's similar to roller training. If I ride at 50 or 60 km/h in the slipstream of a lorry with the same power, it feels much more normal - it's similar on the spinning bike.
As a rule, spinning means animated training with music and in groups. Can I use it to replace winter training on the bike?
I have not had any good experiences with the usual training offered in studios. We have athletes who regularly come for performance diagnostics and go spinning - several times a week for several months. I estimate that 18 out of 20 athletes' endurance levels deteriorate as a result of regular spinning: their anaerobic threshold drops and their fat metabolism deteriorates. The intensity and high cadence are probably responsible for this - and the fact that this training is not supplemented by longer sessions.
Does spinning make any sense at all?
Yes, if you combine it with endurance training on the road or long sessions on the spinning bike. If you use the spinning bike like an ergometer or roller, it is ideal.
Are spinning groups recommended?
Yes, if you use the training as an intensive pre-workout for a longer or strength-orientated unit. Spinning allows you to empty your glycogen stores a little and to preload both your motor skills and your entire metabolism and muscular system.
Interview: Andreas Kubli, Photo: Picture Alliance/DPA
