A trip to the gym

One of my guilty pleasures is to watch missed episodes of The Biggest Loser on my iPhone while at the gym. Somehow it helps me push myself just a little harder. If they can do it—I can do it.

Tonight I headed over to Anytime Fitness to get my spin on. I climbed aboard a typical spinning cycle, indulging myself in an old episode of BL. As I watched Jillian & Bob yelling at contestants to pedal harder, faster on their stationary bikes it made me a bit envious. It is so much easier when someone is pushing you. I did my best to turn up the heat for myself, but . . . it doesn't compare. Being the podcast junkie that I am, it occurred to me that someone, somewhere, has to be producing spinning podcasts. At the very least there has to be a cd for sale.

As I searched Amazon.com I found a plethora of resources. There are books, DVDs, and CDs on the subject. In my search for podcasts I found Spinning Southward, Cadence Revolution, and Indoor Cycle Instructor. I wasn't sure where to begin first, but the best graphics won out. (This is why good graphic design is important. It does all the selling for you.) I am downloading the podcast now and I'll share my opinion of it later in the week. If you know of some good spinning resources send them on over to stpexperiment@gmail.com and we'll share them on the blog.

One other item I'd like to share from tonight's visit to the gym is an equipment tidbit. The gym has added a couple new spinning cycles. These babies come with screens and not your average t.v. watching screens. They are Expresso bikes and they simulate a bike ride. It is much like a video game. You see where you're going, you can see other riders on the road, and the handles move just like those on a real bike. And as the terrain changes so does your tension, which can be adjusted by your "gears" on the cycle. It was pretty fun. It definitely breaks up the monotony. If you find one at your gym give it a shot. You might like it.

Have you tried the Expresso bike? What are your thoughts? Shoot us an email and we'll share your thoughts with our readers!