# Spinning Classes



## leighd (2 Oct 2009)

Does anyone here go to any studi cycling classes? Are they any good?


----------



## BearPear (2 Oct 2009)

I used to go at least once a week (change in work scuppered that though).
It is a fantastic workout, if you put the effort in. You need to make sure that you know how to set up an operate your bike and listen to your instructor.
Since taking up cycling, I now realise that it is all about cadence, but I always called it aerobics on a bike!
I would recommend it!


----------



## Fab Foodie (2 Oct 2009)

I went once and it nearly killed-me!
Firstly I didn't not find it was like being on a bike, more like a piece of apparatus.
Secondly it was blisteringly hot, why do they think making you loose 5 pints of sweat a good thing?
Thirdly, I realised I preferred the turbo in the garage on a proper bike in the cool listening to my ipod than the whole gym-bunny go-for-the-burn stuff.... The scenery's better at the Gym though!

I do go to body-balance with Mrs FF out of the club season which is good for stretching and core strength and scenery!


----------



## I am Spartacus (2 Oct 2009)

I admit to a vested interest as a Spinning instructor.
I make my classes relate to cycling as opposed to an aerobics instructor sat on a piece of cycling shaped equipment who usually has no idea about cycling , no interest in cycling.. who treats the class as aerobics with handlebars.
If you sweat a lot, then replace the fluids accordingly.
Studios however should be a/c or at least with multiple fans.
Enjoy.
You are welcome at any of my classes, as long as you pay at the door!


----------



## Dan B (2 Oct 2009)

A long long time ago on a forum far away


dan_b said:


> Summary, then. In no particular order :
> 
> 
> The bikes are basically yer standard (yes, lemming, upright) exercise bikes, with variable resistance using a friction band against what I assume is an enclosed flywheel. Water bottle mount. Pedals have toeclips, not SPD. Padded saddle. No HRM or fancy electronic stuff
> ...


----------



## Jonathan M (2 Oct 2009)

I'm a bit of a fan of well run spinning classes, and by well run I mean an instructor like Spartacus who relates what is happening to cycling rather than high HR, low resistance, fast leg speed aerobics.
Up until February this year I was a regular (before I became unwell) and am getting to the point where I feel fit enough to go and torture myself again. 2 or 3 midweek spinning classes plus a longer ride at weekends in the real world were making a massive difference to my fitness and weight loss.

I also agree that the scenary inside a spin class can be very nice!


----------



## TheKay (2 Oct 2009)

I love it!!

I used to do spin/rpm classes 3 times a week but now just do Wednesdays at my local gym as Wednesday is the hardest class, once i got used to that the other classes didn't seem so challenging. It all depends the instructor though and what kind of routine and music mix they do.


----------



## Dayvo (2 Oct 2009)

When I was living in Stockholm, I did four-five spin classes a week during the non-summer seasons and loved it.

I'm looking into the feasibility of qualifying as a spinning instructor at some stage.


----------



## Fiona N (3 Oct 2009)

When I lived in Italy, there were spinning classes at the local gym run by the coach from the local cycle (racing) club, so the classes attracted quite a number of cyclists rather than gym bunnies. What was really nice was that someone had video-ed some of the local roads (possibly with the camera in a car as the speed didn't seem to drop much on the climbs) and these were projected onto the back wall of the squash court used for the classes. It wasn't anything fancy just a continuous moving vista but it took your mind off the pain


----------



## ASC1951 (3 Oct 2009)

Dayvo said:


> I'm looking into the feasibility of qualifying as a spinning instructor at some stage.


You might have a look here - www.focus-training.com

NB 
1. Commercial plug - I'm a non-exec director there.
2. No use if you _are_ actually in oSlo. We cover quite a lot of the UK, but that's all.


----------



## Crash (3 Oct 2009)

Did my first spin class last week and to keep the fun in cycling for the coming winter months it will do for me 

It does get very hot and breathing can be difficult but when you exercise outside daily then going indoors is going to take a while to get used to i guess.


----------



## I am Spartacus (3 Oct 2009)

Dayvo said:


> When I was living in Stockholm, I did four-five spin classes a week during the non-summer seasons and loved it.
> 
> I'm looking into the feasibility of qualifying as a spinning instructor at some stage.


I see someone has mentioned Focus training.
There are a number of training providers and the costs of the courses can vary.
However, I did mine (started at Gym Instruction Level 2 NVQ) with a local college - and the price was very competitive to put it mildly.

Point of note you need at least level 2 fitness instructor before you can go on to qualify as an indoor cycling instructor.

I continued on with the college to gain level 3 personal trainer award with REPS membership.

If anyone wants any further guidance as it is a confusing area then you can send pm if you wish.


----------



## ASC1951 (8 Oct 2009)

I am Spartacus said:


> I see someone has mentioned Focus training.
> There are a number of training providers and the costs of the courses can vary.
> However, I did mine (started at Gym Instruction Level 2 NVQ) with a local college - and the price was very competitive to put it mildly.
> 
> ... it is a confusing area....


It is a confusing area, as Spartacus says. 
I mentioned Focus Training - with a disclaimer - because it the provider that I have personal knowledge of. 

The advantage of doing these qualifications through a college is that they are publicly funded so often much cheaper and sometimes free. 
The disadvantage of using a college is that because of the way colleges are set up and staffed, most of their courses are delivered part time over an academic year. Usually the staff teaching those courses are part time, too, so it can be difficult to get support and assistance outside their teaching hours.

Private sector training companies are not tied to the academic year so their courses are usually much more intensive i.e. the same number of hours, but over a shorter period. We find at Focus that most of our students are people who will get a higher paid job as soon as they have the relevant qualification, so the extra cost of the course is more than made up by being qualified in five months rather than twelve; our trainers are full time, too, so we are able to give full time support, which many students find very useful.

Colleges and private providers generally train to the same external qualifications, so at the end of the day it depends what your personal circumstances are. Some people will be better using a private training provider, others would be more sensible to do it through their local college.


----------



## jimboalee (8 Oct 2009)

I did one spinning class as part of my Fitness Instructor training. YMCA Gym Instruction Level 2. Solihull College.

The bikes did not have any kind of power readout, so you can only assess the pupil's intensity by looking into their faces and counting the beads of sweat.

As training sessions go, I much prefer the upright bike with a Watts readout.
I do intervals. I do endurance. I do power sessions.

One hour of good interval/power riding on an upright gym bike is worth 2 1/2 hours of riding round the roads. There are not many opportunities to get 350 Watts output for five LONG minutes on the road.

I give Spin Classes a miss.


----------



## I am Spartacus (8 Oct 2009)

People however do like the group instruction thing tho'
I agree with the power .. that is too subjective .. hence I treat a SPIN class as a CV session in the main. It is a good job that cycling is an aerobic 'sport'  
If people wanna 'cheat' by not having enough resistance, well fine ..it is not up to me to criticise them.
Hopefully one day .. gyms will kitted out with the WATT bike or the Startrac bike with power output.. all connected to a plasma screen above the instructor.. then there will be no hiding place.
Up to that point, people like their quick 45 min session to at least gain some benefits and pay me some form of meagre living..........and I do mean meagre.. if I didnt love it , I certainly wouldnt do it


----------



## jimboalee (9 Oct 2009)

I am Spartacus said:


> People however do like the group instruction thing tho'
> I agree with the power .. that is too subjective .. hence I treat a SPIN class as a CV session in the main. It is a good job that *cycling is an aerobic 'sport'*
> If people wanna 'cheat' by not having enough resistance, well fine ..it is not up to me to criticise them.
> Hopefully one day .. gyms will kitted out with the WATT bike or the Startrac bike with power output.. all connected to a plasma screen above the instructor.. then there will be no hiding place.
> Up to that point, people like their quick 45 min session to at least gain some benefits and pay me some form of meagre living..........and I do mean meagre.. if I didnt love it , I certainly wouldnt do it



You never push your clients into 'Anaerobic glycolysis'??? 

Sorry mate, Spin classes ARE cardiovascular and work in the aerobic exercise intensity range.

I personally regard 45 minutes of aerobic CV exercise as a waste of time if the clients are going to pour Carling down their throats and treat themselves to a chicken balti for 'all that hard work'.

But as long as the cash comes rolling in ( and they are there again next week ), I don't suppose you're too worried.


----------



## I am Spartacus (9 Oct 2009)

jimboalee said:


> You never push your clients into 'Anaerobic glycolysis'???
> 
> Sorry mate, Spin classes ARE cardiovascular and work in the aerobic exercise intensity range.



You lost me there, I thought I said that they were ...? cardio I mean...
I don't object if someone wants to redline it and chucks up in the corner, but they never do


----------



## scots_lass (9 Oct 2009)

Having just joined a gym a few weeks ago to get my general fitness levels up, I am looking forward to doing the spin classes. Probably won't be saying that after my first one but hey ho!


----------



## jimboalee (10 Oct 2009)

scots_lass said:


> Having just joined a gym a few weeks ago to get my general fitness levels up, I am looking forward to doing the spin classes. Probably won't be saying that after my first one but hey ho!



Here's a tip for a newbie Spin class victim.

Get to the gym half an hour early.
Warm up properly on the upright bike and then do lots of stretches.

Go back on the upright bike to keep the blood flowing until the spin class starts.


----------



## Bill Gates (10 Oct 2009)

jimboalee said:


> I did one spinning class as part of my Fitness Instructor training. YMCA Gym Instruction Level 2. Solihull College.
> 
> The bikes did not have any kind of power readout, so you can only assess the pupil's intensity by looking into their faces and counting the beads of sweat.
> 
> ...




Surely riding on the road for 2.5 hours and giving it welly on a gym bike are not the same for training purposes, therefore shouldn't be compared in that one is better than or the same as the other.

I don't know where you ride but on the roads where I train most everywhere has an opportunity to get 350 watts for 5 LONG minutes.:arrow:


----------



## jimboalee (10 Oct 2009)

Bill Gates said:


> Surely riding on the road for 2.5 hours and giving it welly on a gym bike are not the same for training purposes, therefore shouldn't be compared in that one is better than or the same as the other.
> 
> I don't know where you ride but on the roads *where I train most everywhere has an opportunity to get 350 watts for 5 LONG minutes*.



Then count yourself as very lucky.:arrow:


----------



## Bill Gates (10 Oct 2009)

jimboalee said:


> Then count yourself as very lucky.



Lucky to find a bit of road where you can ride flat out for 5 minutes with no RAB's, turns or TL's? Are you having a laugh?


----------



## scots_lass (11 Oct 2009)

jimboalee said:


> Here's a tip for a newbie Spin class victim.
> 
> Get to the gym half an hour early.
> Warm up properly on the upright bike and then do lots of stretches.
> ...



That sounds like a good bit of advice. I shall follow this when I get my courage up for the first class!


----------



## scots_lass (11 Oct 2009)

Although I am a bit concerned over the use of the word '*victim'*!


----------



## Jonathan M (13 Oct 2009)

scots_lass said:


> Although I am a bit concerned over the use of the word '*victim'*!



If you've done any amount of cycling recently then you'll cope well with a spin class, just ride within your own limits until you get a feel for what the instructor is trying to do. 

Also if you are a member of a gym chain then different local "outlets" will have different instructors, each with different techniques. I found my most local JJB/DW gym had an instructor who was quite clear; she didn't do "spinning", it was "indoor cycling", and I found that manner of training really good for cycling fitness.


----------



## I am Spartacus (13 Oct 2009)

Jonathan M said:


> she didn't do "spinning", it was "indoor cycling",



Just to clarify:

She couldnt call it SPINNING due to licence regulations.
Spin Spinning Spinner are all registered trademarks and as such use of them by fitness clubs is regulated.


----------



## threebikesmcginty (13 Oct 2009)

I do quite a lot of cycling, gym and swimming too and thought the spin class would be a bit of fun but it nearly killed me - it was torture, never again!


----------



## Campfire (13 Oct 2009)

I used to do spinning about 2/3 times a week when I was doing quite a lot of cycling. I loved it! In fact sometimes we did a double class. I stopped doing it when I had to give up for 6 weeks because of an eye opertion (there's a lot of pressure when you're doing it which would have been bad). 

Naturally it was difficult to get back the same level of fitness on my return. I then decided that really apart from getting the feeling that you were chasing the bunch, it was quite an unnatural way of cycling for me, that is. You wouldn't normally spin your legs off on a bike - you'd go up a few gears. You wouldn't also kill yourself with too high a gear, you'd go down a few gears. At that time also I had a knee problem and whilst the fast spinning didn't seem to harm, the hard high gearing did hurt.

I think it's just a matter of personal choice. Had I not had those setbacks I'd probably still be doing it.


----------



## Crash (13 Oct 2009)

Anyone do vibe cycling classes ?

The instructor wanted to try something different at the end of yesterdays class and got us to do Vibe cycling  TBH that stuff is not for me. Hope it's not a regular thing.


----------



## I am Spartacus (13 Oct 2009)

Dunno about Vibe... just another faddy fitness industry wannabe craze that will crash and burn.. however good IDC will remain good IDC for ever and a day despite the naysayers.
If that instructor was wanting to faff around with a new 'concept' was he or she running out of ideas..??? probably best to find another instructor


----------



## Crash (13 Oct 2009)

It wasn't the usual instructor and normal service will resume next week 

TBH it seemed like a crap idea

Spartacus as a spinning instructor do you find some people use the classes as a social activity and not as a means to get fit ?

Looking around yesterday i got the impression that some of them were not even interested in breaking into a sweat !!!!


----------



## I am Spartacus (13 Oct 2009)

Good question!
Yes, you can get the occasional 'chatterbox' and mate ( I am not going to divulge the gender).
I don't get it often.
When I have had to deal with in the past.. the solution I use.. this may differ form instructor to instructor..
I will not make an issue of it during the class as that can be as disruptive...
I tend to find myself racking up the ante after the warm up.. I will use my 'steely gaze '  to focus on said people who seem to have breath enough to continue to gossip.. 
Somehow, after I have encouraged the workload upwards.. miraculously, they dont have capacity left in them to make conversation worthwhile....too busy getting on with what they are supposed to be there for.

As to some not breaking a sweat... well there isnt a great deal you can physically do.
This is where the instructor needs to vocalise the benefits of CV work and to encourage good technique. Thats the job of an instructor.

That said.. rapport is good.. but in my local council classes, I get a higher number of freshers.. and they tend to be quieter and prone to stick to the back of the class.

All in all it is not a big problem for me.


----------



## Crash (13 Oct 2009)

Yeah I don't think as such it was a problem, i just approach the class as a bloody good work out and punish my body accordingly regardless of what everyone else doing  

I just found it a strange place to find people who were adverse to exercise lol


----------



## fenman (15 Oct 2009)

use spin class as recovery ride on mondays & wednesday. Do sunday ride of 65/80 miles and about 60/70 on tuesdays. still never manage to get h/r up to road rides ave. on these classes . New trainer taking mondays class even music is c*** 
looks like tights and mudgards on and out on the road


----------



## fossyant (15 Oct 2009)

If anywhere near Manchester, come on dan_bo's track sessions at the velodrome.....

Good god, you'll kill yourself...

Me..back to training mode...instructor says...intervals...3 mins on, 1 min rest, 2 mins on, 1 min on, and rest...... guess who went 100% for those intervals, and nearly died....... :?: and forgot about the other 1 hour and 3/4 qtrs 

Don't go 100% into training mode......not funny in a 2 hour session..... I suppose it's the same for spin, don't go into bike mode.......... I dunno what's 50% of max......??? Long rides are done at about a bit below eye balls out mode.........practice I think....


----------



## I am Spartacus (16 Oct 2009)

fenman said:


> still never manage to get h/r up to road rides ave. on these classes . New trainer taking mondays class even music is c***
> looks like tights and mudgards on and out on the road



I can't qualify the music on offer ( I enjoy creating music mixes to use in class) but if you struggle to raise HR try
Spin up to 90 with light /moderate resistance on
Stay at 90
Twist the resistance up a few times... more if necessary
Stay at 90 and continue for 30 seconds
Release
recover 90 seconds
Repeat 

I think your HR will show appropriate levels ...

You'll probably have to ignore the instructor tho'


----------



## fenman (18 Oct 2009)

on the road today good ride , hilly route 4 of us out h/r max 182 ave h/r 142 max speed 40.6 mph probably where i got max h/r !! still better than spin class


----------



## I am Spartacus (19 Oct 2009)

Good point... (hilly..? Cambridgeshire..?? ) however, 
the discussion is really not about indoor cycling being 'better' than cycling outdoors.
That is a 'no brainer' .
It is about a cycling connected exercise regime that can assist with specific fitness qualities required in cycling.


----------



## Crash (20 Oct 2009)

Think the instructor purposely tried to turn me into a quivering wreck yesterday in the class, i could say she tried to turn the whole class into quivering wrecks but that wouldn't have helped me get through it. 

I HAD to take it personally to fight through it


----------



## jimboalee (21 Oct 2009)

Crash said:


> Think the instructor purposely tried to turn me into a quivering wreck yesterday in the class, i could say she tried to turn the whole class into quivering wrecks but that wouldn't have helped me get through it.
> 
> I HAD to take it personally to fight through it



If you don't want to be a quivering wreck, DON'T go to Spin classes !!


----------



## Ranger (21 Oct 2009)

I'm going to my first class tonight and after my fitness assessment (lots overweight and slightly raised blood pressure) I am a bit worried I am going to have a heart attack during it.

Strangely enough I still seem able to keep up with all but the racing snakes on my 12 miles commute though, perhaps I need to make more of an effort


----------



## I am Spartacus (21 Oct 2009)

Ranger said:


> bit worried I am going to have a heart attack during it.



ok.. CPR uptodate .. check...
ah Edinburgh..
thats ok then..
you have permission to fall off bike


----------



## fenman (21 Oct 2009)

I live in cambs/northants/lincs border area so tend to head out to northants nice and lumpy out there also tend to do rutland as well ( new instructor on monday spin, good workout as a recovery ride) music?


----------



## Ranger (22 Oct 2009)

I am Spartacus said:


> ok.. CPR uptodate .. check...
> ah Edinburgh..
> thats ok then..
> you have permission to fall off bike



No heart attack, just a couple of close your eyes, grin and go through the pain and feel the rush afterwards moments


----------



## SilverSurfer (23 Oct 2009)

I love spinning. Most of my cycling buddies hate it cos it's 'not like cycling'.

I think that they struggle with the abstract. I find it a bit like cartoon cycling and can end up in a trance-like state with eyes closed.

I even get excited before we start on the 'journey'. 

Sometimes I even prefer spinning to real cycling. 

I'm strange I guess.


----------



## Dayvo (23 Oct 2009)

SilverSurfer said:


> I love spinning. Most of my cycling buddies hate it cos it's 'not like cycling'.
> 
> I think that they struggle with the abstract. I find it a bit like cartoon cycling and can end up in a trance-like state with eyes closed.
> 
> ...



Nothing beats being outside on a bike, but I share your enthusiasm about spinning classes!


----------



## SilverSurfer (24 Oct 2009)

Yeah that last one only really applies when things are a bit stale and samey


----------



## Smudgley (26 Oct 2009)

I've been to my first spinning class this evening. My mate has been asking me to go for weeks, so I did. It was good. I found it really hard but enjoyed it. I went because I need to build up my general fitness & loose weight & my mate has been doing spinning classes since March & looks great. I am going to find a class nearer to home though as this one is 7pm and near work so I had over an hours drive to get home after the class, making the day a very long one!


----------



## Ashtrayhead (29 Oct 2009)

****Ping*** I am Spartacus*

I am Spartacus...............

I've sent you a pm with a couple of questions!


----------



## I am Spartacus (29 Oct 2009)

Ashtrayhead said:


> I am Spartacus...............
> 
> I've sent you a pm with a couple of questions!


Replied


----------



## Ashtrayhead (29 Oct 2009)

I am Spartacus said:


> Replied




Got it! Thanks for the speedy reply! Very helpful too!


----------



## Smudgley (29 Oct 2009)

I've been spinning again tonight. 
there were lots of cyclists there tonight (as opposed to non-cyclists at Mondays class) 

Loved it again!


----------



## Ranger (30 Oct 2009)

I think someone must have upset our spin instructor before the lesson, he warned us at the beginning that the resistance would only be going one way after the warm up. I thought he was joking.

It was 45 minutes of pain, at one point I put a quarter of a turn on and the pedals just stopped. I couldn't even turn them over standing up, most of us could barely walk out of the class at the end


----------



## montage (30 Oct 2009)

Dayvo said:


> Nothing beats being outside on a bike, but I share your enthusiasm about spinning cl asses!



Agreed


----------



## I am Spartacus (2 Nov 2009)

Must be cat flu kicking in as I have ended up with 6 SPIN classes to cover this week.. anyways I dont normally add to the nutrition argument about protein and carbs.. I leave that to the others who have their opinions guided by party lines..
but I do want to bring to attention a bit of a bargain for us who needt o have help with muscle repair and sadly what can afflict some of us = hypotrophy despite best efforts.. 
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=1892&prodid=2070

It on very good offer..
this not only has magnesium but also a protein hit of 35gms per 100gms .. can't be bad
and
full of ya luvverly oils as well..

now for me second carbo loading


----------



## jonny jeez (3 Nov 2009)

Sorry, really late in finding this one.....


I used to be an avid fan of "spin" classes… I took 3 classes a week (sometimes two hours long each) and loved them, lost over 2 stone and was the fittest I had been in a few years. I felt invincible after every class and usually went on to do around 30 minutes weights and then a swim 40 lengths (front crawl at pace) straignt after the class...seriously, it was fantastic

But.

It's hard work, especially on the heart.

I used to go to Virgin health in Bromley (previously Holmes place) and I am afraid to tell you that two of the guys I rode with both suffered heart attacks "on the bike" and tragically died as a result, one in the room whilst the class looked on in horror.

In addition, one of the instructor's that I had, suffered an aneurism whilst taking the class and collapsed vomiting and was rushed to hospital for emmergency brain surgery (she made a full recovery) admittedly this could have struck at any time ....and she was a multi-marathon athlete so was extremely fit.

The other instructor who witnessed both fatal heart attacks, can no longer take a class, I recall her name way Yvette, (she was fab and now does circuit training I believe)

I cancelled my classes due to work changes (not the above) and subsequently cancelled my gym membership as I took up riding to work instead (a great move).

This issue was not reported in any local papers and never made any headlines (that i noticed) despite a senior police officer attending to one of the victims and complaining about lack of CPR equipment within the facility.

Sorry to be so frank about a really tragic occurrence (especially if anyone is known or related to the two chaps in that I mentioned) but the impact of spin classes on the un-trained cannot be underestimated.

Take it really easy for a good few weeks before trying to keep up with the hard core spinners


----------



## I am Spartacus (3 Nov 2009)

jonny jeez said:


> [ complaining about lack of CPR equipment within the facility



Quite a story 
The only CPR equipment you actually need is 
the training on how to administer it
A loud voice to shout for help
A phone to make that 999 call

If you manage to keep a heart attack victim alive using CPR until the paramedic arrives then you have fulfilled your side of the bargain


----------



## jonny jeez (3 Nov 2009)

I am Spartacus said:


>



Glad you found it ....."amusing" .....B) 

Spartacus, you seem to be in "this game" perhaps you can contact somebody down at Virgin Active in Bromley, Kent 020 8290 8900..preferebly Yvette and find out exactly what it was that the PC in question was complaining about (She may have wanted to see CPR kit on hand, maybe re-sus kit, I'm not a Doctor, so I apologise if my terminology is not correct)


----------



## I am Spartacus (3 Nov 2009)

No I am not being frivolous at all... but I have had a few years under me belt in the fitness game and have YET (touch wood) to be confronted by a potential life and death situation brought on by over exertion...
All instructors should have a current CPR cert.
Again all your need is the knowledge and training.... Red Cross etc 
The plod may have been thinking about de fibs.. only some establishments have them.

However this is the point.. we are NOT medics.. I would NOT like to shoot a cardiac arrest bod with whatever volts these things have...
It has been proven time and time again that CPR can save lives if you knuckle down and get on with it UNTIL the emergency services arrive on scene.
Everyone can do their bit
http://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=40686


----------



## Ranger (3 Nov 2009)

jonny jeez said:


> Glad you found it ....."amusing" .....B)
> 
> Spartacus, you seem to be in "this game" perhaps you can contact somebody down at Virgin Active in Bromley, Kent 020 8290 8900..preferebly Yvette and find out exactly what it was that the PC in question was complaining about (She may have wanted to see CPR kit on hand, maybe re-sus kit, I'm not a Doctor, so I apologise if my terminology is not correct)



The reply may not have been amusing, but the fact is a PC (or even a senior police officer) is not someone I would take advice on first aid requirements from. They may have been talking about a defibrillator, but these are only an option in certain cases and you wouldn't have been able to tell at the scene if this was one of those.

However, I would expect gym instructors to be trained in first aid and know how to administer CPR until a paramedic arrives. Unfortunately, despite what is shown on TV you are very, very unlikely to restart someone's heart through CPR, you need to rely on the paramedic with their pharmacy and all the right kit.


----------



## jonny jeez (3 Nov 2009)

I am Spartacus said:


> No I am not being frivolous at all... but I have had a few years under me belt in the fitness game and have YET (touch wood) to be confronted by a potential life and death situation brought on by over exertion...
> All instructors should have a current CPR cert.
> Again all your need is the knowledge and training.... Red Cross etc
> The plod may have been thinking about de fibs.. only some establishments have them.
> ...


Fair enough.

I know that the "word" around the gym was that the first fatality was related to a pre-existing condition, but I cannot comment on the second as I just don't know.

Good point on the administering of Aid, I'm not sure I would like to have to use one of those high voltage devices myself...funny enough I am attending the St john first aid at work course on the 17/18/19 so may, one day, be asked to.

But in all seriousness, if there is such thing as an "instructors" network then please feel free to try and find out what happened as I think it stinks that it was not reported at all.


----------



## Smudgley (3 Nov 2009)

2 hour long classes?


----------



## jonny jeez (3 Nov 2009)

Smudgley said:


> 2 hour long classes?



A double 1 hour class..they ran from about 6.30 in the evening at Virgin, so I would often join the first class (replacing the pedals with my own the clipless ones...I even carried my own spanner!!) and carry on through the next...I really had no trouble doing it at the time... I was a bit addictied.


----------



## Ranger (4 Nov 2009)

jonny jeez said:


> Fair enough.
> 
> I know that the "word" around the gym was that the first fatality was related to a pre-existing condition, but I cannot comment on the second as I just don't know.
> 
> ...



Defibs are easy enough to use, they have a little woman inside them that tells you what to do (most married men find that quite normal) but you will not cover them in a standard first aid at work course, it is an extra half days training annually where you learn more about what a defibrillator does. 

They actually stop the heart beating by passing an electric current through the chest and then the heart will hopefully start beating in a normal way  instead of fibrillating (pumping without a rhythm)


----------

