Running vs. Spinning

I generally run between 2-4 miles on the treadmill (bad shin splints) 3-5 times a week -- and, yesterday, for the first time, attended a spinning class at my gym. I literally fell off the bike about 10 minutes in when my calf tensed up. Quite entertaining for the other attendees..

Had a great time, enjoyed the fact that my shirt was completely transparent afterwords.

Was wondering how it compares to my typical work out? What's better for you- spinning or running?


(Take into account that I'll be coupling my running / spinning with light weight training)

 

Spinning offers a more efficient cal burn rate with lower impact.

Personally, I have been walking on my treadmill at incline 15 with 25# in a backpack lately.

 

speed/duration?

 

I learned the hard way not to run uphill so I limit my speed to 4MPH and I always do an hour.

 

I would advise against uphill walking if you are experiencing shin splints. The muscle that lifts the toes towards the knees is the anterior tibialis. When walking uphill this muscle will have to work more to clear your toe when bringing your foot forward during gait. You may create more irritation with uphill walking/running. There are also other reasons for shin splints, I.E. improper footwear, lack of arch support. Just my two cents.

 

Depends by what you're judging. The body's conditioning is very task-specific which practically means if you're conditioned in one cardio exercise you're not necessarily great at another. If by 'better for you' you mean from a cardiovascular benefit the best one is whichever you adhere to more and can apply the greatest work twds.

 

The are the same. Both get your heart rate up and that's all you're trying to do. Only difference is cycling offers lower impact and is better for your joints. Same with swimming.

If you have bad joints, cycling and swimming are a better option than running.

 

If you wanna work cardio, instead of 2-4 miles on the treader, try a good, slow warmup for 10 minutes or so, then wind sprints for say, 15 secs, at full blast -and- full incline on the treadmill, then rest 45 secs or so between them. Ten minutes of this and you'll be collapsed on the floor, but what a great heart workout. Takes a few days to recover, but this is way more efficient than just pounding away every day at a moderate pulse rate.

Intensity is the name of the game. HIGH intensity will produce an elevated heart rate for several days, but when recovered, your resting pulse(and cardio fitness) will be improved.

However, note that, by definition, high intensity means short, brief workouts, as it's impossible to go all out for great lengths of time.