Well tonight I decided to try out attack, even thought I think it might be a bit much for my hips at the moment (running and bodypump seem to aggravate me), but there wasn’t really any other classes I wanted to do, so I decided that I could do low impact if necessary.
But when I got there it turned out the instructor was sick and they couldn’t get a replacement, so they had RPM instead. I was nearly going to go into the gym room instead and do my own cardio workout, but then I grudgingly decided to give RPM a go.
I guess this was the best RPM class I’ve ever done, the instructor was very very good…..or at least seemed to be as he was talking dutch most of the time. But as I introduced myself to him before the class, he new I spoke English and also new I didn’t know much about RPM, so when necessary he reverted to English for me during the class which was very nice. He’s the first instructor who has done that!
I can’t say I’m converted, but the class was good (for an RPM class) and I did get a workout. I have changed my mind on one point though. I used to think in RPM it was possible to “coast” during the class, so it required your own motivation to turn up the dial. Whereas, say with attack, if you just follow the moves (even with bad technique) you’ll still get a workout. RPM’ers in the past had tried to say “no, you can’t coast, it’s a hard class, blah blah”. But I didn’t believe them.
I now realise they were right. Even if you take it easy, if you just follow the class and do RPM how you’re supposed to (standing up, sitting down, sprinting etc), you WILL get a workout.
However next week I do hope the attack instructor is back 😉
Haha coast in RPM, that’s funny 🙂 I remember a few weeks ago a friend and I were trying to learn RPM choreography and so were riding it, but trying to do it just pretty low-key as we’d already done a ton that day. Yet low and behold, Mr Heart Rate Monitor tells me that even when I’m TRYING to cruise through RPM, my HR is at 170 bpm!
Give RPM another go – it’s fab, and wonderful for it’s simplicity! You don’t have to think, just ride, and you get the work you want.