Getting real with the bingo wings: Spinning for the loose of upper arm

I’ve always been a fan of spinning. For the uninitiated, it’s an intense exercise class where you cycle faster and slower, using resistance, on static bikes. So when I heard about Real Ryder - spinning on bikes that have a huge balancing weight under the handlebars, which makes them lean as you cycle - I was intrigued.

Add in the need to tone up for a forthcoming bridesmaid dress fitting, and I was ready to go for the burn! They say be careful what you wish for, as this was certainly the fast way to tone up and feel fit.  And class instructor Hilary Bass-Rifkin at Lomax Chelsea was taking no prisoners.

With no other newbies in the class I position myself opposite Hilary – some people hate being in the teacher’s view but believe me, when you’re on a bike that sways about half a metre to the left or right, you want the teacher to be able to check you’re doing this properly!

Grabbing the bike to get on, I burst into giggles as it bounces towards me like those toys at the playground that kids rock backwards and forward on. Once I’m on, cycling feels like running on jelly. Or how I imagine running on jelly would feel. The bike sways beneath me and I soon realise this is going to be a lot more challenging than ‘normal’ spinning.

[No time to workout? Tabata means you have no excuse now (sorry)]
[Is the 4:3 diet the new 5:2? (Clue: No)]

The handlebars swing left and right very easily, and once I’m used to the motion, I get a rhythm going and began to relax. This all sounds a bit intimate, but believe me, it’s full on cardio, no time for double ententres!

Steadying the bike isn’t quite as simple, and the more practised members of the class manage it a lot more effortlessly than me.

We ‘up’ the resistance, peddling harder, like going up a hill. We have to lift our bottoms out of the seats - all the time either swinging the handlebars or trying to balance them straight. Whichever it is, the upper body is working out BIG TIME. If you’re used to cardio, want to step things up a gear and tone your upper body and abs, this is for you.

‘Think bridesmaid bingo wings!’ I repeat to myself as we move into a more intense track, cycling really fast, with press ups, tricep dips and swinging the handlebars. At one point I feel like I might take off sideways and fly across the room Bridget Jones-style. But the more I get used to the weight of the bike and the motion, the more confidence I have.

I wobble a little on the way home, my quads totally worn out. The next day, I am a little sore (but then I always am in the quads after any new exercise), and I’m a little saddle sore too. But I’d choose this over static spinning any day. It’s like injecting the usual class with adrenaline (and a little jelly). Now, everyone likes a little jelly - just not on our bingo wings.

Find out more at RealRyder International.