In the Sept. 14 issue of the Sheaf, I took the plunge into fitness classes at the Physical Activity Complex with the yoga class. This week, in a decided change of pace, I will review the spin and sculpt combo class.

The spin and sculpt class is one of the few fitness classes that covers two exercises that normally have their own classes. So, for the first half-hour of the hour-long block, the class focused on cardio-intense spinning, and the second half-hour centred around lifting weights. For those who don’t know, spin is intense cardio exercise done on a stationary bicycle to the beat of fast-paced music, often electronica or top-40 remixes.

I have never been a fan of cardio, but I figured I would be able to manage half an hour on a stationary bike. I was wrong. This class was far more intense than I had imagined, and I only managed about 10 minutes before I began to lower the resistance on my bike in order to avoid puking in the middle of the class.

You don’t really get off the bike much during the whole first half-hour, so if you forget to bring a water bottle — like me — you’ll have to make awkward trips out of the room to get water from the fountain. The entire class is rigidly structured to the custom music played during its duration, and there are breaks built in, but the expectation is that you only slow down a bit and take a swig of water for about 30 seconds before going back to it.

The sculpt portion of the class is structured much like the spin portion, but the constant biking is replaced with low-weight, high-repetition exercise to the same kind of music. Overall, I didn’t find this portion that overwhelming, but this may have been because I cheated my way through the spinning.

I wouldn’t recommend this class to those who aren’t training for something or really into cardio. It could be overwhelming and potentially disheartening to some if it becomes too much for them. One thing this class is certainly good for, though, is to try out spin without committing to a full hour.

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Jack Thompson / Sports & Health Editor

Graphic: Jaymie Stachyruk