Baqar Nasser and (top) trainers get into the spinning act at Gold’s Gym. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

Zaheer Khan’s stamina, Irfan Pathan’s strong limbs or Ishaa Koppikar’s washboard abs...

If your dream is to have any ? or all ? of these, it is time to go for a spin. Not in a car, but on a stationary bike.

Spinning is the latest craze in the fitness industry, grabbing a slot on just about everybody’s schedule.

“Spinning is an aerobic cardio workout that is done indoors and presents fabulous results in no time. It is basically stationary indoor cycling but is different from the usual treadmills,” says Baqar Nasser, spin master, who was in the city to train fitness instructors at the newly-opened Gold’s Gym.

“Spinning is indoor cycling done in a group with an instructor supervising the regime. The act of cycling usually continues up to an hour, depending upon the stamina of the participants,” explains Nasser.

But unlike many fitness programmes that call for a degree of athleticism, spinning is perfect for people of all categories ? from out-of-shape beginners to health freaks.

Spinning starts with a group of people cycling on bikes that are set to certain positions and resistance levels depending on the capacity and requirement of an individual. The cycles are set at varying speeds to maintain the desired heart rate.

After the warm-up phase is over, the fast phase begins. Bikers also have to replicate the uphill and downhill situations one faces while riding up or down a mountain.

Spinning studios are fitted with psychedelic lights and fast-paced pumping music to provide that enthusiasm and vigour. “One hour of spinning burns more than 750 calories,” smiles Nasser.

The expert has been spinning for years, starting outdoors, and has even held the position of national cycling champion for a number of years.

Then he joined a gymnasium in Mumbai to improve his fitness, when he happened to help out a few people on the treadmill. That’s when Nasser was roped in as an instructor.

After spin training at the Schwinn institute in the United States, he set up the first spinning studio in Delhi, followed by another in Mumbai, called Topspin.

Quite a few big names have taken to spinning with zeal. India’s pace pair of Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan spin at the Mumbai gym whenever they are in town.

“Andrew Leipus, the Indian team’s physical instructor, brought them over after he got positive results from spinning. Zaheer wants to enhance his endurance and Irfan spins to strengthen his knees,” reveals Nasser. Suniel Shetty, who has problems with his knees, spins thrice a week.

Spinning classes at Gold’s Gym will cost you Rs 2,500 per month. You can have as many sessions as you want, but the bike has to be booked a day in advance.