The most famous lesson from Les Mills is undoubtedly RPM, which literally stands for Raw Power in Motion. RPM is the workout when you want to lose weight or improve your fitness and endurance in a group setting. The class is conducted in an indoor spinning room at a gym, where you, along with an instructor, push and exceed the limits of your own abilities on a special bike. As mentioned, the class is conducted in a group setting, and because Les Mills introduces a new training every quarter, there is plenty of variety in the classes. Moreover, the classes are conducted to incredibly exhilarating and powerful music.
The lesson is based on the same principle as a spinning class. Both are derivatives of outdoor cycling as a cyclist. The literal translation of ‘spinning’ is ‘rapid rotation,’ and that’s exactly what you’ll do during a bike class.
History of Spinning
Spinning was invented in the 1980s by John Goldberg, a former cyclist. After being involved in an accident because he was hit in the dark during a training session for a race, he thought there must be a better and safer way. He devised a way to train indoors for his races. This led him to invent and design the first spinning bike. Johnny wanted to mimic cycling, but indoors. The bike he designed had a weighted flywheel instead of a front wheel, which could be adjusted from a resistance knob. This allowed him to increase the intensity if he wanted to. In addition to designing the bike, Johnny Goldberg also devised a training program that could be done indoors on the bike. His work garnered a lot of interest, and after a while, he started production of spinning bikes and classes with his partner John Baudhuin.
Doing RPM at Home?
If you want to cycle at home on a Spinning or RPM bike, check out the Body-Bikes range, the official bikes from Denmark used for RPM classes.
RPM by Les Mills
The RPM class by Les Mills is also an indoor cycling program, like spinning, but with special choreography that changes every 3 months. These classes can only be conducted by instructors who have obtained special licenses. In contrast to Spinning, which can theoretically be taught by any instructor. The music during the classes is synchronized with the choreography, providing a lot of intensity and inspiration. The RPM class often has a certain structure that looks like this:
Warm-up
Pace increase
Hills
Mixed terrain
Climb
Sprint
Return journey
Stretch
Losing Weight with RPM
There is a great advantage to doing RPM or spinning, namely the number of calories you burn. In a study conducted by Les Mills itself, it was found that during an RPM class, you can burn over 600 calories. Below is an overview of the calories burned during other classes:
| Class | Calories Burned (female) | Calories Burned (male) |
| BodyPump | 438 | 589 |
| BodyCombat | 417 | 605 |
| BodyAttack | 695 | 740 |
| BodyStep | 575 | 605 |
| RPM | 685 | 619 |
| BodyJam | 377 | 413 |
| BodyBalance | 267 | 305 |
RPM Warm-up
As with many other sports, warming up is very important when cycling. Unlike other sports, you can start cycling immediately and begin at a low pace with little to no resistance. This activates your body, increases your heart rate, your breathing, and your blood circulation. The warm-up for RPM lasts about 5 to 10 minutes.
Then the pace is increased, and you’ll have to pedal harder. At this point, there is still little resistance, and even with your basic fitness, this part of the class should go well. You’ll notice that the music during this part of the class is more invigorating than during the warm-up.
After picking up the pace, you’ll encounter the first hills and you’ll have to climb. You climb by turning the resistance knob so that it really feels like you’re climbing a hill. Depending on the class, the instructor will indicate how much resistance you should add. At this stage, it’s often not necessary to change position, and you’ll mainly have to get through the climb while sitting. During the climb, you’ll notice that with this group class, a lot is demanded of the leg muscles, especially the quadriceps.
After the first climb, you’ll cycle through mixed terrain for a while where you can relax a bit. This relaxation is interspersed with sprints in between. To maintain speed, interval sections are often covered after the first climb.
Now you’ve arrived at the heavy mountain climb. The resistance knob will be opened much further, and you’ll really have to stand up on your bike to complete the mountain climb. The route has become considerably steeper, and the music is now more intense.
After the mountain climb, the return route follows, which is focused on recovery. Just before you dismount, some stretching exercises are done. You also do stretching when you finish the class.
RPM Benefits
- Improvement in fitness
- Increasing muscle endurance
- Increasing leg muscle strength
- Burning calories, burning as much as 850 calories in 50 minutes during a class
- Production of endorphins, making you feel happier
Video RPM Les Mills
Who is RPM Suitable For
RPM is an indoor spinning group class that is suitable for anyone in principle. The advantage is that you can determine the intensity of the training yourself by means of the resistance knob. This way, as a participant in a class, you can adjust the intensity to your own body and endurance. But this doesn’t mean that every class will be easy because the instructor will certainly make sure that you push your limit and go beyond it. And for those who find fitness boring and uninteresting, RPM can be a solution because the program looks different every 3 months.
Difference Between RPM and Spinning
As indicated, both RPM and Spinning are indoor cycling classes in group settings. The major difference between the two is that RPM is a patented class, and without a Les Mills license, you cannot teach it. This ensures a level of quality in terms of trained instructors. Variety is provided through the 3-month choreography.
Spinning, on the other hand, can be taught by any instructor. The instructor may design their own classes, which is not the case with RPM.
