Indoor Cycling Workouts

You might not be going anywhere when using a stationary bike, but that doesn’t mean that using it has to be boring. Workouts are generally more manageable when you set goals, and there’s a variation to the machine’s use. Y

ou could even change up your exercise once in a while or each time to prevent yourself from getting bored. Stationary bikes are no exception. There are multiple training techniques and tactics that can help motivate you to use your workout machine every day. This article will be going over some of these methods.

Create an Endurance Song Playlist

Quite a few suggestions in this piece will be all about fusing the workout with multiple songs. Not only can you listen to your favorite tunes while you train, but it can help you plan out a unique exercise routine for yourself.

For this playlist, the goal is to pedal to the beat of a song continually. You don’t change your speed throughout the track. The real challenge here is to increase the resistance with each piece slightly. Your endurance playlist could contain about 5-10 melodies, so long as the workout lasts around 30 minutes.

Combining Cycling with Other Exercises

This strategy also involves using tracks to help you train. What’s different about this workout tactic is that you pedal to the beat of one tune, shift to another exercise with the next melody, and repeat this sequence consecutively for either about 40 minutes or ten songs. You can switch between 20 lunges and 20 squats when you finish listening to one of your favorite classics.

When you get off your stationary bike, you can plank for 30 seconds, reverse plank for 30 seconds, and other exercises until the track ends. A benefit to this method is that it’s a customizable workout. Each time you get back on the machine, you must increase the resistance at varying levels.

Power Intervals

If you don’t want to cycle to a beat, you can still do some other workouts that last below an hour. A 2-minute power interval involves building up speed and vigor for the first 15 seconds until you can reach the highest magnitude you can handle for the rest of the time.

For a good workout, repeat this method eight times. Between each repetition, you’ll be pedaling at a more comfortable pace for two minutes to give yourself a break. This exercise method can essentially help you increase your overall intensity in your other workouts. Set a goal for rotations per minute and challenge yourself by increasing resistance over a period. 

Speed Intervals

This workout involves the cycler gradually increasing acceleration for 30 seconds and then doing a light pedal for 30 more seconds. That’s a full interval that becomes a set when you repeat it eight times. You should complete three of these series for a full workout. What makes this exercise different from the power intervals is that you’re continually increasing your speed the whole time rather than in the beginning before going at full power for a period. Between each set, pedal lightly for ten minutes. These intervals can help you increase your general speed and stamina.

Pedaling Up the Hills

This workout is another routine that focuses on song integration. Your playlist should have about ten songs and last somewhere between 30 and 40 minutes. This workout simulates you riding up the hill because you start off pedaling to the beat of each melody. Your resistance level will start at zero, and you’ll increase it when you start a new track. When you get halfway through the playlist, you can sprint for about one to two minutes in the middle, beginning, or end of one of the songs. For the rest of the playlist, you continue pedaling to the tunes’ beat while increasing the resistance each time for every track.

Over Under Intervals

This routine is a little more complicated than the other two. It’s nine minutes, but you’ll be shifting between two magnitudes throughout the interval. Here’s the exercise order:

1. Start with a Steady State, or SS, intensity for two minutes.
2. Do a Climbing Repeat, or CR, intensity for one minute.
3. SS for two minutes.
4. CR for one minute.
5. SS for two minutes.
6. Finish off with CR for one minute.

That counts as one interval. Do three of these while doing a light, four-minute pedal between each. When you complete this set, take a 10-15 minute break.

Cycling at a consistent speed and resistance for a long time can both get boring and prevent you from making progress. Because there are so many ways you can use the machine, it can be challenging to know where to start or what kinds of workouts are best for you.

The exercises we listed can help give you a head start on what matches your capabilities and preferences. Following a routine that lasts under an hour can give you some clear direction on using your indoor cycling machine. Integrating your favorite songs, or discovering new ones, can help make the workout more fun. Remember to do a quick warmup before each training session, and don’t forget to take those necessary breaks between sets.