Fitness young man on gym bike spinning indoor cardio exercise[/caption]
Whether you’re working out at home, or at your local gym, Spin Bike workouts are a great way to get an intense cardio workout in. But, just getting on a spin bike and working out – isn’t the most exciting thing in the world, especially when compared to getting out on the road on a road or mountain bike. But, it’s possible to get a great HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout – and do it in a way that can be almost as enjoyable!
Getting Warmed Up
When doing a HIIT workout, it’s important to get your muscles heated up prior to working them hard. So, get on your bike and start peddling at an easy level. Increase your cadence about 5 to 10 rpm about every 20-30 seconds for 2 minutes. After 30 seconds, pedal as fast as you can without bouncing in the seat for 2 minutes, then slow it down and pedal at a more relaxed pace for 1 to 2 minutes.
Then, dial up your bike’s resistance about 25 percent – and spend 30 seconds at the same pace you’ve just been peddling – after 30 seconds, dial up the resistance another 25 percent. Go another 30 seconds at this same pace, and dial up the resistance another 25 percent for the last 30 seconds. Keeping your resistance at this level, dial back your pace about 25 percent for the last 2 minutes.
What you’ve done for this warmup is you’ve spent half the time on a cardio warmup, and the last half on a strength warmup. Your muscles should now be good to go for a good, full throttle workout!
Now, For a Hard Workout!
Getting your speed up gets your muscles burning and heart pumping – in less than 30 seconds. You’ll quicky exhaust your legs, increasing your aerobic capacity while also increasing your horsepower. After your warmup, you’ll want to ride at a pace of at least 100 rpm, or 95-98 percent of your top speed. Do this for 30 seconds, then back off for 30 seconds, Repeat 6 times. Once you’ve finished that 6th interval, ease up and ride at a relaxed pace for 5 minutes. Then repeat this whole cycle again for a second round.
Grind Out Some Hills!
Here’s a great way to add bulk to your legs! Spend 5 minutes at about 40 percent resistance, at a pace of about 80-90 rpm. To simulate the hill climb, dial up the resistance to 60 percent, and pedal at 70-80 rpm for 5 minutes. Now, go for 80 percent resistance, get up out of the saddle, and pedal at your max for another 5 minutes. Finally, dial in more resistance to maintain a cadence of 60-70 rpm for 5 minutes. Do a 5 minute cool-down at a low resistance and repeat the cycle a second time.
Looking for a home spin bike? Fitness 4 Home Superstore carries the industry’s top bikes from TRUE, Spirit, Precor, and others. Stop into any of our three Valley locations and try one out today!
