5 Indoor Spin Bike Workout Tips Every Fitness Person Should Know

John Paul
4 min readFeb 28, 2016

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Indoor cycling is a great way to keep you fit and healthy. There are many health benefits attached with indoor cycling. However, some intense spinning workouts can prove out to be very intimidating and overwhelming. Therefore, it’s quite important to build up good strength and endurance first and then head on to high intensity spinning workouts challenging your body and strength. Although riding spin bikes is something that everyone knows but there are certain indoor spin bike workout tips that every fitness person should know for better workouts.

Pedal your Spin Bikes Smoothly

Although working out with spin bikes and operating them is not so difficult but you must keep in mind several tips while doing spinning workouts:
● Do not jam down on the pedals and simply cycle in fluid circles. Push down and then pull up your foot through the bottom of the stroke with the ball of your foot on the pedal.
● Aim for a faster cadence as it improves the cardiovascular system and does not tire your muscles quickly in comparison to a low- gear spinning workout. Your speed will obviously fasten up on descents and slow down on hills.
● You can also keep a track of your pace with the help of computerized readings in some studio spin bikes.

Go Harder but not Longer

Indoor spin bike workouts majorly focus on working out at right intensities and pace rather than simply spending a longer period pedaling idly. Some of the spinning sessions are quite intense, tiring and challenging but you can complete them under the guidance of your trainer in just 60 to 90 minutes. Always remember not to put your head down while going for vigorous workouts as this can lead to a slower oxygen intake and thus results in tiring you faster.

Check your Position

You must always maintain a flat back body posture throughout the workout along with your elbows bent at a relaxed position. This will prevent you from shocks whenever you hit a bump. Keep your arms in a line with your body and not on the sides. This will keep your upper body relaxed and will also reduce the strain on the lower back. During the entire workout keep a check on any excess pressure exerted on your hands or wrists and shift it to your legs if necessary. Some qualities of good spinning postures are listed below:
● Exert minimal pressure on your back, wrists and knees.
● Slightly get forward on your hips.
● Less rounding of your shoulders and back.
● Make sure that your hips are in position above the pedal stroke while you are working out on standing positions.

Do not Compete with your Companions

Sometimes you might feel competitive because of the group dynamics and energy of the spinning class. However, you must not exert extra pressure on yourself and push your limits in order to outperform your fellow mates. Just focus on your ride completely, aim for something reasonable as per your strengths and stick around with them. After all, the workout you are doing is just to improve your fitness levels and body needs and not others. So, your core focus should be on yourself.

Stop Smartly

Once you are done with your spinning workout, you must stop it smartly and smoothly. Keep in mind that around 75% of your stopping power depends on the front brakes located on the left hand side but also remember that applying it too hard can get you over the handlebar. Therefore, while applying the brakes you must keep the following pointers in your mind:
● Apply the brakes evenly and smoothly rather than just grabbing them forcefully.
● Use little pressure for squeezing and releasing the brakes to slower down and control your speed.
● Also keep in mind that once you hit the brakes, the spin bike will slow down but the body keeps on going forth thus making it harder for you to steer. Shift your body weight back in order to get a better control.

Final Say

Indoor spinning is an effective way to get faster results within a short period. Indoor spin bikes are an easy way to stay fit and healthy. However, you must always keep in mind the aforesaid spin bikes workout tips for getting better results.

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John Paul

A passionate writer and blogger, I find ultimate joy when writing about trending technology, geek stuff and web development.