DIY Indoor Cycling Class

Who needs an instructor? Design your own cycling workout and ride, Sally, ride!

- Erin Calderone

Ask Erin

Q: I love the calorie burn I get from indoor cycling, but I can never make it to a class on time. Can I design my own?

A: I love indoor cycling, too! And with a burn of up to 600 calories per class, it’s no wonder this is a favourite fat burner for women worldwide. And, yes, you can absolutely create a great DIY workout, sans instructor. Here’s the lowdown on how to keep your wheels spinning and the calories burning while riding solo.

Factor of four There are four class factors to consider when putting together your indoor cycling workout:

1. Body position A good class has a blend of both seated and standing work. When seated, your butt is in the saddle, hands on the bars, shoulders and back relaxed. When standing, you should hover over the seat a couple of centimetres with your bodyweight distributed evenly between your feet.

2. Resistance Resistance is added or subtracted by turning a knob on the bike frame. Increase the tension for hills or hard sprints, and decrease it for flats or longer intervals.

3. Cadence