Lakeside Fitness Club, Oakland, NJ
There's no doubt that indoor cycling is a calorie torcher. However, there are ways to make your spin ride much more effective when it comes to HOW you are riding. This video reveals 5 indoor cycling tips that will help you get more out of the time you are on your spin bike.
1. Shoes matter. Sneakers will exhaust your feet, calves & legs and NOT in a good way. Cycling shoes are worth every penny. Find the brand that feels good for you. I wear Pearl Izumi's. Expect to spend between $60 & $120 for a decent pair of proper shoes. You buy the shoes & have a local bike shop install the clips. My bike (& most fitness studios & gyms) have SPD compatible clips.
2. Ride with resistance. I've said it before, I'll say it again - spin against nothing & you'll get NOTHING! You must learn to ride through the tension if you expect to change your body.
3. Practice balance through the pedal stroke. There are 3 key balancing points here:
• Balance right leg & left leg, so each does their part in pushing & pulling.
• There is a push-down effort (quad dominant) & a pull-up effort (hamstring dominant)
• There is a front-to-back effort as if you are wiping gum off of your shoe.
4. Use your core muscles through climbs. Wiggle your fine self towards the back of your saddle when seated through a climb if you want greater leverage. Whether you are in the saddle, or out of the saddle in a standing climb, think about how your core muscles help with pulling up through your pedal stroke.
5. Align your joints. It may seem obvious that knees should be in line with toes when riding, especially because your feet are either in baskets or clipped in, however, it is often a place for improvement depending on inner thigh & hip strength vs weakness. Knees tend to either knock inward, or poke outward. Strength training will help correct this imbalance, but so will riding properly & practicing this alignment over time. If you catch yourself, just course correct & keep going!
No need to think about all of these techniques yourself. That's exactly why I'm here. 🙂 I coach you through proper form throughout the ride & remind you of subtle (but important!) cues that make you feel accomplished after every single workout. There are over 30 indoor cycling videos in the RealFit.tv RealResults member library. You are invited to try RealResults for 14 days & get a sneak peek into a world of new workouts, great music & creativity that bring life to your fitness routine!
Dana, why do my knees hurt so bad after spinning? I did it twice this week and my knees really hurt. I havent purchased shoes yet but I will be soon. Also not sure how I should adjust seat front to back. It seems when i try to align my knee with the crank i feel too far away from the handlebars. Im struggling here. Help!
Thank u for great videos.
Shoes will definitely help your knees. It may not seem so, but if your feet are working hard, bending & flexing, that strains your lower leg muscles & eventually pulls on your knees. Also, I would suggest bringing the handlebars up higher if the seat feels too far away. I really wouldn’t mess with bringing the seat forward too much… you may not feel the pressure during speed work, but you will feel it during a climb, so it’s definitely there. Also, be sure the seat is high enough. If there is too much of a knee bend, that will strain your knees too. Are any of these points here helpful? let me know!