Spinning / Indoor Cycling

Here is where I will record many of my favourite indoor cycling sessions. Some will be of my own design whilst others will be adaptations of or direct links to the work of others.

Beginners to Indoor Cycling (Turbo Training)

If you are a newbie cyclist with the aim of riding indoors for a successful summer on or off the road then the best place to start would be with former pro-cyclist Rebecca Ramsay's excellent - number 1 best seller - Amazon.co.uk eBook, Cycling Turbo Training for Beginners (with 20 interval workouts included). Believe me when I say it, twenty is plenty to getting along with! I hope to be interviewing Rebecca for www.cyclingshorts.uk.com in the near future. If you have any questions you would like me to broach then please leave a comment here. In the meantime, trust Rebecca, she knows what she's talking about. Enjoy your riding - any bike time is better than no bike time!

Cycling Turbo Training for Beginners - a quick start guide to cycling indoors to explode your fitness fast. (20 interval workouts included). [Kindle Edition]

Amazon.co.uk Product Description  Cycling Turbo Training for Beginners is a quick start guide to getting you up and running quickly and efficiently with turbo training so you can maximise your fitness when you can't get outdoors for cycling training. 

The guide takes you from the beginning, helping you decide what kit you need including what turbo to buy. The guide also introduces the reader to the technique of pedalling correctly, as well as how to go about an effective indoor workout to get the best out of yourself - by training less. 

Near the end of the guide you will find 20 individual turbo training workouts. The advantage of these workouts over others you may find is the author shows you exactly how to progress the workout over time so you are unlikely to reach stagnation with your fitness.

This is a highly recommended read if you're new to indoor cycling, or have been turbo training a short while but want professional guidance on how to take your indoor cycling fitness to the next level.

If you would like to jump on your bike and ride here's my first attempt at a indoor session - designed for a Spinning class but used more at home on the Tacx Satori Turbo Trainer

Endurance AND Speed (too much to ask for?) 1 hour.

Summary: warm up - speed intervals-endurance interval(s) - speed intervals - warm down. 30 mins of high intensity with recovery intervals.

Music: whatever helps!

Intensity: high, with recovery (heart rate reduction)

Equipment: Spinning class/bike and Turbo Trainer

Here we go ...

1. Warm up 20 minutes: 15 mins, final 5 mins gradually increase resistance and cadence to your desired 'racing pace'. You can, of course, tailor this to suit your physiology - I need a minimum of 20 mins!

2. Speed Intervals 10 minutes: Fast 1 min: 45 s in saddle 'lead out' + sprint for the final 15 s. Recovery 1 min (keep the legs turning but bring the HR down.) repeat for 5 sets.

3. Endurance Interval(s) 10 minutes: 2 mins gentle spinning to recover HR. 8 mins at the highest resistance and cadence you can hold with perfect style - think time trial. You can break this down into 2 x 4 min intervals with a minute or two's recovery.

4. Speed Intervals 10 minutes: repeat part 2.

5. Warm Down 5-10 minutes.

As this is, as I said, my first attempt - based on experience, Spinning classes,  track running and rugby league training - I'd be very grateful to read any criticism and comments. I'm hopeless at selecting music so any tips here would help too.