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What Muscles Does Indoor Cycling Work?

What Muscles Does Indoor Cycling Work?

Indoor cycling is usually thought of as a cardio activity rather than a strength workout, but when done intentionally, it can provide both benefits. In fact, indoor cycling actually helps strengthen and build some of your biggest and most important muscle groups! So, what muscles does indoor cycling work?

Indoor Cycling Strengthens Your Lower Body

Because indoor cycling is mostly a lower body focused workout, most of the “burn” is felt throughout the legs in the thighs (hamstrings and quadriceps), calves, and in the glutes. These are some of the largest muscle groups in your body, and when strengthened, help to improve your overall health and physique.

The higher the resistance on your bike, the more strain you will feel on the muscles in your legs when seated. Rising up into a standing position (“out of the saddle”) and hinging your body forward while indoor cycling is particularly effective in targeting your gluteus muscles.

Selecting the right indoor cycling shoes is a game-changer for your workout routine. Experience heightened comfort and reduce the risk of injury with well-fitted shoes that provide optimal foot support during intense cycling sessions. Clipping into the pedals with our recommended indoor cycling shoes not only enhances power transfer and efficiency but also ensures a smoother ride, amplifying the benefits of your workout. Elevate your cycling experience by upgrading to gear that prioritizes comfort, efficiency, and overall enjoyment of your indoor rides. Click the image below to purchase our recommended brand.

Indoor Cycling is Great for Your Core

Your core is the key to proper form when indoor cycling. A strong core will help ensure that your body stays in the correct upright position both in and out of the saddle—leaning forward toward the handlebars, but without any strain on your back or weight in your arms. As you strengthen your core, you’ll notice increased stability and strength in all of your workouts and routine daily activities.

Indoor Cycling Build Strength in the Arms

When practicing proper form on your bike, there should be little to no strain on your arms. However, some indoor cycling classes will incorporate your upper body into the workout through bodyweight push-ups on the bike or through the use of added dumbbells or a weighted bar.

Indoor Cycling Works Your Heart and Lungs

Your heart is arguably the most valuable muscle you can develop. All forms of cardio exercise, like indoor cycling, help to increase the output capacity of your heart as well as the ability of your heart and lungs to consume oxygen (called your VO2 max). And improving the health of your heart and lungs is vital to overall health and quality of life.

It’s clear that indoor cycling provides numerous benefits for your body, both in stamina and strength. Are you ready to get started building muscles in a fun and approachable way? Schedule your first spin class at Yoga Fever.

Is Indoor Cycling A Good Workout?

Is Indoor Cycling a Good Workout?

Indoor cycling classes are often known for their upbeat music, fast pace, and party-like atmosphere. But is indoor cycling really a good workout? Can an exercise that’s fun be effective, too? Let’s explore the strength, cardio, and weight loss benefits of indoor cycling.

The Strength Benefits of Indoor Cycling

Indoor cycling helps to build and strengthen many of the largest muscle groups in your body, including your calves, hamstrings, quads, and glutes. These core muscles power your cycling workout—and the higher you set your resistance, the harder these muscles will work.

Cycling also helps to strengthen your core, which keeps your body aligned and stable when sitting or standing on the bike. Cycling instructors may also incorporate upper body work into a class through the use of dumbbells, a weighted bar, or through push up movements on the bike.

Investing in the right indoor cycling shoes can significantly enhance your workout experience. Proper gear, like well-fitted shoes, ensures optimal foot support, reducing the risk of discomfort or injury during intense cycling sessions. When you clip into the pedals with recommended indoor cycling shoes, you gain improved power transfer and efficiency, allowing for a smoother ride and maximizing the benefits of your workout. Upgrade your gear for a more comfortable, efficient, and enjoyable indoor cycling experience.

The Cardio Benefits of Indoor Cycling

Cardio exercises, especially those that are medium to high-intensity like indoor cycling, are extremely beneficial for cardiovascular health. Regular cardio exercise helps increase the output capacity of your heart as well as your VO2 max—the ability of your heart and lungs to consume oxygen.

This improved capacity and stamina in your heart and lungs means that you’ll be able to cycle and exercise harder, faster, and for longer. And even more importantly, your heart and lungs will be healthier for your everyday activities and life.

Tip: One extra benefit of indoor cycling over other cardio activities like running is that it is low-impact and easier on your joints. That means shorter recovery times and a lessened risk of injury over time.

The Weight Loss Benefits of Indoor Cycling

The interval style of indoor cycling classes offers unique benefits for calorie burn and weight loss: most classes include a rotation of focus on high speed, high resistance, and overall endurance that causes your heart rate to rise, fall, and rise again. This style of training gets your heart pumping and metabolism burning faster than a typical steady-state workout, and also contributes to higher oxygen consumption post-workout—meaning that you’ll keep burning calories at a higher rate even after the workout is done.

If you’re looking to challenge your muscles, get your heart pumping, and leave your next workout both sweaty and smiling, indoor cycling is the perfect choice for you. Schedule a class at Fever | Yoga Cycle Strength today.

 

 

 

 

Indoor Cycling

What is Indoor Cycling?

What is indoor cycling?

Indoor cycling is a form of exercise using a stationary bike that focuses on endurance, strength, interval training, and recovery.

Known as an exhilarating, dynamic, and challenging form of exercise, indoor cycling is also quite accommodating for those with joint issues, making it a cardio workout with less pressure on your knees and feet.

Additionally, it works all the major muscle groups, including your core, upper body, back, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and lower legs.

What are the benefits of indoor cycling?

Indoor cycling is a tremendous way to burn calories; on average, students burn 400 – 800 calories per class. It also boosts heart health and lung capacity. However, it is recommended to  attend 3-6 classes per week to gain the full benefits available to you.

Perhaps the greatest benefit to indoor cycling, like most group classes, is the great sense of community.

What will YogaFever | Yoga Cycle Strength’s cycling classes look like?

There are 2 different types of indoor cycle rides. We will be combining these two styles to make it a one of a kind experience.

Beats/Rhythm Ride— picture it, the lights are off, the only light you see is the kick-ass orange and yellow led’s simulating a disco up above you, in front of you and behind you. The music is bumpin’ and your body is moving to the beat. Your instructor is lifted up on a platform at the front of the room motivating you to be your BEST AUTHENTIC SELF on and off the bike. It’s here that you start to break an intense sweat. Your body is pedaling to every beat in the instructor’s playlist and you are officially one with the experience.

Metric Ride – This is where you challenge yourself along with your fellow riders to climb intense hills, hit high speeds, and track your RPM, heart rate, calories scorchin’ and more. Lights off, music UP and the race begins. This is where the sweat starts to bead on your chest, your upper lip and even the back of your neck. You’re in it to win it and you can’t be stopped. Ahead of you is a lit TV screen with your name on it, tracking your every pedal, every heartbeat, every movement. It’s here you go beyond your limits to beat Susie Q and Joe Blow on the bikes next to you and have a healthy competition between friends and community members. The instructor is getting louder as you are peaking to the finish, encouraging you to take it ALL THE WAY. And low and behold, you DO.

Join us in studio for indoor cycling to experience both a rhythm ride and metric ride. No experience is necessary for these 30 to 45-minute classes, but all students should bring a pair of indoor tennis shoes or clip-in shoes specific to cycling. We totally want you there on time as we need to get you familiar with adjusting the bike, and acclimated to the space.

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