How to Get the Most Out of Your Indoor-Cycling Class

Group cycling classes remain one of the most popular in most American fitness centers, and among the most calorie-burning, with the potential to knock out more than 600 in an hour. It may look like a sweat-pouring, heart-busting workout suited only to the most physically fit. But almost anyone can try indoor cycling and reap its benefits. Here, some information on getting the most out of a class.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• sneakers or cycling shoes
• water bottle
• towel
• heart monitor
• optional: squishy bike-seat cover, biking gloves

1. Take a close look at your gym's schedule of cycling classes. Note whether some are described as more advanced and how long the class is expected to last. No need to start out with a one-hour class—you can get the benefits in a shorter, 45-minute session. Also try to get some information on the instructors: whether they are very experienced, if their classes are popular and what kind of music they play during class. Most gyms have multiple classes and numerous instructors, so you should be able to find something to suit you best.
2. Follow these basic rules for setting up your bicycle:
   1. Your bike seat should be hip-bone high.
   2. Your handlebars should be as high as the seat or higher.
   3. You can choose how far forward to push your seat; this setting is primarily about comfort. You don't want to be reaching too far for the handlebars, and you don't want to be hunched up over them. The perfect setting is achieved if, when you are at the bottom of the pedal-stroke and your foot is parallel to the floor, you could dangle a string from your kneecap and it would hit the middle of the top of that foot.
3. Using a heart-rate monitor is highly recommended. The device—a strap around the chest that measures heartbeats per minute and a wristwatch that reports the information to you—will allow you to get the most out of your workout. You'll be able to tell when you're working too hard, or not hard enough.
4. Any instructor should begin the workout with a warm-up. This is your chance to get your legs, and your blood, moving. Make sure to put a little bit of resistance on the wheel; pedaling on air does no good and can lead to injuries. Your heart rate should slowly and steadily rise during the warm-up, but stay at a comfortable level.
5. Keep an eye on your heart-rate monitor throughout the rest of the workout. You want to spend as much time as possible in your target zone, which is about 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.
   
   Some drills in the class may push your heart rate to its maximum or above. That's not unsafe, and most instructors will only do this in spurts. But pace yourself—it's important not to overdo it. Staying in your target zone allows you to burn the most calories.
6. Practice good cycling form throughout the class: slight bend in the elbows, shoulders far from the ears, knees in, heels dropped. At times when the instructor tells you to rise from your saddle, be careful—make sure you have increased your resistance so the pedals can hold your weight, and don't clutch or lean on the handlebars. Your weight should primarily be on your feet, not your hands.
7. Drink plenty of water as the class goes on. Most cycling rooms are a bit stuffy, and some instructors keep it warm to encourage more sweating. Stay hydrated, and if you feel faint, take some resistance off your bike and recover until you feel ready to re-join the drills.
8. Cool-down is just as important as warm-up, so even if you must leave a class early, be sure to pedal on low resistance until your breathing is almost back to its resting, normal pace. Do not dismount the bike in the middle of a heart-rate boost; you must bring your heart-rate down steadily.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't worry about competing with the cyclist next to you. Focus on your performance and getting the most out of your workout. In some cases that may mean keeping a steady pace instead of sprinting as hard as your neighbor.
• Arrive at your first class with some time to spare, so you have the opportunity to do proper bike set-up and maybe even lengthen your warm-up time.
• Consult your physician before joining an indoor-cycling class. Do not participate if you have health issues that would preclude you from intense cardiovascular activity.