Saddle Up for Success: Building Beginner-Friendly Cycling Routines
Looking to start your spinning journey and want some workouts to try? We got you. Keep reading to find workouts you can try on cardio bikes in the gym or your home studio. Our workouts vary in intensity and time, so you can start with workout number one or a slightly more advanced version if you already have a baseline fitness level.
All the workouts listed below are designed for beginners; if you are looking for something slightly more challenging, we have more advanced workouts for experts at the end of the post.
Contents
- Steady ride
- Interval training ride
- Hill climbing ride
- Benefits of exercise bike workouts
- Tips for exercise bike beginners
- How to set up an exercise bike for beginners
3 exercise bike workouts for beginners
How to do a steady workout on a bike?
Completing a steady workout on an exercise bike is a great way to start your fitness journey. Make sure you adjust your bike seat, pedals and handlebars appropriately so that you are sitting comfortably and have full range of motion. From here, it is important to drive through your feet and keep your body upright, with relaxed shoulders and a slight bend at the hip.
Workout 1: Steady Ride
- Duration: 20-30 minutes
Instructions:
- Warm up for 5 minutes at an easy pace.
- Maintain a steady pace for 20-30 minutes, aiming for moderate effort.
- Keep a consistent speed and resistance throughout the workout.
- Cool down for 5 minutes, gradually decreasing the intensity.
Workout 2: Interval Training
Duration: 20 minutes
Instructions:
- Warm up for 5 minutes at an easy pace.
- Cycle at a high intensity for 1 minute (increase resistance or pedal faster).
- Recover at a low intensity for 2 minutes (reduce resistance and pedal at an easy pace).
- Repeat the cycle of high intensity and recovery for the entire 20-minute duration.
- Cool down for 2-3 minutes, gradually decreasing the intensity.
Workout 3: Hill Climbing Simulation
Duration: 25-35 minutes
Instructions:
- Warm up for 5 minutes at an easy pace.
- Choose a moderate resistance level and simulate climbing a hill for 3 minutes.
- Lower the resistance and recover for 2 minutes.
- Repeat the hill climb and recovery pattern for the entire duration.
- In the last 5 minutes, increase the intensity for a final push.
- Cool down for 5 minutes, gradually decreasing the intensity.
Benefits of exercise bike workouts
Adding an exercise bike workout into your regime is beneficial if you are a beginner. If you’re looking for some motivation to saddle up, read on;
- Helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol – Studies have shown that regular workouts on an exercise bike can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and even reduce chances of heart attacks and strokes. This is based on a study by AHA, and to see these benefits, participants should aim to cycle moderately to vigorously for 120 minutes a week.
- Helps burn calories – Depending on how hard you are cycling, your current body composition and fitness level, hopping on the exercise bike can be a great way to burn calories. If you opt for a hard cycle with vigorous pedalling, you can even burn calories after exercising whilst resting.
- Low impact on joints – If you have joint pain from impact exercises, such as running and skipping, you will know how painful repetitive impact injuries can be on joints. You experience a continuous and smooth motion when cycling on an exercise bike. Its low impact on your joints makes it a great cardio alternative for those with joint pain.
- Easy to use – You don’t need any formal training to work a stationary exercise bike; they are fairly straightforward to use. Just remember to keep your chest up, bend slightly at the hips and drive through the feet, and you’ll be all set.
- Strengthens and tones muscles – Activating the quadriceps and hamstrings, a stationary bike ride can help develop leg muscles. Your hip flexor and calf muscles will also get a workout whilst pedalling. If you maintain a good posture, you will also find that your core will become stronger.
Tips for exercise bike beginners
If you are new to cycling and want some tips before hopping on your exercise bike for the first time, we’re here to help. Make sure you follow these top tips for a smooth ride.
- Keep your feet flat on the pedals.
- Hold your head up whilst cycling.
- Don’t start with too much intensity; build it slowly.
- Stretch your leg muscles before and after your workout.
- Be realistic about your goals, but still have them.
- Ensure your bike is set up correctly for your body (more on this later).
How to set up an exercise bike for beginners
Making sure you are comfortable whilst riding is important for beginners on an exercise bike. Follow this checklist to find the right setting for your bike to ensure you get the most out of your ride and don’t injure yourself.
Stand next to your bike and ensure your seat is hip height. This eliminates the risk of your pedals being too close or far away and allows you to push with maximum effort.
Push your seat back to fit your elbow to the tip of your finger between the bike and the handlebars.
Sit on the bike and make sure that your pedal height is optimal. You shouldn’t feel like you are reaching for the pedals; your legs shouldn’t feel locked out or too bent.
Exercise bike workouts for all abilities with FitKit
At FitKit, we have a wide range of resources available to start your fitness journey and a range of exercise bike workouts for you to try. Why not opt for an advanced exercise bike workout or check out our guide for seniors looking to cycle? We have a wide range of commercial-grade exercise bikes to add to your fitness space or home gym. Explore studio bikes, recumbent bikes and upright bikes from some of the best fitness equipment manufacturers, including Life Fitness and Technogym.
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