One-Hour Workout: Pedal to the Beat
Best done on a trainer or the spin bike at your gym, this cadence-focused bike workout mixes up the RPMs to help build strength and pedal stroke efficiency.
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This week’s One-Hour Workout comes from Marilyn Chychota, a former elite cyclist and triathlete turned coach at Marilyn Chychota Coaching. This cadence-focused workout mixes up the RPMs (revolutions per minute), using big gear work to help build strength and pedal stroke efficiency. It’s best to do this workout on a bike trainer or even the spin bike at your gym, as you can pay close attention to your cadence – if you need a little extra support staying on the beat, consider using a metronome app on your phone, or creating a custom playlist using songs that match the RPMs with beats per minute.
RELATED: The Search For the Ideal Cycling Cadence
One Hour Workout: Pedal to the Beat
Warm-up:
10 min easy spin
4 min, single-leg drills: [1 min right leg/1 min both legs/1 min left leg/1 min both legs]
10 min high cadence work:
1 min at 100 RPM
1 min at 110 RPM
1 min 90–95 RPM
(Repeat to total 10 min)
Main Set:
20 min big gear work (use 95 RPM as base)
1 min base, 1 min at 85 RPM
2 min base, 2 min at 80 RPM
3 min base, 3 min at 75 RPM
4 min base, 4 min at 70 RPM
30 sec base, 30 sec at 65 RPM
30 sec base, 30 sec at 60 RPM
30 sec base, 30 sec at 55 RPM
Cooldown:
10 min easy spin