started teaching spin class at the local Y and love it. although im being told by some taking the class that its too hard, which im happy to hear. i didnt want to make it easy. anyways, just wanted to hear some of your favorite drills from spin class as im looking to expand my class. thanks for your help
A favorite with the crowd when I teach spinning classes is my “progressive load” workout. I spin to the beat of the music starting with high cadance stuff and by the end of the class everyone is spinning at 50 rpms to a really driving slow rock Jam (Gov’t Mule). The music gets slower and slower as the class goes and we put more tension on the wheel when the beat slows down. I also like to get them involved by doing simulated pace line drills (intervals in disguise) where I seperate the class into groups and each group “takes the front” for about 2 minutes, then backs off and pulls in hte back of the “paceline” until it’s their turn again. Sometime I will throw in a theme such as a disco set or a reggae hill climb. I just can’t stand the instructors who have about 4 playlists in their line-up and play them until you want to kill yourself.
Cheers,
Dave
although im being told by some taking the class that its too hard, which im happy to hear.
Just remind them that they set the tension, not you.
just wanted to hear some of your favorite drills from spin class as im looking to expand my class. thanks for your help
You do NOT want my advice here. Warmup, 2x20, and a few 15 second sprints because they’re fun. I’m a masochist.
I attended spin classes last winter, mostly enjoyed them. The only times I drifted from the instructors were during low (<60rpm) cadence stuff, quick stand up/sit down things, and some kind of weird let’s-do-yoga-while-pedaling. I liked 10 min TT simulations and short reps of full on sprints.
As for making the class too hard, as long as you are on your bike doing it also, it shold be Ok and as said above each person is in control. I just get anoyed with a couple instructors who run around the room “ackting as cheerleaders” not doing their own class while jacking up the tension to a ridiculous level.
A couple i like is …
Simulated L’Alpe d’Huez - simulated hill climb with 21 swtchbacks, each switch back is 1/4 turn, 15 seconds standing to recover speed, then45 in saddle. after 8’th and 16th rep, dump one turn. end with flat road and fast spin.
race day simulation repeats. stop, clear computer, spin up, race for x min, check distance, recover, repeat trying beat prevous distance
Lance dance - Tried to find a description but could not. supposedly Lance can do these for over thirty mintues. But it was a standing fast pedel for like 2 minutes, or more if the class can handle it.
thanks. ive done the separate group thing but recently not enuff ppl to do it with. great ideas, thanks
appreciate the input, thanks. i agree, not a fan of the “cheerleader” instructor who run around the room. even today, i worked sat 4pm-sun 6pm with only 3hrs of sleep and still rode my whole class. not going to ask the class to do something and not do it myself.
appreciate the input, thanks. i agree, not a fan of the “cheerleader” instructor who run around the room. even today, i worked sat 4pm-sun 6pm with only 3hrs of sleep and still rode my whole class. not going to ask the class to do something and not do it myself.
Thats what I love about the regular instructor at my gym. She is in SICK shape and cranks her tension up as much as anyone else. She likes to torture me too as she knows I do tris so when she comes around to check peoples tension she always jacks me up more than everyone else.
However I don’t even bother with the weekend classes, the instructor on Saturday is like a drill seargent and just walks around drinking her coffee…
2x here the instructor knows I do tri’s and that I am headed to the dreadmill after. My instructor jacks the tension up too. when the instructor came to mine made a 1/2 turn and could not go higher. Used me as a example to the class on how to ride with resistance. Of course after i asked the instructor not to do that again and that it was because the resistance pads needed changing. Leaves me alone now and knows why I get into the aero position and stay there for most of the class. The instructor makes a point to tell the students that it is harder climbing ( resistance ) in the seated or aero postition during every class. I guess someone asked what I was doing. The towel on the spin bikes is not like aero bars but doing it on the spin bike makes the aero bars on the tri bike that more comfy and I am able to stay in tuck longer .
I teach at a Y as well, Challenging in the summer when I would rather be outside, but it keeps me on a bike through the winter. Good ideas from previous posters, thanks. My students will think I am Lucifer when I hit them with some of this stuff.
Other ideas-
Standing with high resistance- have class keep upper body perfectly still, fingertips on bars for balance, carry 100% of load in legs. Crushes the quads really fast. Recover with normal climbing. Do sets of 15-60 seconds.
Cadence/Resistance drills- have class find comfortable medium/fast cadence on low resistance. Take them up and down through rollers emphasizing same cadence throughout.
Resistance test- on a heavy climb (seated) have class stop pedaling. Once all have stopped, Hcve them start again (seated). Congratulate the ones that can’t resume pedaling without standing up. They are the only ones working.
My biggest challenge is music selection. Need Ideas!!!
One of my pet peeves in spin class is when spin instructors tell students to be “at 90 rpm” or whatever cadence, then proceed to count it out with them. The music bpm should drive the cadence! If not, the cadence would be completely competing with the music! Argh.
You would get blackballed all over if you listened to my music
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My after work ride ended in the dark; a sure sign I’ll have to do spinning classes soon.
My favorite spin teachers simulate the local hills, and make us sing songs, pretty corny stuff I know.
My only recommendation would be to play Olivia Newton John’s “Physical” looped throughout the entire class!
Another Y instructor here.
Lately in my class we’ve been doing a lot with cadence (our bikes have cadence meters). Here’s a couple variations I really like
3 x 3 minutes - start at a mod/hard effort, relatively flat road. Moderate cadence (80-100rpm) Each minute (so twice), increase resistance, but hold cadence steady. Last minute should be tough (!) to hold pace. Then 1 min rest & repeat 2 more times.
Kind of the opposite - start again at mod/hard effort, then pick up the cadence each minute for 4 minutes for a 5 min set. Resistance remains steady throughout. Increases should be in the 5-10 rpm range each.
Hope this makes sense! 
Whats corny is the up, down, up, down, up, down thing .LOL
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I do not agree. I think give them a great workout with light music in background. Cadence is very important music not so much. Just my opinion.
Have them count everytime a leg comes up for 6 sec. then add a zero. Do this a few times each min. when you are working cadence. I keep it as close to real cycling as possible so we do not do many up and downs close together. Just what i do, doesn’t make it right. Simulated climbing, races, time trials.
Our Y did a Tour d’France. Each week was a different stage which they played on DVD. The class followed the profile of the stage.
Another instructor does themes(reindeers near xmas, jersey colors as a tour thing, male/females, etc.) separating the group into teams and then alternates activities by “team”. Sometimes there is trivia and if you get it right the other teams have to work harder and if you get it wrong your team has to work harder.
I respect your opinion. However, I personally would not attend a spin class like that. I’m not a big fan of background music. Why not just match the music bpm to the cadence that you want the class to ride at? My brain would not be able to ride at 70 bpm if the music was playing at 90 bpm.