Good morning!

Today is Tuesday, which means that I teach my indoor cycling class.

Sadly, today is the last indoor cycling class that I will be teaching regularly for a while.  Many of the gyms that I teach at are around 30 minutes from where I am currently living.  The gym that I teach indoor cycling at is around 45-50 minutes from where I live.  The class is at 6am, and I like to get there a bit early to prepare and make sure that everything is working properly.  Unfortunately, that long drive so early in the morning just isn’t really fitting into my schedule.  It wasn’t too bad in the summer months, but with winter just around the corner, I do not want to risk anything.

Also, I am spread very thin at the moment.  While I LOVE teaching and hate to give up any of the classes that are currently in my schedule, right now I just don’t have the time to prepare for this class and give it 100%.

This will not be the end of my indoor cycling career, just a little break.  I will still find classes to take at gyms that are closer to where I am living, and I will read articles about interval training and indoor cycling itself.

No need to worry, before ya know it, I will be back in the saddle 😉

My class has been completely loving this pyramid sequence, so I thought I would share it with all of you too!  This is just a portion of the class I teach and could easily be added into a strength routine, a cardio routine that mixes machines, or it could be repeated for the amount of time you wish to complete your cardio.

Indoor cycling was one of the first class formats that I really wanted to teach and felt the most comfortable teaching.  I remember taking my first indoor cycling class, and I left the classroom with a shaking, fatigued body, and I walked around with a sore bottom for a couple of days.  Despite the pain, there was something about the workout that I loved.

I think what drew me in were the intervals.  I love interval training, because I know that I can put in my maximum effort and push my limits for just a short amount of time before it is time to take a break.  This is totally what drew me to indoor cycling.

Indoor cycling can seem a bit intense.  After all, when you look at a class as an outsider, not a participant or an instructor, all you see are determined looks, sweating faces, and a screaming instructor staring the class down…sounds intimidating, but it really is a great form of exercise.

Indoor cycling is a good example interval training.  Short bursts of activity performed at a high level of intensity before backing down for a break.  Here are some of the benefits of indoor cycling and interval training:

Why Indoor Cycling is So Great!

• During (and AFTER) the workout you burn more fat.

This happens because the intense work that you put your body through causes your body’s repair systems to kick things up a notch. When your repair systems are working harder, that is when you get the “after burn” effect.  Your body is burning fat, but your workout is already finished.

• Studies show that interval training accompanied with strength training allows the body to maintain muscle mass while losing weight.
• Indoor cycling builds leg strength while working the cardiovascular system.
• There is no coordination required.  Some group fitness classes incorporate many different moves, fancy footwork, and dancing.  Not indoor cycling.  All you do is sit on a bike!
• Indoor cycling is easy on the joints.

Have you ever taken indoor cycling?  What is your favorite group fitness class?