Indoor Cycling Class/Training Session
My workout suggestion for this week is inspired by a spin class I went to yesterday with Jules at Maple Durham, The Club Company. Professionally we don’t often get the opportunity to have a shout out, but this is a shout out for Jules, a great instructor.
Resistance training set systems are used throughout training programs for muscle strength, endurance but not through the cardio workouts as they don’t strictly apply. However, they can inspire your workout and give you, the instructor, ideas to play with.
I was inspired to use them when I looked at the definition of aerobic fitness. It is the ability to take up, transport and utilise oxygen at a maximum intensity in one minute. When you break down this definition, you can see that aerobic training overload cannot be applied as the same training protocol for adaptation to all parts of the system at the same time. Overload training adaptation is specific to the exercise dose applied. This is referred to as the dose-response relationship.
The take up is the power base of the aerobic system and requires high-intensity maximum capacity overload, the transport is moderate training intensity the and the utilisation at muscle level is the metabolic system which requires long slow duration to overload and gain adaptations.
These workout ideas target the power base of the aerobic system using the ideas that the set systems from resistance training give you applied to cardio resistance. Play with this in your class. You can even use all of them in one class if you want to blow your class participants legs off. You will certainly overtime increase the capacity of the aerobic base.
Set Systems
Pre-exhaust/Post-exhaust:
These systems involve the use of exercises to preferentially fatigue a muscle/muscle group whilst eliminating synergistic (helper muscle) weaknesses. Whilst we can’t strictly apply this to the cardio system you can play with the concept on the bike by pre-exhausting the legs before working them harder on a climb therefore building strength gains overall.
Consider the following example:
Ask the whole class to cycle at 90rpm and choose their maximum resistance that they can sustain at 90rpm.
Work ratio:
Cycle for 1 minute at the 90rpm resistance (pre-exhaust). Stay at 90rpm and up the resistance by 20% and or stand into a hill climb for 45 seconds. 15 seconds’ rest.
Repeat for 3 sets.
Or
Perform 1 set of the pre-exhaust 90 seconds and increase the rpm to 110rpm staying at the same resistance for 45 seconds. 15 seconds’ rest.
Repeat for 3 sets
Pyramid training:
Pyramid training is one of the better-known systems and involves manipulating the load (resistance) and repetitions (rpm) over the course of multiple sets of the same exercise. It can be performed in three distinct ways: ascending pyramids, descending pyramids, and complete pyramids. Remember this is applying a concept to cardio. You can play with this one in many ways so just have a play.
Work ratio ascending pyramid:
Ascending pyramids adopt a light-to-heavy approach, whereby each successive set is performed with a heavier resistance for fewer repetitions.
1.5 mins at 110rpm with maximum resistance
up the resistance by 20% for 1.5 min at 100rpm
up the resistance again by another 20% for 1.5 min at 90rpm
Work ratio descending pyramid:
The descending pyramid starts with the fewest repetitions (RPM) and the heaviest load and for each subsequent set, a percentage of the load is removed.
90rpm for 1.5 mins at maximum percentage resistance (tested on the 1 minute or as the 40% addition added above)
100rpm for 1.5 mins with 20% resistance removed
110 rpm for 1.5 mins with another 20% removed
The complete pyramid combines the ascending and descending approaches. Starting light the client builds to the peak over several sets, then attempts to repeat the same repetitions on the descending phase
Ladders:
Ladder training is a variation of pyramid training where the number of reps (rpm level) performed varies from set to set in a progressive fashion. However, unlike pyramid training, the resistance used stays the same
Test your maximum resistance for 90rpm for 1 minute. Use this as your resistance.
| Set 1@ 90rpm resistance test level | Set 2
45 secs for each below using the 90rpm minute test resistance |
| 30 secs – 30 secs rest | 45 secs @ 70 rpm |
| 45 secs – 45 secs rest | 45 secs @ 80 rpm |
| 60 secs – 60 secs rest | 45 secs @ 90 rpm |
| 75 secs – 75 secs rest | 45 secs @ 100 rpm |
| 95 secs – 95 secs rest | 45 secs @ 110 rpm |
| 120 secs – 120 secs rest | 45 secs@ 120 rpm |
| Can perform 1-3 sets | |
Tri-Sets & Giant Sets:
Supersetting can be extended to incorporate three (a tri-set) or more exercises (a giant set) for the target muscle group. Again, this isn’t a strict concept applied to cardio but more of an inspiration for using it differently. This can be used for strengthening the cycling leg muscles. No rest between each one, quickly move up them.
45 secs 90-110 (let your group choose) rpm maximum resistance seated spin
45 secs 90 -110 rpm – over the seat adapted hover
45 secs 90-110 rpm – standing hill climb
45 secs 90-110 rpm – standing run
You can repeat this for 1-3 sets or again later in the class/session
Try these concepts in your classes/PT sessions or share with your clients and set them to do at home.