Spin bike workouts are a popular form of exercise for individuals of all fitness levels! But spin bike workouts can be intimidating for students. Most students likely want to just get on the bike and ride, but they are not entirely sure how to vary intensity and resistance. But spin bike workouts for beginners can help guide students through fun and challenging workouts.
In this blog, we explore the key components of spin bike workouts, how to prepare students to spin, and sample a full 30-minute workout from PLT4M’s library of content and resources. Let’s ride!
What Are Spin Bike Workouts?
While some spin and cycling enthusiasts might cringe at the thought of lumping all stationary bike workouts into one category, let’s not make things too complicated for our middle and high school students.
Spin bike workouts can be achieved with really any type of stationary bike option that allows for indoor cycling. Whether you call your equipment spin bikes, stationary bikes, or something else, if it has pedals, wheels, and a seat, chances are you can reap the benefits of spin bike workouts for beginners.
And what about recumbent bikes that have full seats with backs on them? While recumbent bikes take away the core and upper body activation, let’s not limit the options for spin bike workouts! These bikes offer an excellent opportunity for students with disabilities or injuries to reap the benefits of a stationary bike workout.
Later, we will highlight PLT4M’s spin bike workouts for beginners, which do have our instructor on a more traditional spin bike. Again, students can achieve the wide array of benefits of spin bike workouts with just about any bike option!
Spin Bike Workouts For Beginners In Schools
Most school fitness centers typically have some type of exercise bike available for students. Whether it is a singular stationary bike or a full studio of spin bikes, schools have at least an option for students looking to tap into indoor cycling. Some schools are even fortunate enough to have a full cardio room with spin bikes, treadmills, and more.
And spin bike workouts in schools are becoming more popular than ever before. Like many other lifetime fitness options, spin bike workouts allow students to explore a form of fitness widely available outside the school’s walls. From at-home options like Peloton to studio indoor cycling workouts, the options for spin bike workouts are endless. Popularity stems from its accessibility to a wide range of fitness levels, making it suitable for beginners and seasoned athletes.
Cycling workouts offer students a low-impact yet highly effective means of improving cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and lower body strength. Spin bike workouts for beginners in schools can expose students to this fun and dynamic cardio workout option while elevating their heart rate!
Spin bike workouts can be a central component of the PE curriculum in classes like “Personal Fitness classes” or offer an excellent option for students in larger PE class settings in the fitness center of the weight room. No matter how you want students to try spin bike workouts, turn to trusted resources for the best spin bike workouts for beginners. As a result, rather than students just getting on the bike for a set amount of time with no workout plan, they can reap the full benefits of spin bike workouts.
Spin Bike Workout Format
Many spin bike workouts utilize prescriptive resistance levels. However, spin bike workouts for beginners should allow students to find and develop the appropriate resistance levels for their fitness goals. Therefore, at PLT4M, all spin bike workouts for beginners utilize a perceived exertion scale. Check out the video below to see how students can go from light resistance to high intensity in a singular workout routine using a simple 1-10 scale.
Notes on Perceived Level Of Exertion
All PLT4M spin workouts will use a perceived level of exertion scale to help set the amount of resistance on our bikes throughout the workout. These numbers are relative to you and your fitness level, so set your resistance accordingly to help you get the best workout. The numbers are typically used in ballparks and will vary slightly, but the following descriptions should give you a relative sense of what we are looking for with different numbers:
1 is the easiest. 10 is the hardest.
1-2: Easy
3: Flat Road
4: Light Jog
5-7: Moderate Hill
6-8: Heavy Push & Pull
8-10: Super Heavy
Notes On Setting Resistance:
Remember, these levels are relative to you! So, if Marguerite calls out to set the resistance at 5, you might set your resistance lower or higher than a friend or classmate next to you. That is okay!
If you are using a traditional spin bike, move the knob left and right to find different resistance levels. Over time, you will start to feel and know how much you should spin the knob to set the appropriate resistance levels.
If you are using a stationary bike with a digital screen, move the resistance up and down with the appropriate buttons. It is important to remember that these resistance levels are relative to you! So, while your bike might have a 1-10 scale on it, listen to your body when setting the correct resistance levels. Each bike is different, so for example, a 7 resistance level on your physical bike might feel like your 10 on the perceived level of exertion scale, which is okay! Just be sure to pay attention and set your other numbers accordingly.
Setting Up For Spin Bike Workouts
Spin bike workouts for beginners should also help students explore the proper bike setup! From setting the seat height (saddle) to learning about body positioning, students should ensure they are properly set up on their stationary bike before hitting the workout.
Let’s talk about bike setup!
Seat Height
When sitting on your bike, you want a slight bend in your knee, but not fully extended. If you are using a traditional spin bike, starting off the bike and setting the seat height at your hip bone can be a helpful trick. But regardless of the type of bike you are using, find a seat height that lets you have that slight bend in your knee for best results. If the seat has numbers, note what height you like best so you don’t have to start over finding your seat height each workout!
Handlebars
Depending on the type of bike, you might be able to adjust your handlebars. If you can, our goal is to set the handlebars so we have a slight lean forward and a small bend in the elbows. The higher the handlebars, the less core engagement is required, versus the lower the handlebars, the more the core is engaged. We are not looking for you to be so bent that you feel like you could be riding in the Tour De France!
Notes On Different Types Of Bikes
If you can get on a traditional spin bike for these workouts, that is great! Marguerite coaches spin workouts using the traditional spin bike, which means she will talk about putting your hands on different parts of the handlebars throughout the workout.
But if you are using a different type of bike, that is totally okay! Modify and adjust as you need to, and focus on resistance throughout!
Standing On The Bike
Marguerite will coach you to get out of your seat throughout different parts of the workout. If you can clip your feet in using special spin shoes, great, but if not, you can still get up and out of your seat! Just make sure that the resistance is high enough so that there is tension on the pedals so that you are safe when standing up!
Spin Bike Workouts For Beginners – Sample Lesson
Get ready to ride with Marguerite as she takes students through 30 minutes of spin to the beat of the music. Each spin workout will give students an opportunity to challenge themselves on the bike with different intervals, hills, sprints, and more! Throughout workouts, students practice form, technique, and strategy to build confidence, comfort, and conditioning on the bike.
Each spin bike workout for beginners from PLT4M is a full follow along workout set to the beat of the music. Students start each workout by getting warmed up on the bike. From there, each new song during the workout brings a different focus and challenge.
All you need is a bike! No other additional equipment required. This style of spin workout does not incorporate dumbbells or other floor equipment.
Check out a sample from our series of spin bike workouts for beginners! Want to check out more spin bike workouts and other great fitness-focused content from PLT4M? Reach out to learn more!
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Key Takeaways On Spin Bike Workouts For Beginners
Spin bike workouts for beginners are a fun and exciting fitness option for students. While spin bike workouts can be hard work, it can still be fun because the music helps guide us through our 30 minutes, students can follow along to the beat as they complete the guided workout plans.
Whether you need something for a small group of students or an entire class, PLT4M’s spin bike workouts perfectly fit middle and high school students. Reach out to learn more about how over 1,000 schools nationwide are utilizing PLT4M spin bike workouts and lots of other great content and curriculum in PE and Athletics.
What other types of lesson plans and workouts does PLT4M have?
Consider PLT4M your full learning management system for health and physical education.
PLT4M has a full slate of PE lessons for physical education teachers to choose from! From PE games to fitness activities, PLT4M has countless options. Check out some of the most popular below:
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