Indoor cycling is less complicated than weightlifting and gymnastics, for example. You are sitting there and there is essentially one basic movement. So how well will it not work?
Many. There is a considerable amount of room for making mistakes when cycling that can lead to inefficient training or, worse, injury. We asked fitness professionals and cycling instructors about common indoor cycling mistakes and how to fix or avoid them.
1. Sitting or too low
The first mistake many make is not setting up the bike correctly, says Melanie Melillo of CPT.
“We’re looking forward to seeing you in the process of making the most of our CycleBar,” said Jake Maulin, co-owner of CycleBar in Naples, Florida. “If the handlebar is too high, the pedal stroke is inefficient with downward movement. If the handlebar is too low, it makes breathing difficult.”
Additionally, seats that are too high or low will put excessive pressure on the spine and knees, says Brendan Kirk, PT, DPT, OCS, CSC and CKTP of Spine and Sports Medicine in Glenlock, New Jersey.
To set up your bike properly, stand next to it and use these guidelines.
- The seat must be at waist bone height.
- Once you’re sitting, adjust the handlebars so that they can be held with a light grip while maintaining a slight bend in your elbow.
- The Melilo should be sitting well off the handlebar to maintain a long, neutral spine.
- You need to bend your knees a little at the bottom of your pedal stroke. “This allows us to safely generate more force,” says Kirk. But don’t bend your knees too much. The pedal stroke will remain “short” or unfinished, Maulin says.
2. Tension riding
Another common mistake is to grip the handlebar too tightly. “We call it a death grip or a white knuckle,” Merillo says. “It traps a lot of tension in your hands that you don’t need.” Also, many riders keep the tension in their chin and place their shoulders on top towards their ears.
Instead, follow these clues to loosen it.
- Relax your fingertips and hold the handlebars with a light grip.
- Make sure your shoulders are relaxed.
- Maintaining a soft bend inwards in the elbow, Merillo says, as he is on either side of his ribcage, “not burning like chicken wings.”
why? To get a great cycling workout, your body needs to be able to generate the most power possible. “If your shoulders are upwards in the ears and your elbows are lying down, you’re not in the best position to get the most pedal stroke,” says Merillo.
3. Uneven foot positioning
When cycling indoors, your feet may be held in place with toes and shoe cutouts. This allows the hamstring muscles to activate when you lift your legs, and Andrea Metcalf, CPT, LREA are certified personal trainers and author of the book. Naked fitness.
If your feet are heading down, you are working your calves, but giving a shortened hamstrings. Instead, hold the foot level on the pedal. This will allow the quad and hamstrings to work together to produce a more balanced lower body workout that activates larger thigh muscles.
4. Resistance setting is too low
“The riders have set the resistance too low, so they’re pedaling furiously, but they don’t benefit from the movement and don’t even stretch their knees,” says Maurin. Fix: It creates a mild to moderate resistance speed as a starting point, so you feel like you’re controlling the ride, rather than shaking from the bike.
5. Do not fully fuel or moisturize
When you are doing cycling training, it is recommended to place your water bottle within reach of your arms.
“Aerobic exercise like indoor cycling can really sweat, so you need to make sure you replace any liquid you lose, and if you’re on for more than 45 minutes, it’s the electrolyte,” says Merillo. Hydration supplements like Beachbody Performance Hydrate can help you stay hydrated, replenish important electrolytes and even improve endurance during the ride. *
And properly fuel before and after workout with enough protein and carbohydrates to support your activity level and fitness goals.
6. Incorporating upper body exercises
“They’re making the most of their stamina,” said Garret Seacat of CSCS, an absolute endurance head coach in Manhattan, Kansas. “If you sway up and down on a bike that does any type of upper body exercise while pedaling, you’re more likely to dramatically injure your lower back.”
Also, upper body movements undermine pedal effort, making your workout less effective and reduce calorie burns. Instead, do push-ups as part of post-ride stretching and cooldown.
7. Eat the calories you burn
“We have riders who are sure we can indulge in pizza and all the sweets your body craves right after a ride because we torched hundreds of calories,” says Maurin. “A little handling is fine, but all your body needs after work is protein and hydration. Consuming alcohol right away can also cancel many of the good aspects of training.”
8. Cycling frequently and often
Too much training, not giving yourself enough time to exercise at full strength all the time and rest and recover, will undermine your efforts.
“It’s a pitfall to go all out every time you exercise,” says Merillo. “Your body needs to work well in all different heart rate zones. You need periods of rest and recovery. As long as you need a hard workout, you need medium training that lasts a little longer.”
9. Narrow down your training
“Make sure you’re doing strength training, core training, stretching and riding,” says Merillo. “It all supports the best performance on the bike.”
Warm up and cool to prevent injuries and minimize pain the next day, stretch for at least 10 minutes.
10. I’m trying to catch up with Jones
Cycling classes are competitive and that makes them fun and motivated. However, if you get hooked, you can cause injuries.
“We see beginners trying to catch up with their neighbors with both resistance or speed, but the resistance of one bike may be too much for their neighbors.” “Pick a resistance that listens to your body and feels challenging, but isn’t as difficult as you feel pain. Choose the speed and resistance that is best for you, not the person next to you.”
11. Do the same training
“Everyone may have a favorite class or trainer, but if you try all the different classes and different trainers, you will benefit most,” says Merillo. “You can learn something from one trainer that another trainer doesn’t say. And just because you hate those endurance vehicles or HIIT vehicles doesn’t mean they aren’t important. Our bodies are designed to find the most efficient methods, the shortcuts. So you want to continue challenging yourself with a variety of physical and mental routines.”
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
