Spin Bike Workouts For Beginners

When you want to get the burn of a real spin class without spending the time, energy, or money to be there in person, an at-home stationary or spin bike is a great alternative.

While it might not be exactly the same as a spin instructor guiding you through a workout in a hot room filled with other bikers, there are plenty of spin bike workouts for beginners that you can do at home to achieve the same results. At home bike sessions can help you achieve your fitness goals, whether you are gearing up for a race or just want to get in better shape.

New spin bike owners should know that there are two ways to adjust your workout–adjusting the speed that you are moving and changing the resistance settings. Typically, the resistance is controlled by a small knob in the center of the bike between the legs. The less resistance, the higher the speed. The more resistance, the lower the speed and the more effort needed to get up to higher speeds. Speed on spin bikes is measured in pedal stroke revolutions per minute (RPM).

The typical bike cadence ranges between 50–110 RMPs, depending on the rider and the resistance of the bike. A faster RPM is considered over 75, while a heavier resistance, and thus slower, RPM would be between 40-66. These spin bike workouts for beginners will get you energized and help you increase your speed, endurance, and strength.

Increase Endurance

If you’re looking to increase your endurance, then these adaptable spin bike workouts for beginners is the perfect way to get started. These workouts will help you to increase your endurance for increased speed, distance, resistance, or all three! 

Workout 1: 30 Minutes

Spend thirty minutes on your spin bike, fluctuating between 60–80 RPM with medium to heavy resistance. This workout is flexible enough that you can decide what medium to heavy feels like to you. Over time you will build strength and endurance by increasing your threshold for what an intense resistance feels like to your body.

Make sure you warm up for a few minutes and take time to cool down after reaching the maximum resistance for your workout. There are plenty of music playlists out there to accompany the 60-80 RPM speed that you’ll be riding at for added motivation!

 

Workout 2: You decide (Goal: 25–30 Minutes)

This endurance workout will have you pedaling hard and reaching your max but is beginner friendly and easy to customize. Start by warming up, then intersperse 30 seconds of medium resistance cycling with one minute of high resistance cycling. Add a short 30 second low resistance cycling “rest” between each interval as needed, with less rest as you become more comfortable cycling a full workout.

For example, here is one interval:

• 3 Minute warm up
• 30 Sec medium resistance
• 1 Minute high resistance
• 30 Sec medium resistance
• 1 Minute high resistance
• 30 Sec low resistance “rest”
• Repeat interval two more times
• 3 Minute cool down

 

Prepare For the Hills

 

Whether you want to prepare for an outdoor race, get accustomed to riding hills, or just like the ebb and flow of interval biking, this program will give you the best of both worlds. Give your body something to fight for with hill intervals that offer periods of rest and resistance.

Workout 1: 20 Minutes

Take 5 minutes to warm up while seated, then bump up the resistance to medium for a 30 second hill climb. After the first hill, complete 30 seconds of low resistance seated climbing, then bump it back up with 30 seconds of medium resistance hill climbing, slowly increasing your interval time until you reach a high resistance climb. Then, lower your resistance back down for a cool down.

For example, here is what your workout might look like:

• 5 Min Warm Up
• 30 Sec Low Climb
• 1 Min Medium Climb
• 30 Sec Low Climb
• 1 Min Medium Climb
• 30 Sec Low Climb
• 2 Min Medium Climb
• 1 Min Low Climb
• 30 Sec High Climb
• 30 Sec Low Climb
• 1 Min High Climb
• 30 Sec Low Climb
• 1 Min Medium Climb
• 5 Min Cool Down

 

Workout 2: 30 Minutes

This hill interval workout is a bit simpler with only three hills to climb, but don’t underestimate its power or effectiveness. Start by warming up (as always!) for five minutes, then increase resistance to a medium-high level for five minutes. Give yourself a low resistance “break” for a minute and a half, then increase resistance back up to medium-high. Add another break and medium-high resistance period, then add a low resistance interval and prepare to cool back down.

• 5 Minute warm up
• 5 Minute Med-High Resistance
• 1.5 Minute Low Resistance
• 5 Minute Med-High Resistance
• 1.5 Minute Low Resistance
• 5 Minute Med-High Resistance
• 1.5 Minute Low Resistance
• 5 Minute Cool Down

 

Mountain Biking Indoors

For those ready to tackle the mountain, a gradual, large hill program is a great way to get a workout and push yourself to your limits. Bike up that hill and enjoy the come down with these spin bike workouts for beginners.

Workout 1: You Decide (Goal: 20 Minutes)

When you are ready to bike up a mountain from the comfort of your own home, this is the perfect workout. Begin by warming up with a low RPM and low resistance. Gradually increase your resistance to medium for several minutes, then increase resistance to high for several minutes.

Once you have creased the “mountain”, lower your resistance back down to medium for a few minutes and then back down to a low resistance and low speed to simulate going back down the mountain. Each resistance should only be for 3–4 minutes each for a fast and vigorous workout.

 

Workout 2: You Decide (Goal: 25 Minutes)

For each level on your bike, spend the equivalent number of minutes on that level. For example, after a five or ten minute warm up, spend one minute at level one, two minutes at level two, three minutes at level three and so on until you reach your limit.

Then power back down through the levels at the same number of minutes. Biking to a level 5 resistance and back down should take about 25 minutes. This incredible workout simulates a tough ride full of power and mental and physical toughness and forces you to focus on building up long term endurance.

 

 

Short And Sweet

When you want a quick workout that leaves you feeling accomplished, choose one of these spin bike workouts for beginners. A quick warm up, work out, and cool down is perfect for those days when you only have a few minutes to exercise or don’t feel up to completing an extended workout.

 

Workout 1: 10 Minutes

This workout is all about getting warmed up, getting a great and intense workout, and then cooling back down to let your heartrate return to pre-workout rate. Start by warming up for 2 minutes at a moderate pace, then cycle hard at a moderate resistance for 2 minutes.

Give yourself 30 seconds of low resistance cycling as a break, then pump yourself back up to high resistance for 2 minutes. Add in 30 seconds of medium resistance cycling, then finish off with another 1 minute of high resistance cycling. Cool down with low resistance cycling for the last 2 minutes.

 

Workout 2: 10 Minutes

This workout is as simple as it gets and is a great beginner workout for those who just want to work up a quick sweat. Warm up for a couple minutes on the bike, then alternate between medium and high resistance (60–80 RPM) for 6–7 minutes, then cool back down. You’ll love the simplicity of one of the best spin bike workouts for beginners and will feel like you’ve accomplished a lot in a short amount of time.

 

 

Mood And Body Boosted

Music with high RPM for a workout that leaves your mind and body pumped. To make things easier, check out some songs to guide your workout and follow along to their beats for a good idea of how fast you are cycling. Plenty of music players (Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Soundcloud, Tidal, Pandora, KKBOX, Amped, Deezer, etc.) have community playlists to help you find the right rhythm for your workout.

 

Workout 1: You Decide (Goal: 20 Minutes)

Spin bike workouts for beginners tend to include workouts between 50–60 RPM to keep things light and ensure that riders have a strong foundation before moving up in pace and resistance. For a faster or more impactful workout, consider increasing your RPMS to keep pace with faster music, for a mood and body boosted workout.

Start out with 50–60 RPM for a warmup and gradually increase the RPM and tempo of your workout playlist to get pumped up. Once you reach a natural crescendo, lower your RPMS back to the 50–60 mark to cool back down.

 

Workout 2: 20 Minutes

For this workout, the goal is to intersperse intervals of high and low resistance every 15 to 30 seconds. Begin by warming up for 3 minutes, then cycle for 15 seconds of high resistance, followed by 15 seconds of low resistance. After doing this 2x (1 minute), double the time for both intervals to 30 seconds each for 2x (2 minutes). Next double those 30 second intervals to 1-minute intervals for 4x (8 minutes). Begin to cool back down by decreasing the intervals to 30 seconds each at 2x (2 minutes), and then back to 15 second intervals (1 minute).

For example:

• 3 Minute warm up
• 15 Seconds high resistance
• 15 seconds low resistance
• 15 Seconds high resistance
• 15 seconds low resistance
• 30 Seconds high resistance
• 30 seconds low resistance
• 30 Seconds high resistance
• 30 Seconds low resistance
• 1-Minute-high resistance
• 1 Minute low resistance
• 1-Minute-high resistance
• 1 Minute low resistance
• 1-Minute-high resistance
• 1 Minute low resistance
• 1-Minute-high resistance
• 1 Minute low resistance
• 30 Seconds high resistance
• 30 seconds low resistance
• 30 Seconds high resistance
• 30 Seconds low resistance
• 15 Seconds high resistance
• 15 seconds low resistance
• 15 Seconds high resistance
• 15 seconds low resistance
• 3 Minutes cool down

Whether you’re just getting into cycling at home on a spin bike, or want some beginner-friendly workouts, these spin bike workouts for beginners are the perfect way to get some exercise, have fun, and condition your body to ride more.