Spin® fanatics, listen to your girl here… if you want to be slim, solid, and just a flat out sexy beast, you have to take it beyond the bike. That’s right, I Cat Kom, Fitness Expert, Personal Trainer and serious Spin® addict is telling you that you need other workouts in your life!

That said, I want to tell you the workouts I do on the regular as either part of a Spin® Fusion class (meaning a class that is part indoor cycling and part something else awesome) or that you can do a la carte that not only make you healthier and stronger overall, but that also make you a better Spinner®! What, what!? Check it out.

5 Workouts to Pair with Your Cardio Classes

1. Ab & Core Workouts

A strong core is a key part of any good workout, especially indoor cycling where we spend hours powering those pedals. After all, it’s the core that keeps the body stable in and out of the saddle! That’s right your abdominals, obliques, latissimus dorsi (back muscles that look like wings) and other muscles around the spine are actually seriously required in a Spinning® class.

So… the stronger your core, the stronger rider you’ll be. And, here’s the good news, because your core is put to work stabilizing your core when you’re on the bike, Spinning® in turn is a core workout in itself. Boom! Double positive.

Here’s a few good ones if you’re looking: Ab & Core on SSoD.

2. Yoga

Flexibility: Yoga, without a doubt, improves joint and muscular flexibility, which is critical to the body’s overall structural well-being. The enhanced joint and muscle pliancy also translates to a greater range of motion. An increased range of motion then provides a greater ability to strengthen and condition a particular muscle group, like those cycling legs!

Improved Strength: Routine and consistent practice of the various yoga poses and postures help build strength and improve lean body mass.  Added gains enhance core body stability and seriously impede overuse injuries by strengthening the supportive, but potentially under-developed muscles surrounding the more utilized muscles, creating a more balanced and optimally functional overall strength. Don’t you feel stronger just reading that!

Mental Control: The physical benefits of yoga for the athlete, yes you are an athlete, are huge. But, they don’t hold a candle to the more ephemeral bennies. 

Here’s the deal, just like a muscle, the mind can be trained. Consistent practice of the yoga is a stellar way to find your focus, to grasp a moment of quiet, and to learn to settle your mind. It then can lead to better sleep, reduced stress, less mental chatter, and established belief in yourself. I always tell trainees (and even myself) that attitude is everything – Yoga can help you be mentally tough when things get hard. And, in a tough workout you need that stamina, so downward dog to power on!   

3. Pilates

Pilates is amazing for targeting the core muscles that are used to help stabilize the rider on the bike (indoor or out), keeping the spine in a stable position while those legs are pumpin’. So by improving your core strength, you can increase the power in the legs and lungs.

As, or maybe even more important, let’s not forget that Pilates is known for its ability to improve flexibility and posture, so it’s a killer way to redress some postural and muscular tightness and imbalances that can sadly accompany a good ride.

Avid Spinners® and Cyclists often suffer from tight hip flexors, necks and upper backs, caused by being hunched forward over the bike. Pilates helps stretch and lengthen these muscles, and also strengthens them so they don’t sit all tight and short. This can help prevent injury and just general pain. Sign me up, right?

Spin Pilates Classes are amazing btw. Talk about getting the best of both worlds!

4. Strength Training Classes (with Body Weight, TRX®, Dumbbells, etc.)

Before getting into the benefits of strength training for cyclists, how about the benefits of strength training overall. Why should it be a part of your workout routine? First off, it’ll help with weight loss and/or maintenance, improve energy levels, build lean muscle, improve coordination and body mechanics, burn calories long after the workout is over, and challenge you mentally by testing your limits…in a good way!

While all of these benefits will help you on the bike, there are a couple important ones to call out. It’s important to know that lean muscle mass is so important. Strength training breaks down muscle fibers while you are working out, but that’s not bad news, it’s GREAT news! Because while you are resting, your muscles are in repair and the fibers bind together in a thicker state, which means they’re getting stronger. On the bike this means more POWER. So you can attack that hill with a little more intensity, sprint faster and just flat out ride better.

Second, the improved coordination is game-changing, particularly when it comes to improved balance. It’ll allow you to perfect your pedal stroke both in terms of form and efficiency and eliminate a lot of wasted energy on the bike.

Lastly, there are so many fun ways to get the most out of your strength routine – mix it up! Use a variety of equipment – dumbbells, TRX®, kettlebells, etc., and you can do it as a stand-alone workout like a 30 Minute Sculpt Session or combine it with your favorite cardio workout. Spin Sculpt Classes are my favorite workout in the world!

Bottom line, get in the reps and reap the benefits – on and off of the bike!

5. HIIT Training Workouts

HIIT, a.k.a. high-intensity interval training, is a training technique where you go all-out, with an intense burst exercise, which you then follow with a short recovery period. This type of training gets and keeps your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time because in the burst the body’s need for oxygen creates an oxygen shortage, causing your body to require more oxygen during recovery AND it keeps going when the workout is done hun!  

This afterburn effect is called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), and EPOC my friends takes your fitness to the next level. So… HIIT it Hard!

Here are some of the HIIT Training Workouts Available online at Studio SWEAT onDemand.

I know nothing can replace a good sweat soaking, body sculpting Spin®, I’m with ya, but I promise you that if you add some or all of these other workouts to your weekly routine you’ll not only be a better Spinner®, but you’ll be a healthy, unstoppable lean machine.

~Cat Kom