Our Top Cycling Training Plan for Beginners

There are plenty of reasons to get in the saddle and go for a ride, whether on the road or on a spin bike. At the top of the list are the enormous, proven health benefits that show cycling is one of the easiest and best things you can do to keep your body active and healthy. Your cycle training might literally take you to the tops of mountains, but everyone has to start somewhere. We’re here to walk you through a great training plan for beginner cyclists. This guide is tailored to spin cyclists but it can apply to any stationary bike trainer, and you might even pick up some valuable information to take on the open road with you.

Getting Started.

Every bike is different. Take some time before you start riding to get to know the equipment you’ll be using. How do you adjust resistance? Some bikes like the SP-310 have a resistance dial, others like the SM-100 use a lever to control resistance. Learn the functions of your odometer or multifunction display. This will likely keep track of your speed, distance, and time spent riding. More advanced spin bikes like the SP-870 can also track your calories burned, pulse, and your cadence (RPM), all very useful information to help you achieve your fitness goals. Make sure you adjust your saddle to ride safely and comfortably. Finally, before we start, make sure you have access to water or something to keep you hydrated while you ride.

Warming Up.

This 30 minute spin bike workout is an introduction to the exercise. We’ll take you through the basics of interval training and hill climb training. We’ll start with a 3 minute warmup. You should have some resistance, but keep it low for now. For the first 3 minutes keep your pace slow. If you have a cadence tracker it should sit around 50-60RPM - just to get your legs moving.

Interval Training.

At the 3 minute mark we’ll begin speed interval training. Go up to a medium resistance and pace (65-70RPM). This is what we’ll continue to refer to as your working or recovery pace/resistance. This whole workout, including the climb training later on, works in 3 minute cycles. Start with 2 minutes at the working pace then straight into 1 minute of intense riding. During the interval training phase the focus is on speed. Speed up to a fast pace (75-80RPM) for 1 minute. Go into a full sprint (85+ RPM) for the last 10 seconds of that minute. We’ll go through 4 cycles of the above interval training. The purpose of the interval training phase is to elevate your heart rate in order to burn calories and improve cardiovascular health.

Hill Climbing.

Get ready, here come the hills. The hill climbing starts at the 15 minute mark with 2 minutes at your working pace to recover from your last sprint. Take note of your resistance, we’ll come back to that between climbs. Your first climb starts at 17 minutes in. For 1 minute, increase your resistance to about 75-80%, a hard difficulty. Increase the resistance again to around 90% (very hard) and stand up to pedal for the last 10 seconds of the climb. Drop back to your medium difficulty for 2 minutes recovery and begin the cycle again. Hill climbing is another great way to increase your heart rate and burn calories, with the added benefit of toning and strengthening your leg muscles.

Cool Down.

At the end of your last hill climb you’re ready to cool down and finish your first spin bike workout. At around the 27 minute mark return to your working resistance and then gradually begin reducing your pace and resistance over the last three minutes of the workout. Then you’re finished. Easy right? Like riding a bike. You’ll get the hang of it the more you ride, and eventually you’ll be graduating to much harder workouts. Until then, have fun, and good luck on your fitness journey.

Cycling Training Plan