Day: November 10, 2011

Want to push your spinning performance and your overall fitness to a higher level? Cadence (RPM) is how fast you’re peddling. On the next fast flat road, take one hand off the bar and place it over one knee, allowing your knee to tap it on every up stroke. Measure how many times your knee taps your hand for 60 seconds (or 30 sec x 2). Try to get a cadence between 70-80.  Then add 1/2 to 1 turn of resistance while forcing yourself to maintain that same cadence you just measured. When a real cyclist wants to go faster, they use higher gears which make each pedal stroke harder, but generating much more power per stroke. Your legs will work harder, your cardiovascular system will work harder, and you won’t be as limited by genetic factors that dictate how fast you can pedal. On a sprint, add another 1/2 to 1 turn of resistance, and then pedal as fast as possible until exhaustion. Be warned: It will be a much harder class.