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Sports training

First spin class ride: set-up, a long warm-up and short efforts at your own pace

Most people admitted to hospital with rhabdomyolysis after a spin class are healthy and at their first class, and being fit doesn't seem to protect you. The doctors who treat them advise a gradual, lower-intensity first session; no first-ride plan has been tested, so this one is that expert advice and our suggestion. Even when a class feels manageable, a third to a half of it can be above the point where your breathing gets hard. Use this ride at home before your first class, or as your plan inside one: set the bike up, ride the warm-up properly, keep the efforts short and below hard, and leave two days before the next one. You need a studio or home exercise bike with an adjustable saddle and bars, water and a towel.

35 minBeginner4 movesCardio machine · A wallQuads · Calves
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Set-up

  1. Stationary cycling2 to 3 min very easy
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoSaddle so your knee keeps a slight bend at the bottom of the stroke, about 25 to 35 degrees in Spinning's and Keiser's guides; kneecap over the pedal with the pedals level; bars level with the saddle or higher. Find the brake: push down on the resistance knobEasier: Recumbent exercise bikeHarder: Air bike intervals

Warm-up

  1. Stationary cycling8 min, building from easy to moderate
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoBy the end you're warm and can still talk easily: 11 to 13 out of 20Easier: Recumbent exercise bikeHarder: Air bike intervals

Main ride

3 rounds

  1. Stationary cycling3 min seated at 80 to 110 rpm, 12 to 13 out of 20
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoA flat road: enough resistance that you don't bounce in the saddle. The rpm is your pedal revolutions a minuteEasier: Recumbent exercise bikeHarder: Air bike intervals
  2. Stationary cycling1 min climb at 60 to 80 rpm, no harder than 14 out of 20
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoAdd resistance. Stay seated in round 1, and stand for 20 to 30 s in rounds 2 and 3 if you feel steadyEasier: Recumbent exercise bikeHarder: Air bike intervals
  3. Stationary cycling2 min easy
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoBack to full sentences before the next roundEasier: Recumbent exercise bikeHarder: Air bike intervals

Cool-down

  1. Stationary cycling5 min easy
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoKeep pedalling easily until your breathing settlesEasier: Recumbent exercise bikeHarder: Air bike intervals
  2. Wall calf stretch (gastrocnemius)30 s each side
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoBack heel downEasier: Seated calf stretch with a towelHarder: Heel-on-step calf and hamstring stretch
  3. Standing quad stretch30 s each side
    Beginner · Quads, Hip flexors · 3D demoHold the bikeHarder: Couch stretch
  4. Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch20 to 30 s each side
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes · 3D demoTuck your pelvis underHarder: Couch stretch

Tips

  • In a class: tell the instructor it's your first ride, ask for help with the set-up, sit near a fan, ignore resistance numbers and leaderboards, and ride sprints easy or sit them out.
  • Drink water before and during, and keep cool. In a study of 90-minute rides, plain water did the job as well as a sports drink.
  • Leave 2 days before your next class, and keep to 1 or 2 classes a week for the first 2 to 3 weeks (our suggestion).
  • Sore thighs for a day or two are normal. Muscle pain, swelling or weakness far worse than the session explains, with dark pee (red, brown, tea or cola coloured), needs medical help the same day: call NHS (National Health Service) 111, or go to A&E (accident and emergency) if you feel very unwell. Call 999 for sudden, severe pain in a swollen, tight muscle.
  • With sickle cell trait, see your GP before a first class; on a statin, know the warning signs on our rhabdomyolysis guide.
  • Light-headed when you stop? Keep pedalling easily rather than stopping dead, and call 999 if someone faints while exercising. At home, keep children and pets away from the bike, in use or not.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

More sports training

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Plyometrics for runners

A 20-minute hop and bound session for runners: ankle bounces to pogo hops, one-leg hops and bounding, building foot contacts slowly over 10 weeks.

20 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine

Strength workout for cyclists (gym)

A 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.

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Questions people ask

How long does the first spin class ride: set-up, a long warm-up and short efforts at your own pace take?

About 35 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: Cardio machine, A wall. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 2 of its 4 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.