Class Profile with Playlist #14: Loops in the Hills

{NEW} Cycling Class Profile with Playlist – Loops in the Hills will challenge your students and help develop strength and endurance. This playlist will sure keep it fun for them, too!

Hey guys! Happy Hump Day!

It’s time to share a new cycling class profile with playlist again.

For this one I went off my usual track and tried something different. The original idea of the ride does not belong to me though. I took the drills from the profile developed by the Spinning® Master Instructor Michelle Colvin which is part of the Spinning Ridebook, Vol. 2 (click on that link to buy the book, which has 52 class profiles!). I took the idea from there, added my music and cues to it, increased the class time from the original 40 to 45 minutes, and here we go.

I would like to sincerely thank Michelle Colvin for letting me use her idea and share this class profile with playlist with you. If you like it, be sure to thank Michele on Twitter:

Cycling Class Profile with Playlist #14: Loops in the Hills

This class consists of 3 Loops. Each loop is a combination of seated flat and seated\standing climb. With each loop, the flat part becomes more challenging where your class works at a lower cadence with more resistance and higher HR. Each climb challenges your class more by increasing the standing time, decreasing time in the saddle, and increasing cadence and heart rate.

As I am famous among my students for long tough climbs in my classes, I started this class by writing two words on the board behind me: “Flat Road”.

I told my class that day I was going to challenge them to survive the flat roads incorporated into this class and hold on to that though that flat roads are easy until they’re done with the class. When the class was over, we had 100% agreement in the room that flat roads can be just as challenging as climbs – both for the body and for the mind. See for yourself…

Here’s the iTunes playlist:

And the PDF download from the Class Builder App: Ride 39 – Loops in the Hills

Make sure you have my Class Builder App Glossary open in a different window in case you have terminology questions while you read my notes below.

Ride Description and Notes:

1: “Cloud Number Nine (Chicane Mix)”, Bryan Adams – Warm Up. Choose the cadence/resistance balance to achieve and maintain 65% of Maximum Heart Rate (MHR).
2: “Dog Days Are Over”, Florence + The Machine – Continue warm up, start Loop 1 at 1:19, get cadence to 110 RPM and hold it at 75% MHR. Slow down if you can’t keep it at 75% at this cadence.
3: “Caprise #24”, Viktor Zinchuk – continue holding 110 RPM (or selected cadence) at 75% MHR.
4: “Cry Me a River”, Justin Timberlake – Seated/Standing climb. Climb seated for 45 seconds, standing for 15 seconds at 60 RPM and 75% MHR.
5: “Breathe”, The Prodigy – Loop 2 starts. Get back to seated flat, but this time work with more resistance to get your heart rate to 80% at 100 RPM.
6: “Bittersweet”, Apocalyptica – Seated/Standing climb. Climb seated for 30 seconds, standing for 30 seconds at 70 RPM and 80% MHR. This section is about heart rate control – keep it at 80% both seated and standing, reduce standing time if you go above 80%.
7: “Hit the Road Jack”, Ray Charles – Loop 3. Return to seated flat working with more resistance than you had at the flat part of Loop 2, and at 90 RPM and 85% MHR.
8: “Johnny B Good”, Chuck Berry – Continue Loop 3 flat above.
9: “Billie Jean”, Michael Jackson – Seated/Standing climb. Climb seated for 15 seconds, standing for 45 seconds at 80 RPM and 85% MHR. 80 RPM represents a very small hill. For this section focus on standing “attacks” without slowing down from the seated cadence.
10: “Desert Rose”, Sting – Cool down. Back to 50-65% MHR at 100 RPM.
11: “Toccata”, Yat-Kha – continue cool down, slowing down gradually and getting ready to get off the bike.
12: “Centuries”, Guitar Tribute Players – get off the bike and stretch.

How to time all that without going insane? Get yourself the Class Builder App!

I hope your class enjoys this profile and playlist – mine really did!

Please, share with your friends:

Thanks for stopping by today!

Ride on.

DISCLAIMER:

Please note that while I make every effort to capture and present these indoor cycling class / Spinning class profiles accurately, the class profiles and class descriptions posted on this blog do not constitute complete instruction for teaching the indoor cycling class  / Spinning class.

No statement is made to the suitability or otherwise of the indoor cycling profiles presented on this blog. Care must always be taken when riding an indoor cycle. Please, consult your physician before starting an exercise program.

The indoor cycling class / Spinning class profiles presented are not meant to be exercise and/or personal recommendations, but only examples of workouts that the author completed in the past. The owner and authors of these cycling class profiles will not be responsible or liable for any injury, illness or death resulting from the use of the information contained in this article.

Pick up a few essentials I use for teaching my classes: