Running (also referred to as a Standing Flat) is a drill that doesn’t get the attention it deserves in my opinion. Not only it is challenging to perform, but also offers a great opportunity to improve pedaling technique while standing, develop endurance and work on smooth transitions in and out of the saddle. I decided to focus a whole ride on this great drill. See how it turned out!
Hey guys! Happy Hump Day!
So this past Monday in my indoor cycling class I decided to focus on “Running” (also known as Standing Flat) – a wonderful drill that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, in my opinion.
So I created a whole ride featuring this movement.
A few things to remind your students of before you start this indoor cycling class:
- Standing Flat/”Running” drill should not be performed outside of the cadence range of 80-110 RPM
- Make sure you go over the safety measures and explain what to do in case one of the feet gets disengaged from the foot cradle/gets unclipped – this tends to happen more at higher cadences and can lead to a very serious injury. Make sure your riders have a plan and know what to do if that happens.
- Remind your students to do what feels right and honor their body where it is on that day. It should be uncomfortable – but never painful.
- Even though the class is focused on Standing Flat, if some of your students are not comfortable standing up or pedaling at the recommended cadence range – advise them to modify and stay seated.
- Remember – if good form can not be maintained – you’re not ready for the drill. Scale back and stay seated rather than continue running with poor form.
Ready?
Indoor Cycling Class Profile: Run, Baby, Run!
Class Duration: 48:28
Playlist:
Class Notes
This class has a pattern (cadence ranges are chosen for the purpose of this class):
- Seated Climb (60-75 RPM)
- Run (80-110RPM)
- Combo Climb (Seated/Standing) – 60-80 RPM
- Fast Flat – 95-110 RPM.
This pattern gets repeated throughout the class with a little modification to it at the end of the class.
1: “Gone Ridin'”, Chris Isaak – Warm Up
2: “Seven Nation Army”, The White Stripes – Seated Climb. Start with moderate resistance around 75 RPM. Gradually add resistance to bring the cadence down to 60 RPM. Stay seated for the duration f this climb.
3: “Don’t Let Me Get Me (Radio Edit)”, P!NK – Run. Here’s the first running segment. Alternate seated (80-90 RPM) and standing flat (at 80 RPM) adding a little more resistance at 2:12 and maintaining the same cadences.
4: “Get ‘Em Up”, Nickelback – Combo Climb. This time climb is a combination of seated and standing sections. Add resistance to moderate in the beginning to maintain cadence of 70-80 RPM. Come up to standing, then return to the saddle and add more resistance. Repeat bringing the cadence down with each add and resistance up to heavy at the end of the climb.
5: “The Hum”, Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike & Ummet Ozcan – Recovery and Fast Flat. Bring resistance back to the flat road level and recover for 1 minute. Come out of the saddle to gain momentum, then return back down and accelerate.
6: “Worth It (feat. Kid Ink)”, Fifth Harmony – Seated Climb. This time add all resistance in the beginning to get you on to a heavy climb. We’ll be staying seated and within the range of 60-75 RPM. Choose your acceleration increments – for example, slower climb at 65 RPM, then accelerate to 72 RPM. Alternate slower/faster cadence while remaining seated.
7: “Run Boy Run”, Woodkid – Recovery and Run. Dial resistance back to flat and recover in the beginning of the segment for 1 minute. Then – add safe resistance back to be able to get up and run for the rest of this segment.
8: “Applause”, Lady Gaga – Combo Climb. Add resistance to heavy climb in the beginning. Alternate seated and standing climb. At 2:03 – accelerate while standing by a few RPM’s.
9: “Pan Pan Americano (PanAmericano)”, D’Caro Groove – Fast Flat. Return to flat road and recover for about 50 seconds. Then – settle at a challenging pace between 95 and 110 RPM and stay on the fast flat till the end of this segment.
10: “Titanium (feat. Sia)”, David Guetta – Last Seated Climb. Have your class dial in to the heaviest resistance yet for their last seated climb. Cue them to focus on good form and push to the where you will meet them to congratulate them on conquering this hill. Give them silence and space for this section of the class. Walk around to help and encourage if needed.
11: “Go Big Or Go Home”, American Authors – Fast Flat. Decrease resistance to a flat road level in the beginning and maintain challenging cadence between 95 and 110 RPM till the end of this segment.
12: “Run Like the River”, Vintage Trouble – Run. Here’s the Prime Time of the class – last run. We’ll stay standing for the entire song and alternate slower run (80 RPM) with accelerations anywhere between 81 and 90 RPM.
13: “Thank You”, Dido – Cool down and stretch off the bike.
Wanna know how to time all that and not go insane? Use this app:
Here’s your free .pdf download from the Class Builder app to help you out: Ride 50 – Run Baby Run
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Done with that?
Pick up a few essentials I use for teaching my classes:
And there you have it, my dear in/outdoor cyclists!
Do let me know in comments if you use this to teach your indoor cycling class and how it works for you!
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.
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