Loops and Ladders: Indoor Cycling Class Profile

Happy cycling Wednesday, guys!

I got Loops and Ladders for you today. 🙂

I love both loops and ladders in my classes as two separate elements, but this time I combined the two – 3 Loops of Ladders is what this ride really is.

Loops and Ladders: Indoor Cycling Class Profile and Playlist

Class Duration: 44:20

Class Overview:

This class consists of loops and ladders. There are 3 Loops with a recovery section in between the loops. The first two loops are the longest and consist of the following ladders each:

Standing/Seated Flat Ladder ↑

Working our way up the ladder on this one increasing the work intervals (Standing Flat) and decreasing the duration of the low intensity work (Seated Flat) by the following scheme (numbers in seconds):

• 15:45
• 20:40
• 30:30

Combo Climb (Seated/Standing)↑

This is Ladder #2 and we’re starting over with the intervals’ length just as we did on the previous one. Work – Standing Climb, low intensity – Seated Climb.

• 15:45
• 20:40
• 30:30
• 60:60

Jumps/Seated Climb ↓

Now we’re working our way down the ladder with jumps on the hill for the high intensity part, and seated climb for the low intensity part.

• 30:30
• 20:40
• 15:45

 Loop #3 is shorter than the first two and consists of 2 Ladders.

The first ladder is the same as the Seated/Standing Flat Ladder in the first two loops, but it crosses over time wise a little with a 48 second standing flat at the end of the final song of the ladder (Beat It).

The second ladder of Loop 3 is the final Standing/Seated Climb – it starts with a 1 minute standing climb with heavy resistance and takes us down the ladder with the following intervals:

• 30:30
• 20:40
• Final push standing, about 20 seconds

Here’s the playlist I used:

and the one for you if you’re a Spotify fan (follow me there):

Class Notes:

1: “All ‘Bout the Money”, Meja – Warm up. Explain the ride as there won’t be much time for explanations – ladders require frequent cues for each interval.
2: “Ex’s & Oh’s”, Elle King – Loop 1, Ladder 1 starts. Alternate Standing/Seated Flat intervals going up the ladder. The legs are still “fresh”, this first ladder feels nice and easy. Cue your class to take note of their cadence and try to match the seated/standing cadence keeping the same number on their screens throughout the ladder.
3: “LoveStoned/I Think She Knows (Tiësto Remix)”, Justin Timberlake – Loop 1, Ladder 2: Combo Climb (Seated/Standing). Here comes the work! Slow your feet down and add enough resistance to bring cadence down to 60-70 RPM. Alternate Standing/Seated Climb going up the ladder.
4: “Mona Lisa”, Dead Sara – Jumps/Seated Climb. Time to go down Ladder #2, but boy are we going down swinging! Jumps at this point should make your class feel grateful for going down the ladder. Encourage them to bring their best effort yet for this part as recovery is just 3 short  minutes away.
5: “Kinks Shirt”, Matt Nathanson – Recovery. Breathe, drink water, towel off and take it easy for the whole song. Explain the next loop at this point and encourage your riders to take an extra step to challenge themselves – go a little faster on that Standing Flat, add a little more resistance on that climb, and focus on smooth transitions in and out of the saddle on those jumps. Ready. Set. Go!
6: “Worth It (feat. Kid Ink)”, Fifth Harmony – Loop 2, Ladder 1 – Alternate Standing/Seated Flat intervals going up the ladder. The legs are starting to get tired, but we still have ways to go before this is over. Cue your class to take note of their cadence and try to match the seated/standing cadence keeping the same number on their screens throughout the ladder. This time around, add a little more resistance or challenge yourself with a higher cadence than on the first ladder of Loop 1. Ladder 2 of the Loop 2 will start at the end of this song – add resistance for the climb, and take it out of the saddle for the first 15 seconds of work on Ladder 2.




7: “The Unforgiven (Instrumental Version)”, Apocalyptica – Loop 2, Ladder 2: Combo Climb (Seated/Standing). Continue the climb making sure you have enough resistance to keep cadence below 70 RPM. Alternate Standing/Seated Climb going up the ladder.
8: “Paralyzer”, Finger Eleven – Jumps/Seated Climb. Time to go down Ladder #2 again with those jumps. Give yourself time to focus on form this time. Legs are tired and it makes it easy to compromise form. Stay with it. Go slower if you need to, but maintain that perfect form and smooth transitions in and out of the saddle.
9: “Help!”, The Beatles – Recovery. This song right here at the end of Loop 2 got a chuckle out of my riders. They did feel like they needed help at this point. Ask and receive. Hydrate and rest on this all time classics before going into the final effort of the class.
10: “Beat It (feat. John Mayer)”, Fall Out Boy – Loop 3, Ladder 1: Standing/Seated Flat. Final set of runs. Make it count! Kick up that resistance or speed, or both to make it a little more challenging than Loop 2.
11: “In the End”, LINKIN PARK – Standing/Seated Climb. Here it is! Final effort of the class. Give it your all going down that ladder of intervals. Alternate standing “attacks” with seated climb intervals.
12: “Lips of an Angel”, Hinder – Cool down. Recover, cool down, hydrate and stretch off the bike.

Download FREE .pdf for this cycling class plan: Ride 46 – Loops and Ladders

And that’s that, my friends. Please, share!

Ride on and have a wonderful week!

Need more ideas for your Spinning® Class / Indoor Cycling Class? Check out my other cycling class profiles and playlists.

New to teaching? I have a whole page with resources just for new instructors AND two exciting programs to help you become a better instructor!

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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