Do arrive early. If you are new, come ten minutes early to get fit on your bike and discuss your concerns with the instructor. If you are a veteran, allow time to set up your bike and begin your warmup.
Don’t text, email, or chat on your phone. It’s rude to the instructor (who has taken the time to design a presentation), to your classmates, and it diminishes the performance results that could be achieved if you worked harder.
Don’t pedal at 120, 60, 54 or 133 RPMs when the instructor says to pedal at 95. Do 95 or something close to it. Although the instructor is providing a guide, you should plan to perform the exercise as dictated.
Do try your best. If the workout is too difficult, you can always back off. The only way to achieve change is to get uncomfortable!
Don't ride with your arms crossed, your hands behind your back, or while doing crunches to “strengthen your core.” If you want to work on strength, hit the weight room. There is no nationally accredited cycling certification program that teaches strength moves while on the bike and it’s because they are biomechanically unsound.
Do inform the instructor before class starts if you are injured or have a medical condition that cycling may affect. It’s reckless to assume the instructor will know or pick up on it. Also if you need to leave early, choose a bike close to the exit to minimize distraction.
Don’t bounce—whether seated or standing up. Both indicate a lack of resistance and can put stress on your knees and limit the effectiveness of your workout.
Don’t stand up on the pedals with a vertical spine. It reduces your power, grinds away knee cartilage, and compresses lower spine vertebrae. Instead, stand as you would on an outdoor bike: hinge slightly at the hips, keep your hips over the cranks (the levers that attach the pedals to the bike), and your torso slightly forward of your hips. Your hands should be used for balance since your weight is over the pedal.
Do save conversations for after class. If you're talking to your neighbor, you're not working hard enough. It is a distraction to the instructor and the participants who came for the music and the vibe of a class environment.
Don’t read a magazine or a book or a Nook or a Kindle or a newspaper. If you want to read, go to the library. If you are able to read during a class, you aren't there for the right reasons.
Do have fun and get a great workout. (Don't be upset with the results you don't get because of the work you didn't do). You have to take responsibility for your workout! The instructor serves as a guide but you ultimately control the variables of intensity, pace and resistance.
Don't ride with your arms crossed, your hands behind your back, or while doing crunches to “strengthen your core.” If you want to work on strength, hit the weight room. There is no nationally accredited cycling certification program that teaches strength moves while on the bike and it’s because they are biomechanically unsound.
Do inform the instructor before class starts if you are injured or have a medical condition that cycling may affect. It’s reckless to assume the instructor will know or pick up on it. Also if you need to leave early, choose a bike close to the exit to minimize distraction.
Don’t bounce—whether seated or standing up. Both indicate a lack of resistance and can put stress on your knees and limit the effectiveness of your workout.
Don’t stand up on the pedals with a vertical spine. It reduces your power, grinds away knee cartilage, and compresses lower spine vertebrae. Instead, stand as you would on an outdoor bike: hinge slightly at the hips, keep your hips over the cranks (the levers that attach the pedals to the bike), and your torso slightly forward of your hips. Your hands should be used for balance since your weight is over the pedal.
Do save conversations for after class. If you're talking to your neighbor, you're not working hard enough. It is a distraction to the instructor and the participants who came for the music and the vibe of a class environment.
Don’t read a magazine or a book or a Nook or a Kindle or a newspaper. If you want to read, go to the library. If you are able to read during a class, you aren't there for the right reasons.
Do have fun and get a great workout. (Don't be upset with the results you don't get because of the work you didn't do). You have to take responsibility for your workout! The instructor serves as a guide but you ultimately control the variables of intensity, pace and resistance.
