A Group Fitness Coach Shares Her 5 Rules for Indoor Cyclists

A 40-minute indoor cycling session is a 400-600 calorie burner, but it’s important to do it right, said Rachel Buschert Vaziralli, a Schwinn Master Trainer, Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach.

Vaziralli has been teaching for over 10 years and shared some of her big rules when it comes to indoor cycling:

1. Don’t pedal at 133 RPMs when your instructor says pedal at 90. There is a reason he or she says 90.
2. Don’t pedal with your arms crossed or behind your back. Leave ‘core strengthening’ or other upper-body exercises for the the weight room. At best, you’ll get a mediocre workout if you’re doing them on the bike. At worst, it’s dangerous.
3. Don’t stand on the pedals with a vertical spine. It’s a knee-cartilage crusher, compresses lower vertebrae and reduces your power. Instead, lean forward slightly from the hips.
4. Don’t pedal backwards. It provides next to no benefit.
5. Don’t post, phone, chat, text, email or listen to your own music. An indoor cycle class is a team event. Your instructor has created a presentation, so follow it. If you want to cycle to your own routine, choose a bike outside the room.

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AIF

The Australian Institute of Fitness

The Australian Institute of Fitness (AIF) is the largest and longest established fitness training organisation in Australia, with dynamic training methods and expert course coaches nationwide - spanning fitness, massage and nutrition. The AIF qualifies more fitness professionals than any other provider in Australia, as well as offering a broad range of continuing education courses (CEC), upskilling resources and partnership programs for existing industry.