Take it easy! 25-minute aerobic indoor cycling workout
A steadier workout for low-intensity days, or for building into your indoor cycling gradually
James Howell-Jones
Junior Writer
Not too easy, not too hard. This session is still a workout, but it’s not quite as tough as some of our other HIIT workout sessions. After a warm up, James ‘Hank’ Lowsley-Williams will build the intensity gradually until it briefly maxes out at 7/10.
You’ll be working, but it should feel relatively controlled all the way through. If you’re looking to work into your indoor training gradually, or if you just need an easier session, this is the one for you.
Read more: How to get started with indoor training
What are the benefits of steady-state aerobic exercise?
This session is going to keep you riding aerobically, which means your body uses oxygen to fuel the exercise, as opposed to burning glucose in the muscles when we enter the anaerobic zones.
Aerobic zones are less intense and sustainable for longer periods of time, while training at this level leads to less fatigue and muscle damage, so it is easier to recover. It is also really important for building a strong aerobic base. The stronger your aerobic base is, the further and faster you will be able to ride.
Read more: Sweet spot endurance training: 30-minute indoor cycling workout
A good workout for polarised training
Steady-state exercises like this are also a key component of polarised training. This is a popular training method that splits training load between high-intensity and low-intensity riding. It usually involves spending 80% of your time at low intensities and the other 20% at high intensities, with this workout falling in the former category.
Tadej Pogacar’s coach Ińigo San Millán is a fan of polarised training and training at lower intensities, like zone 2, as we found out when we previously interviewed him.
Indoor cycling workout details
- GCN instructor: James 'Hank' Lowsley-Williams
- Indoor workout duration: 25 minutes
- Indoor training type: An easy HIIT workout
- Fitness difficulty: Achievable for cyclists of every ability
- Benefits of this indoor cycling workout: Building a strong aerobic base
- Explore GCN’s best indoor cycling workouts
Warm up for seven minutes
Even though this is a gentler session, we still need a warm up. Starting at a really low, easy intensity, we’re going to build up gradually, until we reach 6/10. After a minute at 6/10, we’ll bring it back down and totally recover in preparation for the main session.
Build up gradually throughout the main session
We’re building up gently, first of all with three minutes at 4/10, then gradually increasing both the intensity, and the amount of time we spend at each intensity. The session climaxes with a couple of minutes at 7/10, then its onto the cool down.
Cool down for four minutes
Finally, let's spin out the legs with four minutes at 3/10. This should feel nice and easy, just giving your legs and lungs time to recover from that effort.
Related Content
Team time trial: 20-minute HIIT indoor cycling workout
This HIIT spin bike workout replicates the varied intensities of a team time trial effort
The full pyramid: 30-minute HIIT indoor cycling workout from GCN
A 30-minute HIIT workout for developing anaerobic fitness, led by Manon Lloyd
How to do a quick 17-minute indoor cycling HIIT workout
This 'sprinterval' session is a short but effective GCN workout for building cycling power and burning fat
The Hurt Locker: Improve your VO2 max with this HIIT indoor cycling workout
GCN's Conor Dunne takes you through a 30-minute, high-intensity interval workout that will help to improve your VO2 max and sprint power