Stationary bike workout programs are group classes accessible to a wide variety of fitness levels, from unconditioned beginners to seasoned athletes. Commonly known as indoor cycling or studio cycling programs, most stationary bike classes use carefully selected music tracks and visualization to motivate participants. Since working out on a stationary bike can be an intense cardiovascular exercise, some programs promote heart rate training as integral to the workout.
Indoor Cycling Programs
For a fitness facility to have an indoor cycling program, its studio must have stationary bikes and its instructors must be certified. Indoor cycling promotes heart rate training and has four ride profiles: endurance, strength, interval and recovery.
RPM
RPM is the stationary bike program of Les Mills, an international fitness company out of New Zealand. The most distinctive aspect of the RPM program is that the company supplies its instructors with one new class, choreographed to music, every three months. RPM instructors must use the company’s music and ride profiles in every class.
Schwinn Cycling
At one time, Schwinn manufactured the original stationary bikes. Schwinn cycling is now a program offered by the Nautilus Institute, an international fitness company based in Germany. The program aims to be inclusive of all fitness levels, and its instructors are trained on how to create appropriate cycling workouts for specific populations, such as seniors and teens.
Performance Cycling
Performance cycling is a stationary bike workout offered out of the U.K. For RPM and Schwinn programs, fitness facilities can use any brand of stationary bike if their instructors are Performance Cycling certified. The program offers workouts that are based on specific indoor cycling techniques, such as running on the pedals, as well as visualized outdoor ride profiles.
Stage5 Cycling
Stage5 Cycling was founded by a USA cycling coach in 2005. Its stationary bike workout program is geared toward cyclists who want to maintain their training during the off-season. The program’s mission is to teach core cycling skills. It’s the only program that requires its instructors to take both a written and a practical exam for certification. Like the Performance Cycling workout, the Stage5 program isn't affiliated with specific stationary bikes.
CycleOps Power Training
The CycleOps Power Training program is geared toward cycling enthusiasts and elite athletes. The program uses the CycleOps Club Pro 300 PT, a stationary bike that reads each rider’s power output in watts, cadence, energy and heart rate. Exercise physiologist Allen Lim, Ph.D., played a large part in creating the program, which is designed to provide cyclists with a high-level indoor training experience.
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