Indoor Cycling Classes Can Produce Dramatic Fitness Results Fast

Indoor cycling is an excellent way to improve your cardiovascular fitness. It's similar to other forms of aerobic exercises, such as running, swimming, and training on the elliptical. It's perfect for anyone like me who wants to get in a cardio workout without putting too much stress on their joints. 

Regular cycling not only gives you toned legs, but it's also a great way to reduce your waistline. One study showed that weightlifters who performed a Les Mills RPM Cycle Class three times a week lost an average of one inch in waist circumference in just eight weeks and 13.6 percent in body fat. This is important because it's often dangerous visceral fat that accumulates around your midsection, and a disproportionately large waist portends several serious health risks. 

My personal experience with Les Mills RPM is demonstrated in the accompanying chart downloaded from my Strava account. It shows the improvement in my “Fitness” score over a period of about six months. Strava describes this score as an accumulation of training. They say the Fitness Score is calculated using Training Load and/or Relative Effort to measure a person’s daily training, and an impulse-response model to quantify its effect over time. This, according to Strava , will intuitively capture the development of fitness from training, as well as the loss of fitness during a break.

The “hockey stick” improvement in fitness that is shown on my graph occurred as a result of my beginning work in November 2022 to become a Les MIll certified RPM instructor. My training has been to “take” the current 45-minute class via my iPad approximately three times a week in addition to the three days of functional resistance training and regular recreational/commuting bike riding that I normally do. 

As the graph indicates, the level of my “fitness” has changed dramatically as a result of adding these three additional peak cardio workouts per week. I can also report that I feel more energetic and have not experienced delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), or tightness in my joints.

Conclusion: if you are looking for an effective way to shake up your routine, gain fitness, increase stamina, and leg strength without increasing the risk of injury, give Les Mills indoor cycling a spin.