User's Manual

30
Tips For Choosing An Appropriate Cadence And Resistance:
• Warm-Up. The first ten minutes of a Spinning
®
ride are critical for establishing proper cadence.
With no resistance during warm-up, one may tend to pedal too quickly thus raising the heart rates
prematurely. During the warm-up, it’s important to work on cadence by keeping intensity under
control (65% or less). Use the warm-up to establish a smooth cadence and gradually establish a
balanced intensity. Similarly, after the warm-up, be cautious of increasing cadence over 100 rpm
with light resistance (this will also cause a potential anaerobic event and one may spend
the remaining class time attempting to recover). In other words, if one chooses to climb after the
warm-up, ensure that intensity and cadence are increasing equally.
• Resistance. Resistance is good. Some riders are afraid to add resistance because they think they’ll
end up with bulging quadriceps. But in cycling, it is the sprinters who have the larger quadriceps
(high cadences, lower resistance), and the skilled climbers generally have the longer, leaner
legs (lower cadences, higher resistance).
• Intensity. Slower cadence does not necessarily mean lower intensity. Perhaps a rider feels that if he/
she slows down the rpm his/her heart rate will drop too low. But in fact, he/she is in control of
the intensity because he/she can add resistance as needed. Subtle turns of the knob should
eventually generate the required response. Wearing a heart rate strap is critical to monitor ones
intensity goals using the right combination of cadence and resistance.
• Putting it together. Cadence and resistance are inversely related. The next section will explain how
cadence and resistance work together to elicit a given intensity. With this understanding, one can
coach others to select the appropriate resistance and cadence for the terrain they have selected.