To carry your conditioning to the next level, you can take the incredibly effective interval workout of a Spinning® or other indoor cycling class and then stir in a little extra dose of yoga, strength or ab focus to create a killer total body workout. And thanks to their effectiveness, these types of multi-layered classes are popping up all over the country as one of the hottest fitness trends. Typically lasting 40-60 minutes, participants Spin® first and then transition immediately to the second part of the class.

Though there are many options for these hybrid classes, yoga, ab or general strength workouts are the most common.

Spin®/Yoga Combo
The benefits of a yoga class for a cyclist are enormous. Cyclists tend to have weaker upper bodies and they can have imbalances in strength from left to right in their bodies. Yoga poses work the body unilaterally and emphasize total strength and flexibility. And especially when coming from the intense physical and mental workout of a group indoor cycling class, the complete concentration of mind and body that yoga requires is great at building focus, which you absolutely can take to the road. Best of all, putting these components together will help you build resistance to injury and overuse problems.
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Spin/Strength Classes
During a combined Spinning®/strength class the instructor will typically run you through the cardio workout on the bike then run you through a circuit of exercises specifically designed to increase the efficiency of your cycling. You would then finish with cycling specific stretches.

Historically, serious bike riders have pushed back against the idea of strength training. What’s the point of bulking up they say? It’s just extra weight to carry around and unless it’s in the legs, it isn’t going to help. You don’t see Mark Cavendish in the gym pressing iron, do you? Well, when you’re talking professional cycling and shaving off grams wherever you can is important, that’s true. You can also eat nothing but lettuce and bean curd three meals a day if you want to take things that far too. Actually strength training is so important and offers so many benefits it is well worth the time spent and will in fact make you a better, faster more durable cyclist.

First, strength training builds stronger bones. Weigh bearing exercise (and cycling by itself is not one of these) helps your body build this framework that helps hold your body together. Short-term, that will help avoid bone breaks in the event of a crash. Long term it helps fight off osteoporosis and other aging diseases that women are particularly susceptible to.

Finally, strength training helps avoid overuse injury and there’s the sheer psychological factor that comes from knowing you’re stronger, more fit and look even better in bike shorts and jersey. And you don’t want to discount that sense of motivation to go out and conquer just about anything that comes with it.

Ab Workouts
Ab classes that come on the heels of a rigorous Spinning® or other group indoor cycling class are all about building up your body’s core muscles. These are usually about 20-30 minutes in duration and focus on floor and standing exercises that involve the back and abs, things like crunches, leg raises, planks, etc.

This type of workout is crucial for a cyclist, for we are notorious for having a weak core. That’s why you always hear cyclists complaining about their sore backs after a long ride. The core is the body’s power house. It’s from there that your body is able to derive the leverage to drive the power in your thighs, hips and buttocks. Think how much faster and stronger you will be when you strengthen your abs and back.

With a strong foundation in your body’s core, you will be less prone to soreness from a long ride. Even better is the benefit you’ll find in your daily living. Exercises that strengthen your back and abs are the very best way to stave off the lower back pain that plagues so many people – hitting just about everyone at some point in their lives.

Benefits of Combined Workouts
It's clear these three examples of hybrid spin classes offer many benefits. You’ve got the killer cardio workouts that go with Spinning®, then it goes straight into a class to target core/abs or overall flexibility, strength and posture in yoga, while still enjoying the fitness benefits of an elevated heart rate. Give this a try – not only will the experience ramp up your fitness level and increase your cycling ability, but the variety that comes with mixing things up and keeping it fresh will help stave off the monotony that can come with endless hours of grinding on the stationary bike alone.