Home Gym Series: Peloton and Strength Training - How To Improve Your Peloton Rides
Through 2021 I was shocked that well over half of my online personal training clients owned a Peloton. Though I never thought, and I still think, that app services will never replace actual coaching, I just had a general ‘wow factor’ that people were still interested in online personal training alongside their Peloton.
So, I asked my clients who had a Peloton why they were considering Purposeful Strength and here is what they said:
“One of my goals is to increase my output on Peloton, and I am hoping your coaching can get me there”
“I want to take longer and harder classes but feel that my body needs to be stronger”
“I’m tired of looking at the screen and want something to do on other days”
“You can only do cardio for so many days before you want to lift”
And my favorite…
“Because lifting weights and getting stronger is still fun”
All great reasons, and all reasons that let me know my online personal training business isn’t going to get wiped off the face of the earth, however, the first point stuck out…
How to increase your output on the Peloton.
Or for the average bear…
How do I get better at riding my Peloton?
I love spinning, I always have. It’s been the only group exercise class I’ve consistently taken in a gym setting since college. The music kicks ass, the instructors are always fun, dark rooms, fun lights.
On a physical level, Peloton/ spinning is low impact (easy on the joints, taxes your lower body and lungs (what’s up physical growth?), and has measurable metrics that can be used to track improvements.
It’s my jam, for sure.
So Peloton, though I don’t have one - my wife wanted a treadmill instead (*insert eye roll*)- would definitely be something that I consider, and have recommended to friends and clients who I think would enjoy that community driven approach.
Okay, Casey, pipe it…how do I get better at my Peloton rides and how do I increase my output?
Understand that spinning, though has a ‘strength’ element, is going to be focusing on muscular endurance.
Yes, you can totally crank the resistance up, but given the total length and duration of the ride, you’re largely conditioning your body to perform at an endurance level. Aiming for consistent output over the 20,30,40,60-minute or longer ride.
So, to increase that total output, a great way to train is for ‘absolute strength’. This means performing strength training for 3-6 sets for 3-6 reps. There’s a lot of combinations here, but hear me out.
Think of a pyramid. The base of the pyramid is your endurance. It’s big, powerful, and supports the whole structure. The top of the pyramid is your total strength. If you never look to build up the height of your pyramid, you’ll end up with a ‘mound’ instead.
We want a pyramid. Peloton will help with the endurance-packed bottom, strength training for absolute strength will build you the nice top.
Think about this for a 4 week strength-building progression,
Week 1: 3 sets of 5 reps
Week 2: 4 sets of 6 reps *no weight increase, just more sets and reps*
Week 3: 3 sets of 4-5 reps *increase weight and decrease sets and reps*
Week 4: 3 sets of 5-6 reps *same weight from week 3, but doing more work with it*
Performing that progression with lower body movements like the goblet squat and split squat will help tremendously.
*If you’ve downloaded and trained on Purposeful Strength’s “Start Here” program, then you know we are a fan of these movements
This split-squat is a go-to in all of our programming at Purposeful Strength!
Building off the point above…
Focus on improving your relative strength and you’ll improve your performance.
Have you ever heard of the phrase “a rising tide lifts all ships”? In strength training, the phrase ‘getting strong’ gets tossed around like a rag doll at a pre-school.
It’s not specific enough.
The first point of this article referenced ‘absolute strength’, the total amount of weight you can lift. This point is mentioning ‘relative strength’, how strong you are for your body size. Your height, your weight, and even your limb length.
If you have long legs and crush Peloton workouts, then you know how rough spinning can get!
It’s great to be strong in a specific area, but your whole body needs to be strong as a singular cohesive unit. As your legs drive the pedals, your upper body is tense, providing stability. Your core is fighting rotation as you sit on the bike and rapidly spin your body. Plus, every time you spin you have a downward ‘push’, your whole body is trying to not come off of the seat as well.
What I am getting at is it isn’t all about building stronger legs to improve your Peloton ability.
Now, if you think I am going to suggest performing a ton of push ups, chin ups, and planks for improving your relative strength, then you’re right. BUT, I am going to offer some specific suggestions that will help specifically with the Peloton, so listen up…
Flexed arm hangs
Why does it work?
This chin up variation allows you to build grip strength and core strength while working for a long(er) period of time. Performing hangs for 5-20 seconds at a time can do wonders for improving relative strength.
Eccentric-focused chin ups
Why does it work?
Similar to the hang variation, the eccentric focus means you’re going slow on only the ‘down’ part of the chin up, This builds some serious strength in your back, requires a higher level of body control than the hang, and because the lowering portion takes time, literally, you’re getting the same grip and core improvements needed.
Incline Yoga Push Ups
Why does it work?
This push up variation gives you strength but also some added mobility through the upper-back. Many who do spinning classes end up hunched over on the bike. This variation gets you reaching through long, straight arms and stretching out your upper back, all while building core strength (because a push up is a moving plank…) and upper body strength.
1.5 rep push ups
Why does it work?
This is a harder push up variation. If you can perform 10 straight push ups, give the .5 rep variation a go. The added .5 rep in the bottom taxes core strength, increases the tension of the movement, and essentially doubles the total work, since you are performing 2 push ups in 1 rep.
Plank Toe Touch
Why does it work?
This is the single arm version of the yoga push ups listed above. You will get the same upper-back mobility, but without the added complications of having to perform a push up. This is a go-to plank variation in my programming at Purposeful Strength.
Side Plank + Leg Lift
Why does it work?
In the most simplest way to describe it…this movement is going to train muscles you do not use on the Peloton bike. The side plank gives you some awesome core strength, while the leg lift targets your outer glutes. This move offers balance to the muscle groups that get crushed on the bike ride in and ride out.
Okay. the final point…if you do not have any access to any gym equipment and only have a bike, this one's for you.
Stagger your rides so you aren’t performing the same kind of output.
That 20 minute HIIT ride might fit your schedule the best. However, performing the same ride over and over is limiting your growth and session output. The consistency will condition you for the intensity and length, but without getting some variety, even a different style of class, you’re going to be capped on progress.
Think about staggering your class schedule like this…
Monday: 20 minute HIIT Ride
Tuesday: 20-30 minute longer intervals OR distance-focused ride
Wednesday: Yoga/ Recovery
Thursday: 20-30 minute longer interval OR distance-focused ride
Friday:20 minute HIIT Ride
Saturday: 45-60 minute endurance focused ride
Sunday: Yoga/ Recovery
By switching up the kind of ride you do, though you may not like that format as much as your preferred style, will give your body another output to adapt and give complimentary skills and abilities to your body for peak performance and output.
For many wanting to improve a Peloton ride’s total output, there is probably a reference to a specific style of class you want to get better at, right? Focus on that specific output for 8-12 weeks, and think about the other kinds of training sessions as complimentary.
Was this article helpful? Did I leave anything on the table you still have questions on? I’m happy to go round two on this topic, or cover it further in a future podcast episode. Hit the comments below and let me know what you thought!