RPM

The Power of 3 - ""My Body Tells Me "NO" But I Won't Quit Cuz I Want More"

"Turn The Levels" by DJ Lobersterdust

"Part of Me" by Katy Perry

"My Body" by Young the Giant

There has been a lot of talk lately about the proper range of RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) in indoor cycling classes. The general range that most indoor cycling certifications recommend is 60-110rpm. That doesn”™t mean that going a little faster or slower is going immediately cause injury, it means that this range can be ridden effectively by most people in the population.

When I started teaching with power, about 2 years ago, the first thing I discovered was how a high RPM and lower resistance could elevate the HR (Heart Rate) as well as RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) without the associated increase in power or output. The “fast spinners”, who for years were considered the “stars” of class, were shocked at how low their power numbers were. Many of them complained that the power meters must not be working properly or were broken. I tried to calm them and explained that they were beautifully athletic riders but they may have never trained with the appropriate resistance while riding at a high cadence. I asked them to be patient and to use this new found knowledge and tool to help them reach fitness levels they had only dreamed of. By finding their most efficient cadence, that RPM where the body can produce the most power at the lowest HR or RPE, and progressively increasing cadence and maintaining power, over time, many of these riders are now able to ride at a fast cadence and maintain a high power output.

Interval sets like the one below are how I coach riders to slowly but steadily increase their most efficient cadence over time.

A detailed set profile to print

The_Power_of_3_Turn_The_Levels_Part_of_Me_My_Body

 

3 song harmonically mixed track, to download Right Click > Save As / Save Target As to download. Open in iTunes and then you'll see this in your Spotify Local File folder.

Recording of me teaching this 3 song set in a class on a Spinner Blade Ion ,Right Click > Save As / Save Target As to download on PC or Download Linked File As on Mac. Open in iTunes and then you'll see this in your Spotify Local File folder.

3 song harmonically mixed track AND video ,  to download Right Click > Save As / Save Target As to download.

Dennis Mellon

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