In our Tips For Your First Cycling Class blog post, we talked about some key terms to know. But once you’ve gone to a few cycling classes, it’s time to expand your vocabulary and learn all the terms.

Read through the terms you should know, and sign up for a cycling class at Burn Studios in Buckhead today!

Terms To Know

Read through these terms to know and start sounding like a cycling class professional!

Clip-in

When your instructor says to clip in, this means to secure your cycling shoes to the pedal. You want to make sure your feet aren’t going to slide during the workout.

Gear Up

When your instructor says to gear up, increase your resistance!

Hill Or Climb

When your instructor says this, you’re going to increase your resistance to help simulate going up hill. This will increase your workout for a powerful, resistance-based interval.

Intervals

Intervals are the different segments your class is broken into. Oftentimes, intervals are performed at maximum level before moving into a period of rest, or slower work.

Jump

When you cycling class instructor says to “jump,” you pedal off your saddle. This means that you’re putting your weight on your legs while you pedal for a more intense cycling move. Your instructor could also say “let’s stand” for a similar version of “jump.”

Position (Gear)

This indicates where your hands are placed on the handlebars. For example:

      • First position: hands on the base of your handlebars, parallel to hips
      • Second position: hands on the outside of your handlebars, at the base
      • Third position: hands on the top two points on the end of the handlebars.

Power

At the end of your session, your instructor might say something about the total power. This number lets you know how much force you exerted during the entire session.

Resistance

This is how much resistance you feel when you push the pedals. The higher the resistance, the stronger you’re having the push — upping the ante of your workout and simulating up-hill riding.

RPM (Revolutions Per Minute)

This is the number of times you can pedal in one minute. If your instructor ups your RPM, you’re upping the intensity of your workout and pedaling faster.

Saddle

This is your bike’s seat. So when you’re told to lift off the saddle, you’re holding your body up off the seat while pedaling.

Set Up

In addition to set up, your instructor could also say bike fit. This means to adjust your bike to the right height. Before you get on the bike, the saddle should hit at your hip. If it isn’t, then you want to adjust your bike before your workout so it fits properly.

Spinning

Indoor cycling is most commonly called “spinning,” since you’re spinning around on stationary bikes. But there is also a trademarked style of cycling class called “Spinning.”

Sprint

When your instructor says to sprint, pedal as fast as you can!

Tap-back

Tap-back is a move common in cycling classes. For this, you lift out of the saddle and move your butt back and forth for a core workout.

Try A Cycling Class At Burn Studios In Buckhead

We hope that these different terms help prepare you for your next cycling class!

Once you have these terms down, make sure you sign up for a cycling class at Burn Studios in Buckhead!