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How to do it
- Set saddle height so your knee stays slightly bent at the bottom of the stroke.
- Ride easy for several minutes until your breathing and cadence settle.
- Hold a stable seated position with relaxed shoulders and a light grip.
- Lift effort to the target for the work interval without changing your position.
- Drop back to easy pedalling for the full recovery before the next effort.
- Repeat the work and recovery pattern, then ride easy to finish.
Common mistakes
- Starting the first effort too hard, so the last intervals collapse.
- Cutting recovery short, which turns the session into one long moderate ride.
- Rocking the hips at high effort instead of driving through the pedals.
- Raising cadence without resistance, so effort never reaches the target.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Quads
- Secondary
- CalvesGlutesHamstrings
Same movement, other equipment
Similar exercises
Good to know
- What muscles does the Cycling Intervals work?
- Mainly the quads. It also works the calves, glutes and hamstrings.
- What equipment do you need for the Cycling Intervals?
- It uses a cardio machine. Without it, the Assault Bike and the Squat Thrusts train the same muscles the same way.
- Is the Cycling Intervals good for beginners?
- GymVim rates it intermediate. For a beginner-rated exercise on the same muscle and movement, see the Arc Trainer.