The ABCs of Indoor Cycling
Acclimation: In this class, you will spend 5 minutes
of warmup, 20 minutes of light to moderate Indoor Cycling,
and 5 minutes of cool down. This class helps get the
“biking muscles” woken up again (especially the sit bones), and instructors will focus principally on form, in order to give you a solid foundation for longer and/or more advanced classes.
Base Building: Building an aerobic base is the key to reaching any fitness goal. Understanding Heart Zone training is also key to building this base. Base Building introduces Heart Zone™ concepts, and how to train with a heart rate monitor. Students are encouraged to take the heart rate Threshold HR Workshop, and begin training with the built in heart rate monitor each bike is equipped with at Global Ride. Once a base is built, riders can begin to explore setting higher goals for time, distance, cadence, or time in different heart zones. Riders will spend 5 min of warmup, 30 minutes of Indoor Cycling, and 5 minutes of cool down. Riders may want to spend several weeks taking a combination of Acclimation & Base Building classes.
AccliBase: This is either an Acclimation class, or a Base Building class - depending on who signs up for the class. ALL beginners or intermediates should feel comfortable signing up for this class. This is a 40 minute beginner class that will either be focused on form with less standing like Acclimation, or focused on heart rate with more standing like Base Building. The make up of the students will determine what the instructor will do. Suffice it to say, those looking for an Acclimation class on a Base Building day, will be instructed to stay in the saddle and ride on certain songs. While those looking for a Base Building workout on days that the instructor chooses Acclimation, will be instructed to keep their resistance higher, and stand on certain songs.
Mini-Endurance: This is done with various High Definition Videography designed to create a sensory immersive experience of the worlds most beautiful environments. With music designed for longer, more consistent beats, one can "take a journey" in mind, body and spirit in these classes. Mini-Endurance can be done at a beginner level by choosing a lower heart rate, and staying in the saddle more often, while it can offer an advanced ride if the rider chooses a higher heart rate, and chooses a standing climb position. In other words, this class can be done at almost any level, but at all levels, it will be as good a mental training as it is physical. Come out and enjoy the ride!
Ready to Ride
Strength: Strength rides are probably the most popular ride (and most commonly found from one facility to another). These rides are intense, and straddle the aerobic and anaerobic systems throughout the ride. Both leg strength and muscular strength of you cardiovascular system is developed best through these classes. Improved climbing ability and the ability to maintain mental toughness throughout the ride are consistent results from participants in Strength classes. It is recommended that strength classes do not be taken on back to back days.
Interval: Interval training is for those riders who want to take their abilities “to the next level”. Abruptly increasing and decreasing your work through the top two heart zones will “expand” your aerobic and anaerobic systems to be able to withstand more and higher levels of effort. Without interval training, you can “master” your existing level of fitness, and fine tune it to optimum efficiency, but you will not advance beyond it. Interval training pushes you to the next level. These classes should be taken only after an strong aerobic base has been built (at least 2 months of lower level riding). While the requirements may seem daunting, to see oneself leave past prior “personal bests” is a feeling that is hard to beat. This type of performance improvement is possible at any age and beginning from any point - even someone who never considered themselves an athlete can achieve these new levels and goals.
Endurance: Endurance rides are the “work horses” of base building. These are highly recommended those who have been “in shape” in the past, but have been away from consistent exercise for a while. Endurance rides are also the “mega fat burning” rides. These rides focus on the prime fat burning heart zones, and so those primarily interested in weight reduction will surely want this as the largest percentage of their rides. Endurance rides offer a good “transition” class for those that feel like they are beginning to progress past the ABCs of Indoor Cycling. Endurance rides also protect against heart attack by eventually lowering your resting heart rate. Finally, for the competitive athlete, endurance rides increases your aerobic capacity which affect the body’s ability to store and transport fuel, and they push the riders ability to master “sustainability” for cadence, heart rate, position and mental focus. These rides are often accompanied by Video as well.
StrenDurance: This class is for those who have moved beyond Acclimation, and are already comfortable with Base Building. This is a combination of two popular classes - Strength & Endurance. You do not need to have taken either one, but if you have, it will help. In this class, we will attempt to build leg strength, while maintaining a given heart rate. Most endurance classes should consist of little more than seated flats and a slight bit of running - it is meant to develop cardiovascular and mental stamina, and as such, movement variation can compromise those objectives. Strength on the other hand seeks to maximize your work on the legs - the proverbial "leg day" in the gym. WIth StrenDurance, we will mix up pure Strength efforts on some songs, and pure Endurance efforts on other songs. It is the "best of both worlds".
Specialty Classes
Sunshine Ride: Aside from being the largest & most technologically advanced Indoor Cycling® room in Pittsburgh, I would venture to say we are also the “sunniest”. While we normally ride in ambient light and have full light blocking shades to help that, we also have over 50% of our wall space as windows. This means we can “let the sunshine in” whenever we want to. Especially during the winter months when sunshine in Pittsburgh is not a “given” we’ve found that “Indoor Cycling in the sun” a quite exhilarating feeling! SO... we’ve created this class with no structure and guidelines for our teachers except to HAVE FUN, and ENJOY THE SUN! No matter what level you are, you can come and just ride at your own pace and enjoy our sun soaked room.
Teen Rock n’ Ride: High school athletes now have an alternative for cross training or just beating the “winter blues”. While this class is only 40 minutes, it may very well be the most fun a teenager can have while doing something “good for themselves”. We guarantee the athletes trying to stay in shape for their Spring sport will start their season better than ever before, and those just wanting to have fun also will not be disappointed. After 10 rides they also get to add their favorite song to the Indoor Cycling playlist (subject to mgt approval of course ☺). This class is for teens only, no “old people” (instructors excluded - the class must still be taught by a certified teacher). The only requirement is that the teen weigh under 275 lbs, and have a liability waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
Senior Ride: Senior Ride is geared more for the ride than the race. While there are many seniors who still cycle competitively, and can handle most Indoor Cycling classes, there are those that would prefer to simply ride, take in the views, and burn some calories in the process. Senior ride is an excellent low-impact workout, and can substitute for the “Intro to Indoor Cycling” for those who would like to explore it further with other seniors, and “tamer” music. Indoor Cycling can put extra stress on the back, and participants with any back problems should consult with a physician before joining class.
Steeler Ride: We are big Pittsburgh Steeler & Penguin fans at Global Ride! Come Ride through the Steeler Game. Our new digital projectors will show the game on both of our 11 foot screens. The picture and sound quality is AMAZING!! Outside of a movie theatre, it doesn't get any bigger or better. Burn calories while you watch the competition get burned by our Steelers! There will be an instructor present to encourage you to ride "at your own rate" - to "get in the zone", as the Steelers find their "scoring zone". Don't forget to Bring Your Own Bottles of water & towels.
Classical Ride: Normally music at Global Ride is hard driving & contemporary if not eclectic at times. However, in this class, we will be playing carefully selected classical music to go with a variety of Indoor Cycling exercises. Our professional sound system along with the acoustic panels makes our Indoor Cycling room a "mini concert hall". Come and ride to Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Bach and others. See how easily music can "take you away". This class will also feature some video selections. The length of the class will dictate the "level" of Indoor Cycling required - 30 & 40 minute classes are in the ABCs of Indoor Cycling, while 50 minute classes are of a more advanced variety.
Sweetheart Ride: This ride is for COUPLES only. There are therefore only 10 Slots available. . Each couple gets to choose "their special song" that will be played during the ride (if we don't already have it in our collection, it will cost an additional $1 to obtain it). This will be a 30 - 60 min RECOVERY ride (see explanation above for what a Recovery ride is) so it is suitable for ALL levels of riders. Everyone’s special song will be played during the first 30 minutes, and then other songs will be played until all riders are finished. This is our final class of the evening, so once we start the ride, we will close the club for this “private party”. Each couple will get a free smoothie to share after their ride – stopping any time after 30 minutes up till 60 minutes at most. Each person Indoor Cycling will be charged for 2 classes. Come show your sweetheart to the most "different" date ever! Make it a surprise - we won't tell :-)
Creative Crankin’: We have a lot of unused time up in our Indoor Cycling room... so we want you to be able to take advantage of it. If you will recruit the 3 people minimum for this ride, you can tell US what you would like to work on, and we'll do our best to deliver a class based on those objectives. You can tell us you just want an easy acclimation class, or a tough interval class or something with all one type of music - it's your call. HOWEVER, only the first 3 people to guarantee the class can set the objectives - others that sign up to "come along" need to be comfortable Indoor Cycling at their own pace, or following the objectives of whatever group was first to secure the class. We call this Creative Crankin' (the crank arm is connected to the pedal... you get it right :-) Anyway, we encourage you to get those creative juices flowing, and put your own fingerprint on the class - crank it up!!
Decade/Genre Ride: Of course Indoor Cycling is done to hard driving rock & "techno" type music; there are few genres that offer the solid consistent beat to help one develop reliable rhythm and endurance. However, that being said, having music to ride to that you have a certain "connection" to will also transcend much of the "science" of riding, and cover a multitude of sins. Besides, it's important to just have fun in your workouts as well, and this Decade class is all about that! Come out to ride to the likes of Elvis, the Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, The Rascals, The Supremes, The Beach Boys, Credence, and the list goes on... The level of workout will be "what you make it", and the time allotment will be according to the schedule.
Gospel Music Ride: While this could easily fall under the previous category of “Genre Rides”, we felt it necessary to “warn” those that think we might be pushing a given message. While we are always looking for inspiring, uplifting music, we will not push any religious or political view on our clients. That being said, come and find out why over 80% of the biggest & most popular voices in the last 30 years have their roots in Gospel music. If there is any style of music you can "move" to, it's Gospel! Here's your chance to hear and ride to music that defines the word RYTHM! This is music that will inspire you body, mind and soul! If you're on the fence on this one - come out and give it a try, you are guaranteed to be fired up when you leave.
Rolling Hills: This class is designed for both Intermediates and Advanced riders. By a combination of cadence and resistance, as well as positions in and out of the saddle, you will simulate the feel of rolling hills. For Intermediates, this means a solid ride in Heart Zone 3, and for Advanced, this can be easily done in Zone 4 or Zone 3 depending on your training needs for that day. This isn't just a workout, it's a riding experience. Come and see for yourself!
Acclimation with Video: In Acclimation class we assume the students are beginners, needing to learn form, strengthen their hearts, and build up their leg muscles. Consequently, we don't work the class like our "advanced" classes, and we focus on slow but steady progression towards higher fitness levels. In this particular Acclimation class, we will also show some video to add a little "entertainment" factor as we are putting in this important time of low intensity work to climb out of our deconditioned states and into a fitter healthier body. All that being said - intermediates or advanced students are VERY WELCOME if the time slot or video interests you - turn up the resistance to the levels we use in our harder classes, and "GO HARD" to the moves you know and like. We promise the music will be suitable for harder workouts as well - you only need the determination to push yourself.
Cyclism Indoor Cycling: This is an Endurance ride. With Cyclism Indoor Cycling, we use video to help inspire and motivate us to work harder and achieve the results we are looking for. Come ride with some of the greatest cycling pros of our current day as well as those of the past. If you're into cycling you'll love the combination - if you're not, you'll at least be distracted/entertained while you work.
Double Endurance: This is a 75 minute movie with a 5 minute warmup and cooldown, along with instruction as to how to approach a "long endurance ride". This will continue to build on your aerobic base, will challenge you mentally and physically, but the movie should be wonderfully distracting. This class will deduct 2 from your bank. Endurance rides are the “work horses” of base building. These are highly recommended those who have been “in shape” in the past, but have been away from consistent exercise for a while. Endurance rides are also the “mega fat burning” rides. These rides focus on the prime fat burning heart zones, and so those primarily interested in weight reduction will surely want this as the largest percentage of their rides. Endurance rides offer a good “transition” class for those that feel like they are beginning to progress past the ABCs of Indoor Cycling. Endurance rides also protects against heart attack by eventually lowering your resting heart rate. Finally, for the competative athlete, endurance rides increases your aerobic capacity which affect the body’s ability to store and transport fuel, and they push the riders ability to master “sustainability” for cadence, heart rate, position and mental focus. These rides are often accompanied by Video as well.
Global Ride Video Ride: Global Ride Video Rides are designed at a "Ready to Ride" level - for a full 50 minutes - but beginners can take part as well by doing the following: First and foremost, ride at a lower resistance. At times cadence or RPMs may need to be cut back as well. Finally, if 50 minutes is too long, do the first half (25 or 30 minutes) for one class/sitting, and do the second half for another ride/workout. This ride has been created as an Endurance ride, so you can read more about the details of that type of class under that heading.
Listener Appreciation: It's YOUR Turn to pick the music!!! This is a Base Building level class (40 min-aerobic zones), but this time 100% of the music will be from YOUR suggestions. Just send us the song you would like to Ride to, and as long as we can figure out what we can do on the bike that will "work" with it, we'll put it in the playlist. Our email addresses are located on our profile pages. Get your requests in at least a day ahead, or we might not have time to put it in. See you there!
