Are You Pushing Hard Enough? 4 Ways Know When to Add More Resistance

- ICI staff

Indoor cycling, is super-effective in getting your heart pumping, muscles working, and calories burning. One of the essentials to a successful indoor cycling workout is finding the right amount of resistance to give you the gains you want. If you're unsure whether you're pushing hard enough, here are some signs that you may need to add more resistance to your indoor cycling routine:

1. Does it feel easy?: If you find the challenges that used to challenge you are starting to feel easy, it may be time to increase the resistance. As you progress and get stronger, what once felt difficult may now feel manageable. It's important to continually challenge yourself and push your limits to see progress and improvement in your fitness levels. If you don't push yourself, you may be at risk of undertraining and not bag the gains you could.
   
2. When did you last increase the resistance?: If you're riding the same challenges at the same level of resistance several months, it's a sign that you may need to add more resistance. As your muscles adapt to the resistance, you need to keep challenging them by gradually increasing the resistance over time to continue making progress. This is easy to spot if the bike you ride has a power meter or numbered gears or levels. Make a note of how hard you can maintain, for example, a 2 minute climb (using either average power output, the numbered gears, or your average heartrate during the challenge).
   
3. Do you feel fatigue?: If you're not feeling fatigued or getting out of breath during your indoor cycling workout, you're probably not pushing hard enough. While it's important to listen to your body and not overdo it, you should still be challenging yourself enough to feel some level of fatigue and breathlessness during your workout. If you're not feeling the burn, it may be time to up the resistance.
   
4. Does your mind wander during a hard challenge?: If your mind starts to wander during your indoor cycling workout because it doesn't feel challenging enough, it could be a sign that you need to add more resistance. When your mind isn't engaged in the workout, it's easy to lose focus and not get the most out of your ride. Adding more resistance can help you stay focused and present in the moment, making your workout more effective.
   

You should aim for a resistance level that challenges you but still allows you to maintain proper techniaue and pedal consistently at the required cadence. Use the length of the interval to gauge if you're pushing hard enough can you maintain the same levle of resistance right the way through? If you can, is it too easy? Could you add a little more? Well designed sessions will vary the intensity, so if you're riding at 7/10 effort you should feel like you're working, but that you could maintain this effort for several minutes at a time. If you're riding at 10/10 it should be maximal effort and you know you wouldn't be able to maintain the current cadence with even a touch more resistance - and you're looking forward to your recovery!
Remember, it's important to find the right balance between pushing yourself and avoiding injury. Adding too much resistance too quickly can strain your muscles and joints, so always listen to your body and make gradual adjustments. It's also a good idea to consult with your instructor or a fitness professional for guidance on proper resistance levels based on your fitness level and goals.
Adding more resistance to your indoor cycling routine is essential to continue challenging yourself and making progress. If you're finding the challenges too easy, haven't increased the resistance in a while, lack fatigue, or find your mind wandering, it's time to turn up the dial and push yourself to new levels of strength and fitness. Remember to listen to your body, make gradual adjustments, and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment as you conquer new challenges on your indoor cycling journey. Be excellent!