The moves and choreography we do on the bike every day are backed by our number one priority, your safety. We can think of no better person to trust that safety, than our in house wellness/performance consultant, Dr. Amy MacKinnon.
“Welcome back to YYC Cycle! My name is Dr. Amy MacKinnon and I am going to be your Motivator today… at YYC cycle we always spin to the beat of the music…”
Blah…blah…blah.
We get it! Sometimes the hustle of ensuring your spin shoes are the right size, your bike is set up properly, you have your weights, water, towel, and sanity after that extra busy workday or sleepless night up with the kids, we drown out the important introduction that our beautiful Motivator provides at the beginning of class.
Luckily, YYC Cycle always takes pride in providing the Bikergang with endless opportunities to tune into important cues for a safe, biomechanically sound and fun spin class! The Motivators ensure to consistently coach the Bikergang on proper form and provide those extra sweaty tips to get the most out of class.
But sometimes, a move or movement sequence on the bike might become lost in translation or be over before you had a chance to nail it and you are felt with that “what is happening!?!” feeling.
Never fear! We are going to outline a few of our favourite moves on the bike and explain why we chose them for your workout!
Pumps and Dips:
Purpose: To alter movement in your upper body to challenge the core muscles and stabilization.
PUMPS:
· Hands at position 3
· Hips stay directly over saddle throughout the movement
· Chest stays proud with neck, middle and lower back in neutral/flat position
· Push elbows out to the side to “pump” with minor elbow bend – NOT a push-up – as instructed by the Motivator on the beat
DIPS:
· Hands at position 3 OR 4 as directed by the Motivator
· Hips stay directly over saddle throughout the movement
· Chest stays proud with neck, middle and lower back in neutral/flat position
· Bend elbows back towards body to “dip” with minor elbow bend – NOT a push-up – as instructed by the Motivator on the beat
*Note – pumps and dips are NOT and upper body exercise contrary to popular belief.
Hovers and Slides:
Purpose: A different move to challenge the muscles in our legs, more specifically glutes and hip stabilizers.
HOVERS:
· Hands are lightly placed at position 3 OR 4
· Hips stay directly over saddle – limit hip movement up and down to “hover” over saddle
· Chest stays proud with neck, middle and lower back in neutral/flat position
· Maintain a steady peddle stroke to beat of the music while in hover position as instructed by Motivator
SLIDES:
· Initiate the hover position
· As instructed by Motivator on 4 or 8 counts, slowly move your hips from the back of the saddle to front of the saddle (and no further) maintaining hover position while shifting hips forward and back
· Maintain a steady peddle stroke to beat of the music
*Note – do not move hips past the front of the saddle position as it puts a strain on the knees and lower back
Core Holds:
Purpose: To challenge core and leg strength with heavy/hard resistance.
· Start in a seated position with hands lightly placed at position 2
· As instructed by motivator, move hands behind your lower back maintaining the same torso position
· Chest stays proud with neck, middle and lower back in neutral/flat position – do not allow back or shoulders to round forward
*Note – hips should not be moving out of the saddle or bouncing on the saddle
Hands into 5 with Dr. Amy from YYC CYCLE on Vimeo.
Hand Switches & Seated Hands at 5:
Hand Switches:
Purpose: Challenging core and upper body coordination.
· Hands are lightly placed at position 3 OR 4 depending on the starting position
· Hips stay directly over the saddle
· Chest stays proud with neck, middle and lower back in neutral/flat position – do not allow shoulders to round forward or back to round
· As instructed by the Motivator, move hands between position 3 and 4 keeping hands light and weight over the saddle
Seated Hands at 5:
Purpose: To alter hand position during races or heavy seated climbs.
· Seated with hands placed lightly at 5
· Chest stays proud with neck, middle and lower back in neutral/flat position – do not allow your back or shoulders to round forward
“You’ve made it Bikergang, you’ve crossed that finish line and I hope you feel like you know more about the moves we do on the bike at YYC Cycle and why we do them. Give yourself a round of applause!!”