6 Indoor Cycling Routines & Playlists For Group Fitness Workouts
If you’re looking for some killer indoor cycling workout routines to take your classes up a notch, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are six rider-approved, sweat-inducing indoor cycling routines AND a Spotify link to the exact playlist, so you can test it for yourself.
Before you jump in, keep in mind that I like to teach my indoor cycling classes in a series of exercises that we do twice or three times through. I pick a couple exercises to make up the series, and we stick to it throughout the indoor cycle class. That way, participants know what to expect, so they can go big when they’re supposed to and not hold back for fear of another interval around the corner.
Indoor Cycling Routine Theme #1: Wear a Tie (50-minute workout)
The theme? Events where you’d wear a tie. All of the songs reflect an event or place you may wear a tie. Think: weddings, funerals, school, work, etc.
A couple optional add-ons that I’m personally toying with for my indoor cycle classes:
- Dressing up like Avril Lavigne with a tank and a tie combo. (90s/2000s punk rock is back in….right? 🙂 )
- Weaving a motivational theme that we don’t need to “show up” only for those Hallmark moments in our life. The “Weddings & Funerals” song near the end is PERFECT for this.
The series includes the following four workouts, done three times through.
- Song 1: Start moderate intensity, end hard by increasing resistance throughout the song. Go faster at the chorus.
- Song 2: Jumps. (Keeping resistance from Song 1.)
- Song 3: (Keeping resistance from Song 2.) Start seated with hard intensity, end standing and breathless intensity.
- Song 4: Breathless sprints.
The Playlist
| Series Song / Workout | Song |
| Warm-up | “Suit and Tie,” MC Boy (A.R. Remix) |
| Song 1: Mod –> hard intensity | “School’s Out,” Alice Cooper |
| Song 2: Jumps | “Let’s Get Married,” Jagged Edge, RUN, Lamarquis Jefferson |
| Song 3: Hard –> breathless intensity | “FUNERAL,” Neoni |
| Song 4: Breathless sprints | “9 to 5,” Dolly Parton |
| Song 1: Mod –> hard intensity | “Die Young,” Kesha |
| Song 2: Jumps | “Teacher,” Nick Jonas |
| Song 3: Hard –> breathless intensity | “Graduate,” Third Eye Blind |
| Song 4: Breathless sprints | “Sk8er Boi,” Avril Lavigne |
| Song 1: Mod –> hard intensity | “Why Don’t You Get a Job,” The Offspring (expletive in the beginning; might want to turn down volume) |
| Song 2: Jumps | “Bossy,” Kelis, Too $hort |
| Song 3: Hard –> breathless intensity | “Weddings & Funerals,” Royal & the Serpent |
| Song 4: Breathless sprints | “Work Bitch,” Britney Spears (may want to opt for the clean version) |
| Cool Down | “Die For You,” The Weeknd, Ariana Grande |
Want to hear the songs? I’ve added all these songs and more to my Spotify playlist here.
Indoor Cycling Routine Theme #2: (Un)stoppable (50-minute workout)
The theme is unstoppable, but it evolves as the indoor cycle class progresses. It starts with all songs about being impenetrable, unstoppable—someone that never rests. But, near the middle, I introduce the idea that in order to be truly unstoppable, one must…stop…sometimes. I suggest reading a poem, but you can also speak from the heart about the need to slow down and prioritize what’s most important on your journey. And, then the second half of the songs are about stopping, breaking free, etc.
My suggestion for these motivational indoor cycling routines is to start the class pretty lighthearted. Keep it up beat and relaxed. As the class progresses, they’ll start to lower their guard and be more open to the journey you’re taking them on. It’s about halfway to two-thirds of the way through class where you can really get “deep” and share this mental teaser with them. Then, pull them out of the depths so that the class ends light hearted, as well.
The Series
The series includes the following four workouts, done three times through.
- Song 1: Climb 1. (You can add additional details to each song of this climb. i.e. seated or standing, resistance levels, etc.)
- Song 2: Climb 2.
- Song 3: Climb 3. (I like to end the climb at a breathless intensity and start the next song with a few seconds of recovery. If needed, I’ll restart the next song for sprints. I have a few extra minutes baked in for this.)
- Song 4: Breathless sprints.
The Playlist
| Series Song / Workout | Song |
| Warm up | “Till I Collapse,” Eminem, Nate Dogg Note: you may want to start the song and let it play for a few seconds and then ask folks to start pedaling with intention when the beat drops. It starts slow. |
| Song 1: Climb | “Unstoppable,” Sia |
| Song 2: Climb | “Titanium,” David Guetta, Sia |
| Song 3: Climb | “Whatever It Takes,” Imagine Dragons |
| Song 4: Breathless sprints | “Too Legit To Quit,” MC Hammer, Saja |
| Song 1: Climb | “Never Gonna Give You Up,” Rick Astley |
| Song 2: Climb | “Survivor,” Destiny’s Child |
| Song 3: Climb | “Surrender,” Natalie Taylor Note: Here’s where I introduce the concept “to be upstoppable, you need to stop sometimes.” If it suits you, you may want to read a poem during the song, like, “Unstoppable,” by Donna Ashworth. |
| Song 4: Breathless sprints | “Don’t Stop Me Now,” Queen |
| Song 1: Climb | “Love Myself,” Hailee Steinfeld |
| Song 2: Climb | “Break,” Three Days Grace |
| Song 3: Climb | “Stop,” Spice Girls |
| Song 4: Breathless sprints | “Break Free,” Ariana Grande, Zedd |
| Cool Down | “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Journey |
Want to hear the songs? I’ve added all these songs and more to my Spotify playlist here.
Indoor Cycling Routine Theme #3: Catching Feelings (1-hour workout)
This indoor cycling routine theme has me catching feelings, well, because that’s actually the name of it. All of the songs have “feel” or “feeling” in the title. And, let me tell you: this playlist is SO GOOD. Can’t wait for you to catch feelings for it, too.
The Series
The series includes the following four workouts, done three times through.
- Song 1: A march at moderate intensity. At the chorus, increase pace and resistance to find hard intensity, then come back to that moderate pace.
- Song 2: Climb. Maintain the same pace but increase the resistance periodically to go from moderate to hard intensity and from seated to standing by the end of the song.
- Song 3: Keep the resistance from the last song and continue to stand. Intensity should be between moderate and hard (feel free to adjust resistance slightly to accommodate). At chorus, keep the resistance and have a seat to find a hard intensity.
- Song 4: Keep a heavy resistance, but can adjust slightly. 30 second breathless interval with 30 second recovery.
Between each series, I added a surprise sprint song, where I yell out a random time duration and intensity level that participants must comply with.
The Playlist
| Series Song / Workout | Song |
| Warm-up | “I Gotta Feeling,” Black Eyed Peas |
| Song 1: Moderate intensity march; hard at chorus | “Emotions,” Mariah Carey |
| Song 2: Climb (Start seated, end standing) | “Feel Invincible,” Skillet |
| Song 3: Stand (mod. intensity); sit at chorus | “The Way You Make Me Feel,” Michael Jackson |
| Song 4: 30 sec. breathless / 30 sec. recover | “Feel It Still,” Portugal. The Man |
| Surprise Sprints | “Dr. Feelgood,” Motley Crue |
| Song 1: Moderate intensity march; hard at chorus | “Feel This Moment,” Pitbull, Christina Aguilera |
| Song 2: Climb (Start seated, end standing) | “Feel like Makin’ Love,” Bad Company |
| Song 3: Stand (mod. intensity); sit at chorus | “Can’t Stop This Feeling,” Justin Timberlake |
| Song 4: 30 sec. breathless / 30 sec. recover | “Feeling This,” blink-182 |
| Surprise Sprints | “Take on Me,” a-ha |
| Song 1: Moderate intensity march; hard at chorus | “Hooked On A Feeling,” Blue Swede, Bjorn Skifs |
| Song 2: Climb (Start seated, end standing) | “Can’t Feel My Face,” The Weeknd |
| Song 3: Stand (mod. intensity); sit at chorus | “Feel Again,” OneRepublic |
| Song 4: 30 sec. breathless / 30 sec. recover | “Good Feeling,” Flo Rida |
| Cool Down | “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” REO Speedwagon |
Want to hear the songs? I’ve added all these songs and more to my Spotify playlist here.
Indoor Cycling Routine Theme #4: Lil Boo Theme (45-minute workout)
This is my “Lil Boo Theme” 45-minute indoor cycling routine and playlist, centered around my current obsession: “Lil Boo Thang,” by Paul Russell. All of the songs have Boo or Boo- in them. The best part? You can make it Halloween themed…or not. 🙂
The Series
The series includes the following four workouts, done three times through.
- Song 1: A march at moderate intensity. At the chorus, increase pace and resistance to find hard intensity, then come back to that moderate pace.
- Song 2: Jumps, alternating in and out of the saddle at the same pace and resistance. I like to cue jumps at differing intervals to keep it interesting. (e.g. “Do 4 counts in/out of the saddle four times, then 8 counts in/out of the saddle two times, etc.)
- Song 3: A march at hard intensity (which will require heavy resistance). At the chorus, decrease the resistance but keep the pace to find moderate / easy intensity.
- Song 4: Breathless sprints! You choose the intervals.
The Playlist
| Series Song / Workout | Song |
| Warm-up | “Lil Boo Thang,” Paul Russell |
| Song 1: Moderate intensity march; hard at chorus | “BOOMBAYAH,” BLACKPINK |
| Song 2: Jumps | “Ms. New Booty – Radio Edit,” Bubba Sparxxx |
| Song 3: Hard intensity march; moderate at chorus | “Boom Boom Pow,” Black Eyed Peas |
| Song 4: Sprints | “Booty,” Jennifer Lopez, Iggy Azalea |
| Song 1: Moderate intensity march; hard at chorus | “Boots On,” Randy Houser |
| Song 2: Jumps | “Low (feat. T-Pain),” Flo Rida, T-Pain |
| Song 3: Hard intensity march; moderate at chorus | “Bootylicious,” Rihanna |
| Song 4: Sprints | “Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!,” Vengaboys |
| Song 1: Moderate intensity march; hard at chorus | “Boots,” Jessie James Decker |
| Song 2: Jumps | “Booty Wurk (One Cheek at a Time),” T-Pain, Joey Galaxy |
| Song 3: Hard intensity march; moderate at chorus | “Super Bass,” Nicki Minaj |
| Song 4: Sprints | “BOOM,” Tiesto, Sevenn, Gucci Mane |
| Cool Down | “My Boo,” USHER, Alicia Keys |
Want to hear the songs? I’ve added all these songs and more to my Spotify playlist here.
Indoor Cycling Routine Theme #5: Steep Hills (45-minute workout)
Here’s an indoor cycling routine that’s received good feedback from riders. It’s a climb with a twist! We’ll start with your traditional climb, adding resistance as you pedal to move from moderate to hard intensity.
Once you get to the top of the hill, you’ll ask riders to maintain their resistance and do surprise sprints. That means you’ll call out a time duration and an intensity level (moderate, hard or breathless), count down from three and then folks will start their sprint.
The final song of the series is a reverse climb where participants will start with heavy resistance and hard intensity and take off resistance until they’ve found a moderate intensity level and are close to flat road.
The Series
We’ll do the following three workouts, three times through.
- Song 1: Climb from moderate to hard intensity, seated.
- Song 2: Maintain resistance from Song 1. Surprise sprints (shout an intensity level and duration, and GO!)
- Song 3: Reverse climb. Start w/ resistance from Song 2 at a hard/breathless intensity. Slowly take off resistance as you go to decrease intensity.
The Playlist
| Series Song / Workout | Song |
| Warm-up | “Draw The Line,” Aerosmith |
| Song 1: Climb | “Remember the Name,” Fort Minor, Styles of Beyond |
| Song 2: Surprise Sprints | “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),” Michael Jackson |
| Song 3: Reverse Climb | “T.N.T.,” AC/DC |
| Song 1: Climb | “Into You,” Ariana Grande |
| Song 2: Surprise Sprints | “She Works Hard For The Money,” Donna Summer |
| Song 3: Reverse Climb | “Our Own House,” MisterWives |
| Song 1: Climb | “Fighter,” Christina Aguilera |
| Song 2: Surprise Sprints | “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” The Police |
| Song 3: Reverse Climb | “CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!,” Justin Timberlake |
| Cool Down | “Just Like Fire,” P!nk, Wideboys |
Indoor Cycling Routine Theme #6: Increasing Intervals (45-minute Workout)
Here’s one of my indoor cycling routines and playlists that I call “Increasing Intervals”.
The first series revolves around a “30” theme, so intervals and activities are held for 30 seconds each. So, we start with a climb, increasing resistance from moderate intensity to hard intensity, finishing the song with a 30 second breathless interval. The next song is breathless intervals and periods of recovery for the allotted time, so 30 seconds each in this case. Finally, the series wraps up with an increasing intensity drill. Every 30 seconds, participants increase intensity, either adding resistance, increasing leg speed, sitting or standing. There are a total of four intervals: moderate, hard, very hard and breathless intensity. The group can recover for the rest of the song and can continue to recover at the start of the first song of the next series, if needed.
The next series focuses on “45”, so we do the same activities this time for 45 seconds each. Then, we do these exercises again with a “60” theme, holding everything for one minute.
I like this indoor cycling workout, because it gives participants a chance to get good at the drills, but it also increases in difficulty as the class goes on. By the end, you’ll really need to motivate the participants to push themselves for the 1-minute intervals.
The Series
We’ll do the following three workouts, three times through.
- Song 1: Climb, moderate to hard intensity. Breathless interval at the end.
- Song 2: Breathless / moderate recovery intervals.
- Song 3: Intervals: moderate, hard, harder, breathless.
The Playlist
| Series Song / Workout | Song |
| Warm-up | “Bad Medicine,” Bon Jovi |
| Song 1: Climb, 30s breathless at end. | “Bang Bang,” Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj |
| Song 2: 30s breathless / 30s recover | “The Middle,” Jimmy Eat World |
| Song 3: 30s each: moderate, hard, harder, breathless | “Rock And Roll All Nite,” KISS |
| Song 1: Climb, 45s breathless at end | “Bring Me To Life,” Evanescence |
| Song 2: 45s breathless / 45s recover | “Thnks fr th Mmrs,” Fall Out Boy |
| Song 3: 45s each: moderate, hard, harder, breathless | “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” Twisted Sister |
| Song 1: Climb, 1m breathless at end | “You Shook Me All Night Long,” AC/DC |
| Song 2: 1m breathless / 1m recover | “Separate Ways,” Journey |
| Song 3: 1m each: moderate, hard, harder, breathless | “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” Def Leppard |
| Cool Down | “One Call Away,” Charlie Puth |
From Michelle Fav at GroupXfitnessTips.com
