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Exercises

Cycling warm up: off-bike moves and on-bike build

Published October 24, 2026

For a cycling warm-up, do 3 minutes off the bike first (10 leg swings each way per leg, 6 cossack squats per side, 5 walkouts, a set of clamshells and dead bugs), then spin easily for 5 to 10 minutes at light resistance, raising cadence a little each minute. Before a hard ride, class or race, add 3 to 5 spin-ups of 10 seconds at high cadence with a minute of easy pedaling between. About 10 minutes for an easy ride, 20 or more before a race.

  1. Stationary Bike Quads, Hamstrings
  2. Leg Swings Hamstrings, Glutes
  3. Cossack Squat Quads, Adductors
  4. Walkout Abs, Shoulders, Chest
  5. Clamshell Abductors
  6. Dead Bug Abs
  7. Air Bike Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes

Step 1: off-bike mobility (2 minutes)

Riding keeps your hips bent and your back rounded for long periods. A couple of minutes moving them through a fuller range before you clip in makes the first miles feel looser.

Hip mobility

Leg Swings

Hamstrings, Glutes

Swings open the hip flexors and hamstrings, which stay bent for long periods on the bike.

How to do it

  1. Stand side-on to a wall or rail and hold it with one hand.
  2. Swing the outside leg forward and back like a pendulum, small at first.
  3. Let each swing travel a bit farther while your torso stays upright.
  4. Finish the count, turn around, and swing the other leg.

Cues

  • Loose leg, still torso
  • A little bigger each swing

Common mistakes

  • Arching the lower back on the backswing
  • Forcing full range on the first rep

Swap for: Standing Cable Hip Flexion, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Leg Swings

Hip and groin mobility

Cossack Squat

Quads, Adductors

Side-to-side squats move the hips in directions cycling never takes them.

How to do it

  1. Take a wide stance with your toes turned slightly out.
  2. Shift to one side and sit into that hip while the other leg straightens.
  3. Keep the bent leg's heel down and your chest up.
  4. Push back through the middle and lower to the other side.

Cues

  • Sit into one hip
  • Toes of the straight leg point up

Common mistakes

  • Heel lifting on the bent side
  • Rounding forward to get lower

Swap for: Dumbbell Lateral Lunge, Bodyweight Squat

Build a session with Cossack Squat

Hamstrings and back

Walkout

Abs, Shoulders, Chest

Walkouts lengthen the back of the legs and move your spine out of the riding position.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall, hinge forward, and put both palms down, bending your knees as much as you need.
  2. Walk the hands out until you reach a push-up position.
  3. Pause one beat with your body in a straight line.
  4. Walk the hands back toward your feet and roll up to standing.

Cues

  • Hands travel, feet stay
  • Ribs tucked at the plank

Common mistakes

  • Hips sagging at the far end
  • Walking out farther than you can hold

Swap for: Bear Crawl, Plank

Build a session with Walkout

Step 2: glutes and trunk (1-2 minutes)

Glutes drive the pedal down and the trunk keeps you stable on the saddle. One short set of each.

Glute activation

Clamshell

Abductors

A short set wakes the side of the hip, which helps keep your knees tracking over the pedals.

How to do it

  1. Lie on one side, knees bent and heels stacked.
  2. Keep the heels touching and open the top knee like a shell.
  3. Stop before your pelvis rolls back, then lower slowly.
  4. Finish the count and turn over.

Cues

  • Heels stay together
  • Hips stacked

Common mistakes

  • Rolling the hips back to lift higher
  • Speeding through

Swap for: Fire Hydrant, Lateral Band Walk

Build a session with Clamshell

Trunk activation

Dead Bug

Abs

Dead bugs switch on the trunk that steadies you while your legs spin.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your back with arms toward the ceiling and knees bent over your hips.
  2. Press your lower back into the floor.
  3. Reach one arm overhead and the opposite leg long, just above the floor.
  4. Return and switch sides.

Cues

  • Back pinned to the floor
  • Breathe out as you reach

Common mistakes

  • Lower back peeling up
  • Moving fast

Swap for: Side Plank, Plank

Build a session with Dead Bug

Trunk activation, sideways

Side Plank

Abs

A short hold on each side prepares the trunk for out-of-the-saddle efforts.

How to do it

  1. Lie on one side, propped on the elbow under your shoulder.
  2. Lift your hips until your body is one straight line.
  3. Hold and breathe steadily.
  4. Turn over and repeat.

Cues

  • Hips high
  • Stack the shoulders

Common mistakes

  • Hips sagging
  • Rolling forward

Swap for: Dead Bug, Plank

Build a session with Side Plank

Step 3: easy spinning (5-10 minutes)

Start at light resistance and comfortable cadence, then raise the cadence or resistance a little each minute.

Easy spin and spin-ups

Stationary Bike

Quads, Hamstrings

An easy spin raises your heart rate in the exact movement you will be doing; spin-ups at the end wake up fast pedaling.

How to do it

  1. Set the saddle so your knee keeps a slight bend with the pedal at the bottom.
  2. Pedal against light resistance at a comfortable cadence.
  3. Every minute, add a little resistance or a few more pedal turns.
  4. End the raise breathing harder but still able to talk.

Cues

  • Smooth circles, no stomping
  • Hips quiet in the saddle

Common mistakes

  • Saddle so low your knees jam up
  • Grinding heavy resistance from the start

Swap for: Air Bike, Elliptical

Build a session with Stationary Bike

Raise with arms

Air Bike

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes

The air bike adds the arms, useful in a gym before a full-body session.

How to do it

  1. Sit tall and hold the handles with a loose grip.
  2. Work the arms in and out with each pedal stroke at an easy rhythm.
  3. Build effort slowly; the fan pushes back harder the faster you go.
  4. Keep this well under sprint effort.

Cues

  • Arms and legs together
  • Even breathing

Common mistakes

  • Sprinting in the first minute
  • Pulling with the arms only

Swap for: Stationary Bike, Rowing Machine

Build a session with Air Bike

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Spin class or indoor ride

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentExercise Bike

You are about to do an indoor cycling class or a structured trainer session.

Classes often start fast, so do the off-bike moves and five minutes of spinning before class begins.

Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Leg SwingsPer leg, each direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Walkout 1 × 5 4 0 s
ClamshellPer side. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Stationary BikeSeconds. One-minute blocks, cadence up each minute. 5 × 60 4 0 s
How to run it
Arrive a few minutes early, do the floor moves beside the bike, then spin easily until class starts.
How to progress
Add a few spin-ups once the class warm-up feels too easy.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Race or time trial

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets17 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentExercise Bike

You are racing or riding a time trial and need to start at full effort.

Races start hard, so the plan includes off-bike moves, a longer spin, and short spin-ups at high cadence to bring you to race effort.

Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Leg SwingsPer leg, each direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Cossack SquatPer side. 1 × 6 4 0 s
Dead BugPer side. 1 × 8 4 0 s
Stationary BikeSeconds. One-minute blocks back to back, easy pace. 10 × 60 4 0 s
Stationary BikeSeconds. Spin-ups at high cadence, easy between. 4 × 10 2 1 min
How to run it
Start about 30 minutes before the start, finish the last spin-up 10 minutes out, and keep spinning gently.
How to progress
Add a few minutes at race effort once the spin-ups feel easy.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Outdoor ride on a cold morning

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets12 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentAir Bike

You are heading out on a cold morning and want to start warm.

Cold air makes the first miles stiff, so do the off-bike moves indoors with an air bike if you have one, then ride the first 10 minutes easily.

Indoor Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Air BikeSeconds. One-minute blocks back to back, easy pace. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Cossack SquatPer side. 1 × 6 4 0 s
Walkout 1 × 5 4 0 s
Side PlankSeconds per side. 1 × 20 4 0 s
How to run it
Do everything indoors, then head out and keep the first 10 minutes easy.
How to progress
Shorten the indoor part as it gets warmer.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Should I warm up before cycling?

Yes. A few minutes of off-bike moves and 5 to 10 minutes of easy spinning make the first miles smoother, and longer before a race.

What are some good warm-up exercises to do before cycling?

Leg swings, cossack squats and walkouts for mobility, clamshells and dead bugs for activation, then easy spinning with a few spin-ups.

What stretches are good to do before a spin class?

Moving stretches like leg swings and walkouts. Keep long static holds for after class.

How long should a cycling warm-up be?

About 10 minutes for an easy ride, 20 to 30 minutes before a race or time trial.

Do I need to warm up for an easy ride?

Not much: ride the first 10 minutes easily and that does the job.