It DOES make a difference when it comes to cycling, indoors or out!

At Studio SWEAT onDemand, we love Spinning! And like any fitness program, you’ll get the most benefit with the least injuries when you’re using proper form and positioning. That’s why SSoD Trainer Master Mike put SSoD Founder and Trainer, Cat Kom, on a bike to demonstrate proper foot positioning on an indoor cycle. And no surprise, it can be a little different based on the type of drill and the muscle groups that are driving the motion.

Starting Point: 

• To perfect each of these movements, start with your feet clipped into the pedals (or in your toe cages) with your pedals at 9:00 and 3:00.
• Your foot should be parallel to the floor to start.

Endurance Riding (some resistance so you’re pedaling in control, at a steady speed):

• Start with your foot parallel to the floor.
• While pedaling, keep the position fairly steady all the way through for a nice smooth pedal stroke with just a small movement at the ankle, slightly dropping your heel at 5 o’clock and then raising it at 7 o’clock.

Hill Climb (crank on some gear for a leg-burning hill):

• From the starting parallel position, you can see that Cat’s heel dips just slightly just before the bottom on the down-stroke as she’s focused on pushing the pedal forward. Then on the flipside (literally) that heel might rise a bit more on the up-stroke.

Pro-tip: When pushing, you’ll use your glutes and hamstrings to push the bike up the hill.

Breakaway Run (gear down slightly to break past that rider up ahead):

• Start again at 9:00 and 3:00 with your feet parallel to the ground.
• As you gain speed, at the bottom of the pedal stroke, you’ll see how Cat tilts her foot to a toes-down position, before quickly pulling upward with her heel.
• Over the top of the stroke, you can see how her foot flips swiftly to push downward.

To try out an indoor cycle ride where you’ve got your feet positioned just right, check out a Free Trial over on Studio SWEAT onDemand! Download the app, or if you happen to live in southern California, visit us in our San Diego studio.