Written by Rachel Seay • August 17, 2026
Should your ride build gradually toward the hardest interval?
Should you begin with the most challenging work while riders are fresh?
Or is a mixed profile with changing intensities more effective?
Indoor cycling instructors spend a lot of time thinking about the order of their drills. We want the ride to flow, challenge our participants and deliver an effective workout.
A 2021 study asked an interesting question:
If the intervals remain the same, does changing their order change the workout?
What the Researchers Studied
The study included 18 healthy young adults who completed three interval cycling workouts in a randomized order.
Each workout contained:
- Three minutes at 50 percent of peak power
- Three minutes at 75 percent of peak power
- Three minutes at 100 percent of peak power
Each work interval was followed by three minutes of recovery at 25 percent of peak power.
The participants completed the same work and recovery durations each time. Only the order of the three work intensities changed.
The three profiles were:
- Ascending intervals
- Descending intervals
- A mixed pyramid
The researchers measured heart rate, oxygen consumption, energy expenditure, perceived exertion and enjoyment.
What Did They Find?
Changing the order of the intervals did not produce a significant difference in:
- Average heart rate
- Oxygen consumption
- Total energy expenditure
- Perceived exertion
- Exercise enjoyment
Energy expenditure during the five minutes after exercise was slightly lower following the descending profile, but the difference was small. The overall physiological cost of the three workouts was very similar.
In simple terms, when the total work, recovery and intensity were matched, rearranging the intervals did not substantially change the overall workout.
What Does This Mean for Indoor Cycling Instructors?
This gives us more freedom than we may realize.
You do not have to arrange every ride from easiest to hardest for it to be effective. A pyramid is not automatically better than an ascending profile. Starting with the hardest interval does not necessarily create a more demanding overall workout.
The amount of work matters more than simply changing the order in which it appears.
This means we can choose an interval sequence based on:
- The purpose of the ride
- The experience of our riders
- The music
- The emotional flow of the class
- The skills we want riders to practise
- How we want fatigue to influence the workout
- The type of experience we want to create
The Order Still Changes the Experience
The study does not mean that interval order is irrelevant.
Two rides can create a similar physiological demand while feeling completely different.
An ascending profile gives riders time to build confidence and prepare for the hardest effort. It can create anticipation and a clear sense of progression.
A descending profile asks riders to complete the most difficult effort while they are fresh. The ride may feel more manageable as the intensity gradually decreases.
A pyramid creates variety. Riders move through different levels of intensity rather than travelling in only one direction.
The physical destination may be similar, but the journey changes.
That matters in group fitness. We are not only delivering energy expenditure. We are creating an experience that people want to complete and repeat.
Consider the Rider in Front of You
The participants in this study were healthy young adults working from measured peak power values. This was a controlled laboratory cycling study, not a complete music driven group cycling class performed on typical studio bikes.
That is important.
In a real class, riders choose their own gear. They have different levels of fitness, experience and confidence. Music affects their effort. The instructor affects their effort. Some riders pace themselves carefully, while others treat every interval as an all out challenge.
The study gives us a useful programming principle, but it does not establish that every interval order will be equally appropriate for every class.
For new riders, a progressive profile may help them understand the intensity scale before reaching the hardest work.
Experienced riders may enjoy beginning with a difficult effort and learning how to produce quality work without a long build.
The best profile is the one that matches the people, purpose and progression of the class.
Try the Interval Order Experiment
Create one interval block and teach it in three different ways over several classes. You can even let them know you are doing a little class experiment and get them invested to come back the next 2 classes.
Use three levels of work:
- Moderate
- Hard
- Very hard
Keep the duration and recovery consistent each time. When planning the classes, remember the cues will be the most valuable tool in terms of coaching what is indeed moderate, hard, and very hard.
Ride One: Ascending
Moderate
Hard
Very hard
Ride Two: Descending
Very hard
Hard
Moderate
Ride Three: Mixed
Hard
Very hard
Moderate
Ask riders to notice:
- Which version felt hardest?
- During which version did they produce their best power?
- Which version helped them pace themselves?
- Which version did they enjoy most?
- Did the final interval feel different depending on what came before it?
If your bikes display power, compare average watts across the three profiles. If they do not, use heart rate, RPE, the talk test, and most importantly - their feedback.
The goal is not to declare one sequence the winner. The goal is to help riders recognize how pacing, fatigue and expectations influence their experience.
The Instructor Takeaway
When total work and intensity are similar, changing the order of the intervals may not substantially change the overall physiological demand.
That is good news for instructors.
We can stop searching for one perfect interval order and start making thoughtful choices based on the purpose and personality of the ride and the class.
As always, science gives us structure. Our music, coaching and creativity turn that structure into a class people want to take and that is why you as a coach matter and make a difference in people's lives with every class you teach.
Research source: Cortis C, Fusco A, Cook M, Doberstein ST, Gillette C, Porcari JP and Foster C. Indoor Cycling Energy Expenditure: Does Sequence Matter? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021;18(3):870. Read the study