The Cycling Intervals is a intermediate-friendly machine strength exercise that targets the quadriceps, with the glutes, hamstrings and calves working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesQuads
Secondary musclesGlutes, Hamstrings, Calves
EquipmentMachine
LevelIntermediate
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Cycling Intervals
Set saddle height so your knee stays slightly bent at the bottom of the stroke.
Ride easy for several minutes until your breathing and cadence settle.
Hold a stable seated position with relaxed shoulders and a light grip.
Lift effort to the target for the work interval without changing your position.
Drop back to easy pedalling for the full recovery before the next effort.
Repeat the work and recovery pattern, then ride easy to finish.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Improves ventilatory threshold within a small number of sessions.
Keeps a low-impact pattern while intensity climbs.
Uses a repeatable structure that is easy to prescribe and track.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Starting the first effort too hard, so the last intervals collapse.
Cutting recovery short, which turns the session into one long moderate ride.
Rocking the hips at high effort instead of driving through the pedals.
Raising cadence without resistance, so effort never reaches the target.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Cycling Intervals, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
