On International Women’s Day, there’s an unwritten (and obvious!) rule that you can only play indoor cycling routines and workout songs by female artists (or artists that identify as female). These are the facts. I have been DYING to share this Pop Powerhouses playlist because it has nearly all of my favorite female artists belting out some of their most popular songs. With International Women’s Day approaching, this feels like the perfect way to celebrate your favorite females in your life.
Reminder: I like to teach my cycling classes in a series of exercises that we do 2-4 times through. I pick a couple exercises to make up the series, and we stick to it throughout the 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.
The Series (45-minute class)
- Song 1: Quick feet at moderate intensity, find hard intensity at the chorus through increasing resistance.
- Song 2: Climb, seated. (Adding resistance to take you from moderate to hard.)
- Song 3: Climb, standing. (Maintain the resistance from the prior song, starting at moderate/hard intensity standing and adding until you find breathless at the very end.)
- Song 4: 30/30 interval sprints.
Bonus: between each series, I added a surprise sprints. I’ll throw out a random sprint interval for riders to do. Keep doing it (with appropriate recovery periods in between) until the song ends.
The International Women’s Day Indoor Cycling Routine and Workout Playlist
| Series Song / Workout | Song |
| Warm up | “Bang, Bang,” Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj |
| Song 1: Quick Feet | “Get the Party Started,” P!nk |
| Song 2: Climb, Seated | “Worth It,” Fifth Harmony, Kid Ink |
| Song 3: Climb, Standing | “Havana,” Camila Cabello, Young Thug |
| Song 4: 30/30 Intervals | “I Want You,” Joan Jett & the Blackhearts |
| Surprise Sprints! | “Just A Girl,” No Doubt |
| Song 1: Quick Feet | “Lose My Breath,” Destiny’s Child |
| Song 2: Climb, Seated | “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” Pat Benatar |
| Song 3: Climb, Standing | “Nasty,” Janet Jackson |
| Song 4: 30/30 Intervals | “Ain’t Your Mama,” Jennifer Lopez |
| Surprise Sprints! | “One Way Or Another,” Blondie |
| Song 1: Quick Feet | “Shake It Off,” Taylor Swift |
| Song 2: Climb, Seated | “Toxic,” Britney Spears |
| Song 3: Climb, Standing | “Material Girl,” Madonna |
| Song 4: 30/30 Intervals | “Since U Been Gone,” Kelly Clarkson |
| Cool Down | “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” Whitney Houston |
Want to hear the songs? I’ve added all these songs and more to my Spotify playlist here.
I also added a few more songs to the end of my Spotify playlist that didn’t make the cut for this routine:
- “No Scrubs,” TLC
- “Dirrty,” Christina Aguilera, Redman
- “Me & U,” Cassie
- “Oops!…I Did It Again,” Britney Spears
- “Like a Prayer,” Madonna
- “Lady Marmalade,” Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, P!nk
- “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” Janet Jackson
- “Rhythm Nation,” Janet Jackson
- “Sorry Not Sorry,” Demi Lovato
If you liked this indoor cycling routine, you’ll also like my free Indoor Cycling Weekly Routine newsletter. Every Tuesday, you’ll get a class-tested, instructor-approved cycling routine delivered to your inbox to help you find inspiration as you plan your next class.
Disclaimer: Readers who rely on this information do so at their own risk. Instructors must be properly certified, insured, and have the music licensing in order to teach a cycling class. GroupXFitnessTips.com is not liable for any injuries or negligence that occurs.