Valentine’s Day is a great holiday to use for a themed indoor cycling playlist and workout routine since there are so many songs about love.
But, beware!
With everyone having different opinions about the holiday, I think it’s important to make an indoor cycling music playlist or workout routine that’s not all mushy gushy love songs — add some spunky single swag, and songs about self-love, friend love, etc. to make sure all of your riders are happy.
Have fun with it, and don’t take the indoor cycling music playlist theme too seriously. I would look for love songs with a solid beat or high emotion to bring the energy in the Group X class, and throw in a few songs that will have everyone singing along.
Over the years, I’ve created a wide range of Valentine’s Day indoor cycling music playlists and routines. Here are a few:
- The relationship arc: taking riders on a journey through the ups and downs of a romantic relationship.
- Catching feelings: this one’s sure to give you ALL THE FEELS you need on Valentine’s Day
- Love, love me: a playlist all about loving the most important person—yourself.
- Dirty secrets: a playlist all about unrequited, naughty, risque types of love.
Reminder! As you explore these Valentine’s Day workout routines and indoor cycling playlists, remember that I like to teach my cycle class in a series that we do twice or three times through, depending on the series. So, I pick a couple exercises to make up my 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 sprint around the corner.
Valentine’s Day Indoor Cycling Playlist & Routine #1: The Relationship Arc
For this Valentine’s Day-themed cycle music playlist, I took us through the arc of a relationship — the crushin’ phase, the romance, and finally the break-up.
The Series
Do the following exercises, twice through.
- Song 1: Moderate pace with hard (uncomfortable) surges on the chorus. If your bikes have monitors, choose a fast RPM (between 80 – 100), then ask participants to add 10+ to their RPM during the chorus.
- Song 2: Sprint intervals. 30 seconds breathless effort, 30 seconds recovery. Do this three times through.
- Song 3: Climb (Part 1). Starting at moderate intensity seated, resistance slightly above flat road. Add resistance throughout the song, ending at hard intensity.
- Song 4: Climb (Part 2). Keep resistance from prior song, and stand up. When you’re out of the saddle, resistance should feel moderate. Add resistance throughout the song, until you’re at hard intensity at the end.
- Song 5: 45 seconds each — moderate, hard, harder and breathless intensity. You can add resistance, leg speed, sit or stand to increase intensity with each. If you’re using a monitor, you can ask participants to add RPM with each increase (approx. 80, 90, 100 and 110).
The Valentine’s Day Indoor Cycling Music Playlist:
- Call Me Maybe, by Carly Rae Jepsen [Warm-up]
- Got My Mind Set On You, by George Harrison [Song 1]
- Emotions, by Mariah Carey [Song 2]
- Buttons, by Pussy Cat Dolls [Song 3]
- The Other Side, by Jason Derulo [Song 4]
- Hey Leonardo, by Blessed Union of Souls [Song 5]
- Crazy in Love, by Beyonce feat. Jay-Z [Song 1]
- Best Days of Your Life, by Kellie Pickler [Song 2]
- Can’t Feel My Face, by The Weeknd [Song 3]
- Forget You, by Cee Lo Green [Song 4]
- Since U Been Gone, by Kelly Clarkson [Song 5]
- Fresh Eyes, by Andy Grammer [Cool Down]
Valentine’s Day Indoor Cycling Playlist & Routine #2: Catching Feelings
This Valentine’s Day cycling routine theme has me catching feelings, well, because that’s actually the name of it. All of the songs have “feel” or “feeling” in the title. And, let me tell you: this playlist is SO GOOD. Can’t wait for you to catch feelings for it, too.
The Series
The series includes the following four exercises, done three times through.
- Song 1: A march at moderate intensity. At the chorus, increase pace and resistance to find hard intensity, then come back to that moderate pace.
- Song 2: Climb. Maintain the same pace but increase the resistance periodically to go from moderate to hard intensity and from seated to standing by the end of the song.
- Song 3: Keep the resistance from the last song and continue to stand. Intensity should be between moderate and hard (feel free to adjust resistance slightly to accommodate). At chorus, keep the resistance and have a seat to find a hard intensity.
- Song 4: Keep a heavy resistance, but can adjust slightly. 30 second breathless interval with 30 second recovery.
Between each series, I added a surprise sprint song, where I yell out a random time duration and intensity level that participants must comply with.
The Playlist
| Series Song / Workout | Song |
| Warm-up | “I Gotta Feeling,” Black Eyed Peas |
| Song 1: Moderate intensity march; hard at chorus | “Emotions,” Mariah Carey |
| Song 2: Climb (Start seated, end standing) | “Feel Invincible,” Skillet |
| Song 3: Stand (mod. intensity); sit at chorus | “The Way You Make Me Feel,” Michael Jackson |
| Song 4: 30 sec. breathless / 30 sec. recover | “Feel It Still,” Portugal. The Man |
| Surprise Sprints | “Dr. Feelgood,” Motley Crue |
| Song 1: Moderate intensity march; hard at chorus | “Feel This Moment,” Pitbull, Christina Aguilera |
| Song 2: Climb (Start seated, end standing) | “Feel like Makin’ Love,” Bad Company |
| Song 3: Stand (mod. intensity); sit at chorus | “Can’t Stop This Feeling,” Justin Timberlake |
| Song 4: 30 sec. breathless / 30 sec. recover | “Feeling This,” blink-182 |
| Surprise Sprints | “Take on Me,” a-ha |
| Song 1: Moderate intensity march; hard at chorus | “Hooked On A Feeling,” Blue Swede, Bjorn Skifs |
| Song 2: Climb (Start seated, end standing) | “Can’t Feel My Face,” The Weeknd |
| Song 3: Stand (mod. intensity); sit at chorus | “Feel Again,” OneRepublic |
| Song 4: 30 sec. breathless / 30 sec. recover | “Good Feeling,” Flo Rida |
| Cool Down | “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” REO Speedwagon |
Want to hear the songs? I’ve added all these songs and more to my Spotify playlist here.