The Best YouTube Cycling Classes For a Sweaty Cardio Workout

Led by NASM-certified personal trainer and Mad Dogg Athletics cycling instructor Kaleigh Cohen, this 20-minute YouTube cycling class is ideal for newbies ready to get out of the saddle. The workout features jogs, climbs, and sprints, during which Cohen provides form tips and reminders to listen to your body — not advice to push through the pain. You'll love the upbeat, under-the-radar music (such as "Everybody" by Norman and "The Drum" by The Siege) and the high-quality footage that clearly shows Cohen's technique.

Filmed during a live class, this virtual workout will make you feel like you're right there in the studio with instructor Gabriella Guevara, certified indoor cycling instructor and personal trainer. Throughout this 30-minute YouTube cycling class, you'll crank up the resistance and pace, climb hills, and follow along with choreography. Thanks to the dance music, accompanied by the dark room and colorful lights, this free workout will mentally transport you to a nightclub while you're sweating it out.

This 20-minute cycling workout has a dual function as a karaoke session, thanks to workout-perfect hits from Whitney Houston, Madonna, Mariah Carey, and other artists. The free, online cycling class is taught by Kristina Girod, the founder of Power+Flow indoor cycling studio in Arizona, and features sprints, intervals, hills, and various types of handlebar push-ups. Don't skip over the cooldown stretches and positive affirmations at the end of the workout.

This 40-minute, studio-filmed YouTube cycling class will put your body and mind to the test. Dontaye G, a NASM-certified group fitness specialist and Mad Dogg Athletics cycling instructor, leads you through the workout, which is filled with sprints, tap-backs, push-ups, and more. Try your best to stay in sync with the rhythm of the music and follow along with the choreography, which can be a bit complicated (particularly around the eight-minute mark).

For a beginner friendly approach, try this 20-minute beginner spin class with Ride with Alina. To start, instructor Alina provides a thorough overview of how to set up your bike and handlebar height for optimal and safe performance. The video includes up-tempo electronic music in the background, a timer, and cues to follow throughout from instructor Alina. The warm-up instructions are clear and concise, and the workout builds steadily until you hit your sprints and climbs at around the halfway point. To ramp up the intensity, Alina takes cyclists through loaded sprints, followed by rolling hills, and then finishes out with a gradual cool down.

In this 45-minute YouTube cycling class, Brett Gordon, a NASM-certified personal trainer and cycling coach, will guide you through heavy hills; intervals with light, moderate, and difficult efforts; and active recovery periods, all synced with hits from the 2000s and 2010s. The time remaining is featured in the top left corner throughout the entire video, so you can easily see how much longer you'll be sweating.

This free, online cycling class is ideal for folks who have spent minimal time riding a stationary bike. The entire class takes place in the saddle, so you won't have to worry about maintaining your balance or potentially falling off your bike, but it still challenges you with rolling hills, climbs, sprints, and endurance segments. You'll also get Cohen's signature technique cues and upbeat energy, plus a special appearance from a sleepy pug in the background.

When you only have 15 minutes to spare, tune into this YouTube cycling class, which will get your heart racing and arms burning. Led by NASM-certified personal trainer Charlotte Maxwell, the workout features interval work and upper-body exercises such as bicep curls, shoulder presses, and flys. Make sure you have a lightweight pair of dumbbells (think: three pounds) on hand before you hop on your bike.

This hour-long YouTube cycling class is perfect for experienced cyclists looking to build up their endurance — and jam out to '80s dance hits. ACE-certified personal trainer Lars Meesters guides you through sprints, climbs, and recovery intervals, all while singing along to songs such as "Eye of the Tiger" and "Flashdance... What a Feeling." The workout is filmed in a simple room without mirrors or distracting lighting.

When you're in need of a workout snack, this free, online cycling class from personal trainer Gerard Majda has you covered — and, really, 10 minutes is about all you need to get the benefits of working out. This workout will have you riding seated, standing, and at various speeds. The suggested intensity, RPM, and resistance, plus the time left in the interval, appear on the screen throughout the entire video, so you don't have to worry about remembering Majda's verbal instructions.

Confused by all of the cycling lingo? Amanda Hinds, a cycling instructor at LA Fitness and Signature Fitness, has your back. In her 35-minute YouTube cycling class, Hinds breaks down terms like "cadence" and "resistance," gets you in and out of the saddle while working at different gears, and reminds riders that the RPM and intensity call-outs are just suggestions — not requirements.

If you're preparing to hit the roads IRL, incorporate this free, online cycling class into your routine. The advanced 40-minute workout features plenty of hills — with some flat sections for recovery — and a mixture of seated and standing climbs. Throughout the session, triathlon coach Paul Ryman will call out the suggested intensity level, which also appears on the screen next to the recommended RPM and timer.

In this Tabata-style ride, Guevara will guide you through 20-second work intervals, followed by 10-second rest periods. The filmed-in-studio YouTube cycling class features plenty of choreography (think: push-ups and tap-backs), heavy resistance segments, and sprints. The workout is short but so intense; one commenter said they "had to hit the pause button" to catch their breath.

Taught by Spinning instructor Esmey León, this YouTube Spin class will challenge you with steep hills and flat roads. The workout is filmed in a studio, so you'll feel like you're sweating with a class. You can also expect motivational speeches from León to keep you pedaling.

You'll learn the fundamentals of cycling in this 20-minute, beginner-friendly YouTube Spin class. Studio Sweat trainer Jess N. will help you find your baseline pace and resistance, give tips for staying in sync with the music's beat, and guide you through climbs and sprints. Since the workout is filmed during a live class and from multiple angles, you'll be able to see Jess's real-time technique from different viewpoints.

Megan Falk is an experienced health and wellness journalist and editor whose work has been published by PS, Shape, Livestrong, Women's Health, Well+Good, mindbodygreen, Wide Open Spaces, and other outlets. She has served as an editor on Equinox's content team and at Shape, where she primarily covered exercise tips, fitness modalities, workout trends, and more.

Jade Esmeralda, MS, CSCS, is a Staff Writer, Health & Fitness. A life-long martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength & conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in Exercise Science and Strength and Conditioning from George Washington University.