Here are some exclusive tips which apply if you are a very experienced rider or a beginner, if you are a top triathlete or a new Road Cyclist, contemplating some longer sportives. We have built up our fitness methods, through many hours and days on training camps with some of the world's top bike riders. Here are four more points that we know are most important.
Try to to keep your own training and eating diary too, for every day's activity and calorie consumption. You can consider these four new tips as golden rules - and if you try to just break ONLY one rule per week, then you WILL become a fitter cyclist. Just one rule though. If some rules seem basic for you, that's fine - just keep a mental note of the rules that you think are best for you.
1. Don't bother going to the gym
To be candid, unless you want to be a pure track sprinter like Sir Chris Hoy, there is no need to bulk up with weight training. And any other form of light gym work or cross training can become very boring, not relevant for your attempt at Elite Cycling Fitness, or downright harmful - if you fail to warm up and stretch your muscles correctly. It can be even worse if you go there intermittently, that's less than twice a week. There really is only one substitute for extra mileage on your bike. And that's time spent on your home exercise bike or spinning. Otherwise try a good course of yoga, to allow you to improve your stretching and relaxation abilities. But what about your road sprinting power? There are many other road-based training alternatives, to sprint well. You should look out for our advice on Sprint Interval Training.
2. Keep high pedalling revolutions with a cadence on low gears
This is so important for your long-term endurance. But also on every training ride. Low gears and high cadence will mean you fatigue more slowly and can dance up hills out of the saddle, even at the end of a two or three hour ride. This should be on ratios of around 42 x 15 or 43 x 16 for flat tempo riding.
3. Save the big chain ring for competition and interval sprint training
We do not encourage much training in big gear ratios. It can qsoon cause knee problems and muscle strain. You should always be able to retain a high cadence and feel a supple "suplesse" pedaling action, while training. Then, when you are racing, and need to keep that pace and cadence, but on higher gears, your legs will be ready and more conditioned. The exception is interval training - a great 40 minutes of cardio intervals, sprinting (on quite roads with no side entrances) for trees, 250-350m ahead, in a gear of 53 x 14 or 52 x 15, will build the race speed that you would need for shorter street kermesse racing. Try to do this about every two minutes with easy soft-pedaling in between. Use the corners, to attune your legs to the hard effort of jumping hard after dropping to a lower speed into the corner. This is one of several forms of training we will provide, to make you a much stronger road sprint cyclist..
4. Adhere to your body's fitness signals Seriously
As a serious cyclist or triathlete, you are stretching your body very hard. Regularly, you exert your heart and lungs and legs into endurance zones of high pain and fatigue, that normally improve your fitness, but sometimes cause levels of strain that you should always keep an eye on. Over train, and your body will soon pay you back - bigtime. Don't stretch and warm up properly before interval training and then you can easily pull a muscle. Here's a critical thing - check your waking, morning pulse - and recognise when it is higher than average. You should make that day a rest day. Respond to any aching knees or strains by checking your bike riding position straight away with a qualified coach; plus remember to check the alignment of your pedal cleats and riding shoes. If you always suffer chronic lower back pain on your training rides, learn some yoga stretches, to apply before and after your rides. Then when you are training, spend more time riding 'in-piedi' - standing out of the saddle and lower your gears. But you must see your doctor, chiropractor and sports physiotherapist. Be ready to deal with the causes rather than the symptoms.
You should get at least thirty minutes of massage therapy, when your muscles are sore, to improve blood flow to the sore muscle tissue and release micro-adhesions associated with muscle repair. This can be a painful technique to reduce soreness. But no pain no gain applies here too! Ask your senior teammates or doctor to recommend a good sports physiotherapist. Make sure you get at least eight to 10 hours of sleep to help with muscle recovery. Muscles that have been adequately repaired will not be sore. The body repairs itself best at night and important hormones are triggered, to signal repair to muscle tissue. Failing to get eight to 10 hours will decrease the hormonal response and recovery will be slower. This means the muscle tissue will be sore for much longer.
Try to to keep your own training and eating diary too, for every day's activity and calorie consumption. You can consider these four new tips as golden rules - and if you try to just break ONLY one rule per week, then you WILL become a fitter cyclist. Just one rule though. If some rules seem basic for you, that's fine - just keep a mental note of the rules that you think are best for you.
1. Don't bother going to the gym
To be candid, unless you want to be a pure track sprinter like Sir Chris Hoy, there is no need to bulk up with weight training. And any other form of light gym work or cross training can become very boring, not relevant for your attempt at Elite Cycling Fitness, or downright harmful - if you fail to warm up and stretch your muscles correctly. It can be even worse if you go there intermittently, that's less than twice a week. There really is only one substitute for extra mileage on your bike. And that's time spent on your home exercise bike or spinning. Otherwise try a good course of yoga, to allow you to improve your stretching and relaxation abilities. But what about your road sprinting power? There are many other road-based training alternatives, to sprint well. You should look out for our advice on Sprint Interval Training.
2. Keep high pedalling revolutions with a cadence on low gears
This is so important for your long-term endurance. But also on every training ride. Low gears and high cadence will mean you fatigue more slowly and can dance up hills out of the saddle, even at the end of a two or three hour ride. This should be on ratios of around 42 x 15 or 43 x 16 for flat tempo riding.
3. Save the big chain ring for competition and interval sprint training
We do not encourage much training in big gear ratios. It can qsoon cause knee problems and muscle strain. You should always be able to retain a high cadence and feel a supple "suplesse" pedaling action, while training. Then, when you are racing, and need to keep that pace and cadence, but on higher gears, your legs will be ready and more conditioned. The exception is interval training - a great 40 minutes of cardio intervals, sprinting (on quite roads with no side entrances) for trees, 250-350m ahead, in a gear of 53 x 14 or 52 x 15, will build the race speed that you would need for shorter street kermesse racing. Try to do this about every two minutes with easy soft-pedaling in between. Use the corners, to attune your legs to the hard effort of jumping hard after dropping to a lower speed into the corner. This is one of several forms of training we will provide, to make you a much stronger road sprint cyclist..
4. Adhere to your body's fitness signals Seriously
As a serious cyclist or triathlete, you are stretching your body very hard. Regularly, you exert your heart and lungs and legs into endurance zones of high pain and fatigue, that normally improve your fitness, but sometimes cause levels of strain that you should always keep an eye on. Over train, and your body will soon pay you back - bigtime. Don't stretch and warm up properly before interval training and then you can easily pull a muscle. Here's a critical thing - check your waking, morning pulse - and recognise when it is higher than average. You should make that day a rest day. Respond to any aching knees or strains by checking your bike riding position straight away with a qualified coach; plus remember to check the alignment of your pedal cleats and riding shoes. If you always suffer chronic lower back pain on your training rides, learn some yoga stretches, to apply before and after your rides. Then when you are training, spend more time riding 'in-piedi' - standing out of the saddle and lower your gears. But you must see your doctor, chiropractor and sports physiotherapist. Be ready to deal with the causes rather than the symptoms.
You should get at least thirty minutes of massage therapy, when your muscles are sore, to improve blood flow to the sore muscle tissue and release micro-adhesions associated with muscle repair. This can be a painful technique to reduce soreness. But no pain no gain applies here too! Ask your senior teammates or doctor to recommend a good sports physiotherapist. Make sure you get at least eight to 10 hours of sleep to help with muscle recovery. Muscles that have been adequately repaired will not be sore. The body repairs itself best at night and important hormones are triggered, to signal repair to muscle tissue. Failing to get eight to 10 hours will decrease the hormonal response and recovery will be slower. This means the muscle tissue will be sore for much longer.
About the Author:
Follow Exercise Bike Health for advice on your home fitness programmes. Plus get the best Cycling Mountain Biking Advice at Best Mountain Bike
0 comments on Why You Should Forget The Gym For Elite Fitness :
Post a Comment