Do you have your base miles in? or just getting started? spin classes? working out at the gym?
mark
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Do you have your base miles in? or just getting started? spin classes? working out at the gym?
mark
Hey there, I'm a cyclist... I focus pretty heavily on strenght training during the off season and being January I am putting on about 175 miles a week. Next month I will be increasing to around 225 miles a week and continue with the strength training. I took a year off from serious training last year and focused on my strength training so excited to get back to it this year with a normal training schedule.
No spin classes... Most of my miles this time of year are on a Trainer, better than a stationary bike as you get the feel of your own cycle year round. And being in MN where the windchill has been about -25 F lately I haven't been outdoors in a while cycling.
Great to hear fellow cyclists out there.
I look forward to hearing and sharing our experiences in the 05 season.
I am a Cat 2 Pro-am racer living in the Carolinas and will peak in late April and hit another (less intense one) in Sept.
I also have been doing base mileage and have almost 150 hours of road miles. I'll start heating things up after this weekend at an unsanctioned "underground" race. "Jan Natz" it's a tough 56 miles in rolling hills and attracts the top cyclists around the area. No fewer than 2 nat'l champs have "won" this event in it's 15 yr history...
Also doing weight training 3xwk mainly focusing on high rep/low wieght. Do either of you use supplements? I
Doby48
Those are some big numbers for an indoor trainer! You are a Pro racer I presume? :unsure: I just had two buddies come down for a week over new years from St. Paul and we got 24 hrs :bcool:
Mark
What kind of training are you getting right now?
It got cold here last week, 30 degrees (sorry Doby48) so it was mostly gym for me but that's the end of that as if I miss any other week I'll fall behind my training plan.
scaryfast
i mountain bike. too cold lately to go. so have been working out on the exercise cycle, and hiting my legs harder than usual.
It seems the only way I can put in the miles on my Trainer is by turning on a movie and watching it while I ride :cool: . Since you don't get the great feeling of out with the scenery and wind on you, otherwise I could never get motivated enought do much of anything on my Trainer.
And its not all bad getting really cold for a few months out of the year, they have great deals on Jerseys when the weather gets cold so I stock up on new jerseys then :). I usually just wear short sleeve but in the colder months I wear the lightweight long sleeve with underarmor (I can't seem to get comfortable in the insulated long sleeve jerseys for some reason.)
When the weather warms up a little to above freezing then I'll take my Mountain bike out on some paved trails in the snow. Mountain biking is great, love tearing through the woods on single track too. I'm really a roadie at heart though but hey if its to peddels and two wheels, its all good!
For strenght training, I like to lift 4 days a week and have one day of HIIT. What are your guy's trainings schedules like? I put in a few hours on my cycle 5 days a week, the days depend a little based on how hard I hit my legs when I work them. My lifting routine is something like this though:
MON: Chest/Tris
TUE: Quads/Abs
WED: Rest
THU: Upper Back/Bis
FRI: Lower Back/Hams/Shoulders
SAT: HIIT
SUN: Rest
When is your first event?
I try and stay conditioned through this time of the year w/o too much effort. No sense in flying when there's no racing goin on.
Heres the workout I've been doing:
The 5X5:
Monday:
Olympic Squats 5x5 (same weight)
Benching 5x5 (flat, close grip or regular)(same weight)
JS Rows 5x5 (same weight)
Accessory (low volume triceps and abs)
Wednesday:
Olympic Squats 5x5 (reduced 15-20% from Monday) or Front Squats 5x5
Standing Military Press 5x5 (same weight)
Deadlifts 5x5 (same weight) (if you pull 2.5x bodyweight do 3x5)
Pull ups 5x5 (use weight if you need it)
Accessory (biceps and abs)
Friday:
Olympic Squats 5x5 (working up each set)
Benching 5x5 (flat or incline)(same weight)
Rows 5x5 (same weight)
Accessory (low volume triceps and abs)
The idea is simple: pick a weight you can do for 5 sets of 5, and if you complete all the sets and reps, then next time bump the weight up 5 or 10 pounds.
Before beginning the program it is important to establish 1 rep maxes for the squat, bench press, military press, and deadlift, and 5 rep maxes for the squat, bench press, rows, military press, and deadlifts.
The first week, it is important to begin very conservatively and prepare to set new 5 rep maxes on about the 4th-6th week, rather than the 1st or 2nd week. It will take some time for your body to grow accustomed to training this way, and in the beginning you’re gonna be sore as hell.
If you get all the sets and reps, then you increase the weight (5-10lbs) for the next week, and if not, you keep the weight the same.
Try and set new 5 rep maxes on weeks 4-6 for beginners , and weeks 3-4 for veterans and then move to a 3x3 for 2x per week.
Run the 3x3 for 2-3 weeks, drop the squatting frequency to 2x per week (or even every 4-5 days if you need the additional recovery), and try setting records on the 4th or 5th workout. (Also, weight increase are the important thing here).
Then cycle down to 1 set of 3 for 2 or 3 workouts, and maybe even go for a max single at the end.
So basically what you get is a 4-6 week prep phase, followed by a 3-5 week peaking phase.
One point – during the initial phase where 5x5 is being used you MUST stick to the required volume and frequency. Back off the weight if you have to, but always get in all 5 sets of 5.
I used to do a workout schedule similar to what you explained but found my upper body strength was lacking so I ended up creating the schedule I'm on now. Your routine looks a lot like what I have seen for Jan Ulrich though. I took all last year focusing just on strength training. This year I am not going to be doing much competing. My approach is to get into a few events but try and really push myself hard. I felt I needed to take a step back and reorganize how I was approaching things. Has been really hard to stay away from competing but looking at where I am now versus a year ago I think I made the right decision. I feel really strong now and can't wait to get out and start hitting the streets. I try to keep a good balance of stength training and cycling so as my miles increase my strength training decreases, so when I start really putting on some miles I will be lifting only 3 days a week. I figure if I can make it through this year and the personal goals I have set then I can make it through anything. :)
- Greg LeMond “It doesn’t get easier, you just get faster.”
I got that workout off the net and it's definitely helping my overall fitness. I've train with some very accomplished racers and they're all convinced I'm riding on the "next level". This weekend will answer a lot of questions about my fitness. What are your personal goals on the bike for this year? Is that too personal? (ha ha) Do you race on a team?
This area is very popular for cycling and lots of teams come here in the late Winter/early Springtime. Next month a group of 20+ French Canadians (Quebec) will be staying down here for two weeks. They leave and another one shows up. If any of you reading this want a spring camp, this is the ideal place to do it :hello:
scaryfast
My personal goals this year are mainly with mileage and pushing myself with HIIT, raising LT levels, Increasing overall strength. Have you read the book "Serious Cycling" by Edmund Burke (forward by Chris Charmichael). If not, I would recommend reading it it is a very good book that hits on a lot of different aspects of cycling from injuries, diet, training, etc. It will either reassure you on what you are doing or will at least offer a different perspect from one of the top trainers.
new 1 here
I have not yet read Edmund Burke's book but will check around for a copy. The last fitness book I read was Carmichael's "food for fitness" and it almost mirrors my current regiment.
I've adopted Michael Colgan's methods of preparation, the Colgan Institute provide a great program for nutrition and supplementation and it has definitely impoved my health. As an athlete I also feel periodization is important to consider. I see some guys going the same speed year round and it is because they do the same thing every ride. "Food for Fitness" covers Periodization and integrates how nutritional intake will vary during a specified period.
2 yrs ago my training partner from Minn. taught me an invaluable lesson:
The hardest thing you can possibly do on a bike is to ride it slow. Once you've figured out how to ride slow, going fast isn't nearly as hard as it used to be-
Sound crazy but it's true. Do a 4 hour ride at >65% max heart rate and you will begin to understand...
Hope your training is right on schedule
scaryfast
I'm backing off the spin classes, spin only with the weather is bad. No weights in the past month and a half. My miles are 275-310 for the last 4 weeks, training hours 18-20.5 hours per week. Going to North Ga just about every weekend to improve climbing ability. My weight is starting to drop, I hope to be at 178 by the end of April, 6 lbs to go.
keep the rubber side down........mark
Hi everyone. I found a long sleeved top similiar to Armor but slightly heavier at our local Big 5. It breathes okay and is quite a bit warmer than the thinner materials but not near a bulky as the long insulated jersys. It's made by Body Glove. I don't see them offered anywhere else except maybe online.
Have a great season, Fos
Just started riding my mountain bike for the summer...did 12 miles yesterday. It sure felt good to get back in the saddle. Perfect weather yesterday...sunny and about 80 deg. I ride on a paved trail along the ohio river....no traffic to deal with at all and its a 14 mile round trip.
Nice to see other riders here.
Scaryfast is correct about going slow. 65% - 70% MHR has been shown to lead to better overall gains. I read this a few years ago and thought it was crap, but tried it beginning in Feb of this year and my times just keep going up.
It's tough because at 65% you don't even feel like you're doing anything constructive. Plus, at first you might be going REEEALLLY slow. However, it works -- try it and you'll see.
In general terms, it is true, to stay around the 65% mark However, it is not always true as you do need to consider that HIIT is important as well in which case you will not maintain the target HR of ~65%.
I don't think there is a cyclist around who could honestly say that a long ride of significantly above 65% MHR is a good idea, not only would you probably pass out but you would know the next day you made a big mistake. Thats why I like LeMonds quote about you just get faster cause maintaining a certain HR feels the same weather you are out of shape and riding at 5mph or if you are more experienced riding at 25mph.
Also, consider that cyclists all go through their different stages of training. I went through a year of very heavy strength training, well beyond what is typical for cyclists but now I am a better, stronger rider for it. A training stage for one person may consist of intense HIIT where another one may focus on maintaining, all depends on your week and strong points IMHO.
Hey guys......I'm considering getting into cycling. I've always been an athlete but just recently thought about getting into it. My bquestion is basically this....Where do I start??? I mean, this will be a whole new hobby for me, I need a bike, what kind? I know there are certain ways to cycly. Does anyone knwo of a website for newbie cyclist??? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks a bunch!
My first question for you would be, are you looking to get into road cycling or MTB? If MTB were you looking to get into general Mountain Biking or were you looking at something more specific like downhill or cyclocross?
Quote:
Originally Posted by doby48
More road biking i guess. I basically want to get into it for cardio and just to try something new. I will be doing road cycling, as I live in Dallas and.....well you get the point. :wg:
To get started in road cycling a good magainze in Bicycling although there are several others around. You can stop in at a local Barnes & Nobel to see what is available in your area. A good online resource is http://www.bicycling.com/ to get you started. You can read about bike & component reviews online and in each ediition of their magazine. Make sure you do good reasearch before buying a new cycle, you can start with a solid entry level road cycle in under $2,000. A good entry level MTB is substantially less. Having spent many years, $ and time involved in this sport the best advice I can give is to make sure you read and research before buying anything. If you have specific questions let me know and I will be happy to help with brand suggestions etc if you have something you are looking at. I have used several different brands of various products so I can provide feedback on my experiences.
You will want to have a LBS (local bike shop) eventually fit you for a cycle to make sure you get the correct size frame, seat post setback, etc. They can also fit you to the bike with specific heights, etc. Sometimes one mfg fits a person better where another mfg doesn't fit the same person as well. And shop around at several different LBS to get different opinions as each on will carry different brands & models.
Also keep in mind that road bikes dno't typically come with peddals so you will need to purchase those seperately and of course shoes that are compatible with the peddels. Bikes come with saddles but usually are not the best ones and those are an individuals preference of what you are looking for (weight, aerodynamics, comfort, etc).
Quote:
Originally Posted by doby48
Wow! Great Info! Although I was thinking $2,000 might be a little steep for a beginner, I was hoping for something around $500 or less, haha. But thanks for the info! I shall begin my research!
Yeah I hear ya, but Road Cycling is more expensive than MTB. To think in $ terms (and this is not exact but to give a general idea)
Entry level road bike: $2,000
(plus shoes & peddals)
Entry level mtb: $ 500
(can purchase shoes & peddals or use regular peddals and streets shows depending preference, many mtb come with standard peddals)
Sure you can buy entry level for both below the prices listed but be careful of the components. One of my many cycles I had as a cheapie a couple years ago was a $125 MTB, components so poor I was replacing them within 3 months of buying the bike so if you go too cheap you will end up spending the money within the first few months due to the components being such low quality. Also some road bikes cut corners with the forks, make sure you don't get a low end aluminum fork or you will really feel the wobble when cruising at higher speeds (like down hill). I would say you could get something solid for just under the $1000 range if you are lowing for the the lower end (the $2000 is entry level road racing) just under the $1000 will get you a general entry level bike, you start getting to the $500 range and you see the issues I have seen in many bikes where components need replacing fairly early on.