Training Ideas

[trekchic]

OK---this is for all of you who race on teams or train all year long:

I don't want to lose all my hard work I've put into building my base miles and getting my legs and heart into great shape for racing in the Spring. So, I have a few questions about working out in the Winter:

1) What ratio of weight/resistance training to aerobic training do you recommend?

2) What type of indoor trainer is best for spinning: fluid or magnetic?

3) Which activities work the muscles most needed for cycling: running on a treadmill, swimming, step-aerobics, (fill in the blank)?

That's all I can think of to ask.........if you guys know of other things to be working on, please share!

 

[Squint]

1. 0:1

2. Neither, try rollers

3. Cycling

 

[tomUK]

Trekchic -

1) What ratio of weight/resistance training to aerobic training do you recommend?

>Not sure on this one. Probably the best way to start out is light weight - lots of reps. Build into heavier weights and less reps.

2) What type of indoor trainer is best for spinning: fluid or magnetic?

I have a magnetic turbo and rollers. The turbo gets useage every day. The rollers are in the garage - I don't like them and they wreck the tires too.

3) Which activities work the muscles most needed for cycling: running on a treadmill, swimming, step-aerobics, (fill in the blank)?

Any aerobic activity is good for the 'off' season.

Just have some fun training during this time - that's most important.

Cheers,

Tom.

 

[ric_stern/RST]

assuming that you do endurance cycle racing (i.e. > ~ 2-mins in duration)

1) weight/resistance training won't help or improve you're racing unless you have a functional disability. it might decrease racing performance

2) most trainers are good, so long as they have enough resistance. rollers are great for balance and are more fun than trainers

3) cycling

As an aside, Tom, i've no idea how or why a set of rollers could damage your tyres as there's so little resistance in them?

I disagree that any aerobic activity is good in the off-season - assuming that you want to maximise your time and/or maintain your fitness. If for some reason, you can't ride your bike in the winter then any aerobic activity is good, but nowhere near as good as riding a bike

ric

 

[tomUK]

Ric -

I ruined a perfectly good set of tires using my rollers. When you stand when riding you exert a hugh amount of pressure on one point of the front tire and this causes it to almost appear flat at that point and hence almost splits the tire wall close to the rim. Maybe i had a bad set of tires, however, it happened on both the front and back with a set of continentials.

Regards,
Tom.

 

[Squint]

I don't know what kind of rollers Tom used but the ones with smaller drums that generate resistance solely by deforming your tires could possibly trash tires as fast or faster than trainers.

I've used Kreitler Classic (4.5" drums) for years and they're very gentle on tires. I wish they were a little harder on them because I have a lot of cut or badly worn tires that aren't reliable enough for outdoor use that I want to kill riding indoors so I can finally throw them away.

The resistance with those rollers comes primarily from the fan resistance unit so your work goes towards churning the air than trashing your tires. I think the small diameter rollers also force you to ride at a higher speed to get enough resistance whereas I'm still in the small ring at power outputs that would have me in the big ring outdoors. So the higher wheel speeds probably exacerbate tire wear.

I use rollers for intervals longer than sprint work which I would do in a trainer or outdoors. It's much similar to road riding and much more tolerable than a trainer for me.

 

[jrlee]

Weights - need to be done throughtout whole season to keep strength gains, how many will do that, the first 4 weeks are just learningto lift the weights!

TRainer- Big fan (no pun intended ) of the BT ergo s, also easy to make yourself out of bike bits

Off season activity- depends on the weather where you live, But I agree with most others -CYCLING

john

 

[ric_stern/RST]

Originally posted by jrlee
Weights - need to be done throughtout whole season to keep strength gains, how many will do that, the first 4 weeks are just learningto lift the weights!
john

you're right -- to maintain strength, it needs to be trained all year (use it or lose it). however, the big question is: how much strength is required for (endurance) cycle racing? Answer: very little indeed.

Ric

 

[tarvy]

What about the stength requirements for mountain
biking Ric? much greater would you say, or just slightly?
tarvy

 

[ric_stern/RST]

while the force requirements are slightly higher than on-road, it'll still not require weight training to increase strength (if that's what you were asking), i.e., endurance riding/racing isn't dependent on strength

Ric

 

[tarvy]

Won't disagree with you on lower body training, but after
my second year racing i did a lot of weight training, coudn't believe how slow i was on the bike in the spring. But once i regained fitness and maintained new upper body strength
i found race times improved due to lack of upper body fatigue.
Keeping in mind that i have a very slight build and lose muscle
very quickly, weight training has helped, but sure was not the
leg miracle some may lead you to believe.
tarvy