Traning Techniques

CapeWrathDude

Hi everyone, just joined bike radar and thought I would ask for some advise.

Im looking to improve my fitness for riding in all areas and I am looking to alternate my routine so my body doesn't become used to it so I keep benifiting. At the moment I am cycling 6 days of the week, between 10 - 25 miles each day, alternating between long and short and at different paces, gradients etc. When i get within the last mile home I sprint it, and any hills i come across I attack them. Is this a good method of training, and can anyone offer any more advice?

andyturner28

Sounds good to me. Thats basically how i have been doing it the last 7 months and i have lost over 3 1/2 stone. Are you combining this with eating healthily? If not you will realy feel the benefit by eating all the right stuff. Have a good hunt around this forum and you'll find plenty of good advice.

Andy.

CapeWrathDude

Yeah I have a good diet, I get my protein, veg + Fruit, carbs and i feel stronger everytime I go out!! Got to love MTB

Alex_Simmons/RST

CapeWrathDude wrote:

Hi everyone, just joined bike radar and thought I would ask for some advise.

Im looking to improve my fitness for riding in all areas and I am looking to alternate my routine so my body doesn't become used to it so I keep benifiting. At the moment I am cycling 6 days of the week, between 10 - 25 miles each day, alternating between long and short and at different paces, gradients etc. When i get within the last mile home I sprint it, and any hills i come across I attack them. Is this a good method of training, and can anyone offer any more advice?

It depends somewhat on what you're training for. A diet of this type of training will get you reasonably fit compared to most non or irregular-riders but after 2-3 months, your improvement will plateau. If you are seeking to go further with your fitness (relative to your target events) then changes to training will be needed, in general this means to gradually increase the overall workload though both intensity and duration of riding, with occasional periods of easier riding to recover.

But if it's for general well being and enjoyment, then keep at it, vary the routine a little, find other rides to do to mix it up and maybe ride with some friends every so often.

CapeWrathDude

thanks for the advice, do you know of any heart rate monitors that come with pc software i can link up and save my stats? Im wanting to get seriously into mtb do some competitions when im up to standard.

andyturner28

The only ones i can think of are the Garmins, but they cost loads. I use a Sigma PC-9 which shows a total KCAL from when you perchased it.

Andy.

tommywmb

I have a crappy Bikemagic HRT/cycle computer and I just whip it off the bars after every ride and pop the stats into a spreadsheet. Wayyyy cheaper than buying one that syncs!

woody-som

Timex ironman watch, Gps, heartrate, and data recorder- just over £200, but very nice and worth the money, if you do running as well, otherwise and computer and a cheap HRM will do, and manually record the data in a spreadsheet