Base Fitness !!

RDB66

How would you determine when you reach Base Fitness ?

I only ask as someone at work asked me today and just wondered what peoples thoughts on it are.

Rich.

red dragon

I do not have a clue when anyone reaches a base fitness level, it must depend upon age and other variables. But i am no expert , what i can do however is recommend you have a look at a book by a chap called bernie shrosbree I found it to be excellent. If you search for his name you should get to the book he has written. I know this is not much but I hope it is a start point.

softlad

I didn't realise there was anything called 'base fitness'. Are you confusing it with 'base mileage' or 'base training'...?

turboslave

Base fitness base training is all one of the same, before you can ride at increased levels of sustainable intensities you must first build a base from which to build upon.

In cycling terms a base is built around low level 1-2 rides of 2+hr durations, these rides will improve your cardiovascular system, basically you will train the body to carry more oxegen in the blood improving the workings of the heart & lungs etc, a very basic analergy but from this early training you have a base to build upon by introducing progressive training overloads.

In most cases reccomended base milage is between 1-1500 before building towards higher levels of training.

These low level 1-2 rides should be used thoughout the training and racing seasons, a level 1 ride although very slow will aid recovery more than rest off the bike.

Hope that answers you question.

SBezza

turboslave wrote:

, a level 1 ride although very slow will aid recovery more than rest off the bike.

.

Why do people say a level 1 (Endurance) ride should be slow, what rubbish. They may be done at a lowish HR, or HR Zone, but they are not slow.

Also it depends on what you call slow, my endurance rides are about 5+ hours long with average speeds over 18mph normally. This might be quite fast for some, though they are slow compared with my average racing speed.

Recovery rides are slow I will admit, but these do nothing for base training.

FWIW base fitness is developed over many years, you are unlikely to reach the best fitness you can over just one year or one winter. It is yearly progression.

amaferanga

Level 2 is an endurance ride, not level 1.

SBezza

My level 1 is endurance , below this is recovery. Different coaches use different numbers. My level 2 is tempo.

That is why I put endurance in brackets, as I know different people use different levels. Even if level 2 is endurance, recovery (or level 1) will not do anything for fitness, it is pure recovery.

Bronzie

turboslave wrote:

In most cases reccomended base milage is between 1-1500 before building towards higher levels of training.

Are you talking about this from the point of view of a complete novice to cycling or as part of an annual training plan for seasoned riders?

liversedge

Joe Friel has a lot to answer for.

adrianfitch

Joe Friel talks about doing an aerobic threshold ride to test your base or aerobic fitness.

10 min warm up
60 min Zone 2
60 min Zone 2
10 min warm down

You want your heart rate and speed to remain steady for the duration of both Zone 2 efforts (around 80% max). Cardiac drift will be evident with a drop in speed or an increasing heart rate.

To put numbers to it, compare your speed to heart rate ratios for both Zone 2 efforts. Here are the numbers from my last test:

#1 speed (23.22) ÷ average heart rate (135) = 0.172
#2 speed (23.10) ÷ average heart rate (136) = 0.170
#2 ratio ÷ #1 ratio = 0.988
Drift = -1.2%

Aim for less that 5% drift over two hours (two 60 minute Zone 2 efforts). For more on this read Joe Friel’s The Cyclist’s Training Bible.

Gav888

turboslave wrote:

, a level 1 ride although very slow will aid recovery more than rest off the bike.

.

Is that true, ie, an easy ride will help you recover faster than complete rest off the bike?

SBezza

Gav888 wrote:

turboslave wrote:

, a level 1 ride although very slow will aid recovery more than rest off the bike.

.

Is that true, ie, an easy ride will help you recover faster than complete rest off the bike?

Yes it can, although sometimes complete rest off the bike might be a better option. It comes down to how tired you are. I rarely have a complete day off the bike, normally I will do recovery rides in between sessions. I do have complete rest days, just not that many.