Getting my fitness back

Skinner2k3

What's the best way to kick start getting some fitness back?

After a year of training hard and getting fitter than I have ever been, I got to September and it all went off the boil. Work commitments, a holiday and then more work commitments combined with loosing my enthusiasm a bit has led to me doing less miles (and easy ones at that) in the last 6 weeks than I was doing in a week in summer. Basically I have been a lazy sh1t just recently.

I guess its not a brilliant idea to go storming in like I nothing happened. I need to get off this downward spiral!

SCR Pedro

What's the best way to kick start getting some fitness back?...
...I guess its not a brilliant idea to go storming in like I nothing happened.

Get on the bike, and don't attempt too much at once. December is just around the corner, so it's a good time of year to experiment with other/indoor aerobic sports. The year-round pressure to get the miles in can also lead to demotivation, so it's good to try something else. Upon failing that, try doping!

AK_jnr

Smash 4 tabata sessions a week. Lol

In all seriousness, there is no point doing something you arent motivated to do. Try something else to get you back in the rhythm.
Im lucky in that I absolutely love exercise of all types so if I don't fancy the bike I just get stuck in to running or football.

Flâneur

As AK said, find something you enjoy first.

Find some form of HIIT at home/circuits/running club/weights/yoga/swim and do that during winter to get the base level back then come spring or on the nicer days get on the bike for 15/20 miles.

The hardest part of the battle is putting the shoes on and getting out of the door, the next bit is doing it again. So finding something indoors can help as the weather doesn't put you off or get you down.

Just shove a sticky note somewhere stupid, asking yourself if you got out. gentle reminders can help some people.

Skinner2k3

The pressure to do the mileage is definitely not helping. I must reduce the target mileage on Strava, seeing that less than half complete when was sometimes doing double is depressing!

Trouble is I was often getting around 80 miles in each week just by extending my commute which I don't tend to do in winter.

Another sport is a good shout. I actually quite miss weight training (my focus for about 10 years prior to cycling) although I don't want to put the two stone back on so will look at something cycling orientated.

I think getting an event booked for early in the new year would help too.

Cheers

BeaconRuth

What do you want your fitness back for? Have you got some clear goals that you want to achieve? It's often true that people are most motivated when they've thought carefully about why they want to train and what they want to train for.

If your goal is to be a really good cyclist (of whatever kind) then I suggest getting on the bike rather than doing any other kind of exercise - but if you have a clear goal and timescale then you can set out a plan for building up gradually. You haven't got to go straight back in at the level you were at - set a plan of gradually building it back up again, with, say, a little more riding each week. Write out a rough plan, stick it on the fridge and tell your partner/family/anyone who'll listen that that's what you're going to do...

Ruth

Skinner2k3

At this very minute, just so I don’t feel I have thrown away all that hard work. Thinking further ahead, I need to be back on form for a series of 10 mile TT’s which I have done the past two years and have a target time in mind for this season. That starts in April.

I had been thinking I could probably get away with carrying a bit more muscle in TTs so would get back on some weight training but make it cycling focused.

You are right about telling people, when I form a plan and keep it to myself it’s only me I need to convince to deviate from it!

cycleclinic

start commuting on the bike if you can. You will need proper kit for winter riding and a bike with a rack and bag to keep your work cloths nice and dry. Even commuting daily will improve your fittness.

Join a club as well and do the weekend rides. Commuting in winter is enjoyable I am loving it at the moment. Sometimes I do an off road commute sometimes a road one. Never direct.

with doing 80 miles or less a week your base fitness is quickly lost so you have to ride regularly to keep it topped up. In time if you increase the volume (and intensity but not intense all the time) you will be able to take a month and not loose your base fitness. This is what the folk I ride with on wednesday's find take a couple of weeks of and they pay for it.

Ride as often as you can it does not have to be high intensity. Strava can be tool for motivation but it can do the opposite as you can sometimes think that ride was slow and not worthwhile or you did not get enough gold. All this is meaningless and does not matter.

Base fitness (cardiovasular fitness) improves with time on the bike and from that interval works will have it full effect if you want to take it that far. Also your leg strength will improve and weight loss happens best with slower riding as your body is not so dependant on being kept fueled with sugar.

So it does depend on what you want to do. To be motivated though you have to enjoy it and establish a routine with riding. a routine is about when you ride rather than trying to fit riding around your life because if you do the later then you will always a reason not to ride.

kajjal

You just need a realistic flexible plan. Nothing to complicated, all i do is go out 4 times a week, which includes two longer rides at the weekend. In the winter i go by time rather than distance as it is harder going than in summer. I see the days it is more difficult as a challenge. Riding in the colder wetter months just means you need decent clothing to keep you warm and dry.

Flâneur

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19749776#p19749776]Skinner2k3[/url] wrote:

The pressure to do the mileage is definitely not helping. I must reduce the target mileage on Strava, seeing that less than half complete when was sometimes doing double is depressing!

Trouble is I was often getting around 80 miles in each week just by extending my commute which I don't tend to do in winter.

Another sport is a good shout. I actually quite miss weight training (my focus for about 10 years prior to cycling) although I don't want to put the two stone back on so will look at something cycling orientated.

I think getting an event booked for early in the new year would help too.

Cheers

Along with the other advice here, sort the strava target out (or delete it). Hit the gym twice a week and do the weight lifting for mobility and power rather than strength. Again you ain't going to lift your old PB but now you have a new target and it could be a 100kg back squat for 15 reps instead of 140kg for 1.

Skinner2k3

Yep, should get back on the commuting. I have the kit, showers and lockers at work etc, just don't particularly enjoy it this time of year.

I am a member of a club and do intend to get out on the club rides more often.

So the realistic goal is; two sessions a week in the gym and 100 miles on the bike (some of which will be on the turbo).

I think just discussing this has got me more enthusiastic than I have been in a month or so!

Cheers

rumbataz

Set aside an hour every day for some activity - even if it's just an evening walk. I've been varying my daily activity between cycling, the gym, running outside and going for a walk. The key is that 'golden hour' where you will do some physical activity. It's something that I actually look forward to every day.

It's no longer a chore and all my other daily activities are planned around my exercise programme. At weekends I'll often go out in the mornings so as to maximise my social time.

It soon becomes part of your daily life and something you enjoy.

cycleclinic

With good kit riding now is quite enjoyable. Once you are out and working the simple pleasure of turning the pedals takes over. Riding at night with good lights is safer. I find cars stopping to let me pass rather than trying to squeeze past on that single track road.

Skinner2k3

Well managed to get a few turbo sessions in the second half of last week. Total 87 miles of good quality training. didn't fancy being blown into the hedgerow so stayed indoors Got a weights session in as well, legs didn't know what hit them after squats!

I have set my goal at 100 miles a week, its lower than I would like but I just need to make sure I go for quality rather than quantity.

I also find (on most roads) riding in the dark cars give more space. And I get more warning of them approaching too.

Flâneur

Front or back squats? Notthat your legs cared I imagine. had the joy of squat jumps last night. Hamstrings felt abused this morning

supermurph09

Instead of a mileage target, maybe think about a time target instead. Something easy for the first few weeks maybe just 2 hours to get that sense of achievement, then increase as necessary.

Skinner2k3

Back squats, nice a deep.....legs hated me for it for a couple of days

Want to try and get a few turbo workouts planned (or find a plan to follow) and go with TSS, mileage and time wont worry me as much as long as I hit that.