Power Training

Can you do off the bike training?

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Originally posted by Brizza
Sorry Ric, I've found a job 🙁 and have trouble finding time to ride or train.
I race every Sat to keep my sanity and feel "fresh" every weekend. I'd like to train more but time just doesn't allow at the moment.
Do you know any good training programs for people who ride a max 3 times a week?

thanks for your help

Brian

Split by 2LAP, interesting question

No need to apologise about finding a job! it's always useful.

Couple of things i'd suggest

1) can you ride to work? Any riding is better than no riding
2) on the other four days, can you not manage even a short session (say 30-mins)?
3) if you truly can only ride 3 days a week and can't do any other exercise, then i'd make the sessions as hard as possible (maybe a long steady ride, a moderate tempo ride, and an intense interval session). might also depend on how much time you have on those 3 days and whether they're consecutive days or spread out

Ric

My three days would be Sat racing, Sun racing or track training and maybe Wed or Thurs night in the dark.

I am considering a gym membership to keep my muscle strength
.
Riding to work... I have to dress in a suit and tie, and already stand out in this town. Riding to work isn't much of an option. At the moment I walk but it's only 2-3km
In summer riding before work could be feasable.

I'll train at racing speed.

Brian

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Brizza
I am considering a gym membership to keep my muscle strength

What about spinning classes or aerobics or circuit training? What about CV machines?

Previously I have been very happy with my CV.
I had a cold a few weeks ago and my lungs hurt after each race.
In the past recovering from a cold usually makes me stronger.

If there is no racing on Sunday then I will go to a track and do some laps on my own.

My original and continuing problem is that I lack leg strength to push hard gears for the sprint. I'll look for the closest gym during the week.

Brian

P.S. During the week I work in a different area to which I previously lived in and stay at on the weekend (for racing purposes 😉 )

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Brizza
My original and continuing problem is that I lack leg strength to push hard gears for the sprint. I'll look for the closest gym during the week.

Ric will have something to say about that 😄 😄 😄

Have you tried sprint training (e.g. 5 to 60 second intervals)? Sprinting in road races is often limited by metabolic factors not strength.

Directly following the race I will have lots of breath and usually be chatting.
I tend to spin alot while the riders around me grind their gears. I'd like to find a comprimise so as to not lose my kick when I attack.
At the moment I'm racing in a grade where the level is a bit beyond me, it's stretching my ability and making me stronger but I'd appreciate the power for the sprint or burst down the back straight.

Thanks

Brian

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Brizza
Directly following the race I will have lots of breath and usually be chatting.
I tend to spin alot while the riders around me grind their gears. I'd like to find a comprimise so as to not lose my kick when I attack.
At the moment I'm racing in a grade where the level is a bit beyond me, it's stretching my ability and making me stronger but I'd appreciate the power for the sprint or burst down the back straight.

Thanks

Brian

assuming that the races are more than a few minutes long, and that you spin, then increased strength would not be a benefit to your racing. it sounds like you need to increase your power at LT and VO2 max, which are trained on the bike with endurance

Ric

Originally posted by Brizza, i responded with >>

Previously I have been very happy with my CV.
I had a cold a few weeks ago and my lungs hurt after each race.
In the past recovering from a cold usually makes me stronger.

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that sounds like you'd been training too hard, and were then only able to recover with time off and get fitter then?

If there is no racing on Sunday then I will go to a track and do some laps on my own.

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with such limited time (3 days) i'd be inclined to forgo the track riding and do a long ride instead

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Originally posted by 2LAP
Ric will have something to say about that 😄 😄 😄

😄

I assume they are the >20 min sessions of heavy riding.
I can probably do that during my weekly 🙁 rides.
Last week I rode hard on Sat and Sun and my legs where sore until Wed night. If I add a hard night on Wed night it could make a good program.

Thanks

Brian

P.S. Ric Didn't say anything:eek:, so I might do some gym work for fun

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Brizza
P.S. Ric Didn't say anything:eek:, so I might do some gym work for fun

I'm thinking about renewing my membership in a month or so for the same reason (plus its starting to get dark earlier).

I don't have internet acess in Newcastle, but when I get back I'll let you know if I improve from last week or not.

Brian

(You've motivated me to ride back... maybe. It's 80km)

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by 2LAP
I'm thinking about renewing my membership in a month or so for the same reason (plus its starting to get dark earlier).

Drag out the turbo instead... or

you're at a uni? take control of the treadmill, and ride your bike on it. set the slope to 8% and the velocity to 20 km/hr and you've got a super workout that flies by and requires stacks of concentration... i used to do this all the time

ric "the Woodway King"!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by ricstern
Drag out the turbo instead... or

I can only turbo a couple of times a week before my head falls off! Think I might start going out in the morning, its great when you can choose when to train. I do like training in the gym though on the CV machines and in the classes (I've done winters in the gym since I was 14). Good fun and you get to meet some new people. I'll only do for a few months in addition to riding the bike.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by ricstern
you're at a uni? take control of the treadmill, and ride your bike on it. set the slope to 8% and the velocity to 20 km/hr and you've got a super workout that flies by and requires stacks of concentration... i used to do this all the time

Not sure if health and safety covers this unless you are in a harness connected to an emergency stop!!! I do have access to the king cycle, monarchs and elec braked bikes. Have been thinking about doing intervals on these and they have the added bonus of power readings and being able to do max tests on them!
The air con is also a bonus!!!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by ricstern
ric "the Woodway King"!

Its a long way down, wouldn't like to fall off!!! Have done a bit of riding on the woodway, but that was using 'supergear' cranks... when you pedal backward your bike goes forward!!!!!!

They are nice to run on though!

Originally posted by 2LAP, i responded with >>

I can only turbo a couple of times a week before my head falls off! Think I might start going out in the morning, its great when you can choose when to train. I do like training in the gym though on the CV machines and in the classes (I've done winters in the gym since I was 14). Good fun and you get to meet some new people. I'll only do for a few months in addition to riding the bike.

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mornings are always good to train, until it gets very cold! i regularly do up to 3.5-hrs at a steady zone 2 effort on the turbo in the winter

Not sure if health and safety covers this unless you are in a harness connected to an emergency stop!!!

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no one seemed to mind me doing it without a harness or stop we! did a little study on it too! great fun doing a max test on the woodway. by the time you reach max, it amazing to see how much you wobble and hot the hand rails

I do have access to the king cycle, monarchs and elec braked bikes. Have been thinking about doing intervals on these and they have the added bonus of power readings and being able to do max tests on them!

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always good fun to use and useful

The air con is also a bonus!!!

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most definitely!

Its a long way down, wouldn't like to fall off!!! Have done a bit of riding on the woodway, but that was using 'supergear' cranks... when you pedal backward your bike goes forward!!!!!!

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it is! had to coach quite a few people to use them. much easier than say rollers. the hardest bit is as you stand and you move back slightly -- the trick is not to go off the back... only happened once! seen more people come off the woodway running though!

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those cranks sound fun... what study was that in aid of?

They are nice to run on though!

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never run on it!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ricstern
Originally posted by ricstern, i responded with $

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mornings are always good to train, until it gets very cold! i regularly do up to 3.5-hrs at a steady zone 2 effort on the turbo in the winter

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no one seemed to mind me doing it without a harness or stop we! did a little study on it too! great fun doing a max test on the woodway. by the time you reach max, it amazing to see how much you wobble and hot the hand rails

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it is! had to coach quite a few people to use them. much easier than say rollers. the hardest bit is as you stand and you move back slightly -- the trick is not to go off the back... only happened once! seen more people come off the woodway running though!

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those cranks sound fun... what study was that in aid of?

Originally posted by 2LAP

$Your joking, longest I've done was 2.5 hours and that was enough to make me take up golf!!! Turbos are for the hard stuff.

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nope! one of my friends used to do 5 hrs, and i know an ironman who used to do 8 hrs

$Don't fancy a max test on the woodway, I like to close my eyes to squeese every ounce of effort out! Did you use an online, I don't fancy looking after douglas bags and a rider at the same time!

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did most of the work without collecting gases. those that i did i used douglas bags, and sometimes another person to make sure the rider was ok

$There are 4 on campus of different lengths. The big one would give you lots of room in front and behind the bike. I like rollers, still practicing taking my top off while cycling on them (saw a sprinter do it at the velodrome and no handed is now too easy).

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could use to do that, but i haven't ridden rollers now, for about 5 years!

$It was a pants study, based on a study that said at steep gradients its more efficent to walk backwards. The same results weren't found for cycling!!!! What a load of cr@p.

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Lol! interesting

I only have time for 20 miles in the early AM (on the road by 5:00)before work. I have a set route that I do at least 2-3 days a week and treat it like a TT. I log my times, weather condition and heart rate info. I don't race, but it really made a difference in my ability to hang with the fast guys.