Training the Obree way. While many of us are enthusiastic and even dedicated cyclists few of us have the raw talent, opportunities and determination to make it to the top level but it doesn’t stop the fantasies and the desire to be the best bike riders we can be so we buy the lightest kit and most expensive gadgets.
We invest money in the best gels, powders and bars. And we fuel our belief that if we just trained properly we too could be super heroes by buying the latest training plans, manuals and guides. Such is the demand of wanting to be the best the health and fitness market is now saturated with products, advice and latest research from sport scientists to ex professionals to help us reach the top.
Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » A Handy Guide to Climbing Grades. I have made my life’s work the study of grades.
Not the kind of grades you get in school, because how weird would it be if you got a grade in the class you’re taking on grades? Real weird, that’s how weird. The kind of grades I study are inclines. Specifically, I study the effects of various climbing grades on the average cyclist (which is to say: me). Check Your Training Intensities. Neal Henderson has successfully coached a wide variety of athletes, triathletes and cyclists ranging from age groupers to Olympians by sticking to a fundamental training philosophy—one he believes to be the key to endurance performance.
Contributing editor Aaron Hersh interviewed Henderson, who is the director of sport science at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Colorado and owner of Apex Coaching, on this philosophy and how it can be used to improve any athlete’s performance. The following is a sampling of their conversation. The Philosophy The objective of all training is to achieve the greatest level of adaptation, not to become the most tired. Many times people train to get tired or to burn calories. Go ahead and burn calories if you want to work out and lose weight. Core Exercises for Cyclists: Cycling Training Tips & Workouts. Cycling Training Pain Mental and Physical Response. Race Hills & Climbs: Road Bicycling Skills. Training and Fitness Cycling Workouts to Crush Climb After Climb Two pro-approved workouts for strength on constant hills and low mountains The 2011 Tour de France went from a week in the windy, wet, and rolling terrain of northern France into the Massif Central for the beginning of the second week of the race.
Run Less, Lose More. In other words, you'll initially drop some pounds, but your progress will flatline as soon as your body adjusts to your exercise regimen.
Plus, running long distances on a regular basis takes a physical toll (in the form of injuries, like runner's knee) and can seriously dampen your enthusiasm. Ultimately, all that pain and boredom can cause many people to burn out and give up. Thankfully, there is a better (and easier) way. By learning how to make your runs more efficient at burning fat (by running with more intensity and by making your body stronger), you can get more benefits in less time, says Andrew Kastor, a running coach in Mammoth Lakes, California.
You'll still need to run three to five days a week (depending on which of the two programs you decide to follow), but rarely for more than 20 minutes a pop. Food & Nutrition Myths: Bicycle Training. Cycling Nutrition: Big Fat Lies Big Fat Lies A surprising new approach to losing weight and keeping it off—and riding longer and stronger than ever.
Mediterranean Diet. In the region where olives flourish, people flourish, too.
Heart disease, cancer, diabetes and even Alzheimer's are far less common in Mediterranean countries, such as Greece, Italy, France and Spain. Perhaps this explains why many of the world's best bike racers, including Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, have a nutritional leg up. Eating well is easy for them because "Mediterranean eaters place an emphasis on fresh, quality ingredients," says Cynthia Sass, R.D., C.S.S.D., author of Flat Belly Diet ($16; rodale.com), based on the region's eating patterns. These dishes often build on a few flavor-packed ingredients, such as tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar. Follow Sass's advice to import the best of the Mediterranean into your kitchen. Make Veggies the Centerpiece Mediterranean meals typically consist of about 75 percent plant matter, from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.
Try it Pick a vegetable or fruit and design the meal around it. What Pro Cyclists Eat at Races. Break Bad Habits or Start New Good Ones: Bicycling for Health. Bicycling Nutrition, Training, Fitness 90 Days.
A Recipe for Homemade Energy Bars for Cyclists by Cyclists. A competitive cyclist’s relationship with food can be summed up in one word: intense.
Our love of food runs deep and plays a role in almost every aspect of cycling. A hearty meal is the reward for a long day in the saddle. Even my recovery rides revolve around food, with restaurants being frequent destinations—taco stands in Tucson, falafal joints in New York City, barbecue in North Carolina, and coffee shops everywhere else. Bicycle Intervals: Cycling Racing & Training. Interval Training The Ultimate Interval.
Mountain Bike Skills: Nutrition Advice from Rebecca Rusch. Mountain Bike Skills. Cycling Workouts on Consecutive Days. Training & Fitness Go Back to Back With planning, your midweek workouts can lead to massive gains.