Want to make the most of the time you have to train. When the weather is bad and the days get shorter, finding time for those long endurance- and efficiency-building rides can be difficult. But you don't have to put in double-figure distances to boost your fitness and confidence. If you're looking to improve your endurance, hill climbing ability or sprint speed, our expert-informed advice will set you on the right path.
By managing the training time you do have and making minor adjustments to your busy lifestyle, you can efficiently build your fitness levels to ensure you peak at the point you want to.
“Sometimes we think that unless we can do two-, three- or four-hour training rides then it’s just not worth it,” says Tim Lawson, former national level cyclist and founder of performance nutrition firm Science In Sport. But research shows how even short workouts can be effective, especially in conjunction with the right exercise and dietary conditions.
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“Just doing 20 minutes for six days in the week is two hours more than you would have done,” continues Lawson, “and it will contribute to your fitness and endurance levels in the short and long term. If you have the money but not the time then a Wattbike indoor trainer will help optimise workouts, but there are plenty of spin bikes, even reconditioned ones, that will do the job,” he adds.
Training for endurance and sprints
1. Go hard with interval sessions
Lawson says that going like the clappers during those precious minutes is one valid form of attack. “Studies show that two lots of seven minutes’ training can be as beneficial as much longer sessions at some training variables. If it’s done in a low carbohydrate state and the intervals were 20 seconds full gas, 10 seconds off, you’ll reap rewards in no time — even 30 seconds’ sprinting every two minutes can be effective over a short time.”
2. Do steady-paced rides
“If you’ve only got 50 minutes at lunchtime in the working week then you need to look at ways you can make that time count most effectively towards your goal,” says Ruth Eyles, a British Cycling Level 3 coach in road and time trial. “If that goal is a sportive then short bursts of interval sessions aren’t going to develop your endurance levels the way a steady 50-minute session at a continuous pace will.”
3. Train at the most efficient intensity
Training for hill climbs
1. Use interval training
2. Drop some bodyweight
Training for speed
1. Work on your cadence, rather than just riding flat out
2. Interval sprint training
3. Eat nitrate-rich food
4. Ride (and move) whenever you can!
Recovery time
1. Do nothing
2. Use technology
3. Take time to stretch
4. Carbohydrate replacement
5. Cool off
6. Ride with friends
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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