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I find one of the worse problems of training in gyms is the boredom factor that can kick in almost immediately. Especially on the cardiovascular machines (like the treadmill and bike), that is why they have the big television screens to numb your mind with the addition of loud music. Well I say improve your training by spicing it up and rather than just accepting the normal routine, why not change it?
What Would I Do?
After training for many years I have experienced the “I can’t be bothered” feeling lots of times and so over a period of years have come up with ideas to keep the interest going. Some have been stolen from other disciplines but are very effective for a good training session. There are many of these ideas so I will tackle one at a time. As you can tell from the title today it is the turn of the Bike.
The Bike
One of my favourite pieces of equipment, partly because I love cycling and partly because you can do so much with it. Most stationary up-right bikes come with built-in programs that are very effective; however for this training advice we are going to use the manual or quick start option. I only ever use this option as it gives you much more control to push yourself. I find the bike training can drag if you pick a level to cycle at and maintain that for the 10 to 20 minutes of your programme. Time will fly if you introduce interval training. Not only will it fly but it will stimulate your body and mind much more.
The Basics
First of all everyone who reads this will have different levels of fitness so I will work round that. Firstly you need to get your speed (the rate at which you peddle) to 80 plus rpm. Next you will need to set the starting resistance: this will be the variable that will be different for everyone. You want to pick a level that you could complete in 20 minutes, but would leave you feeling tired at the end of it. The easiest way to find this out is to actually cycle 20 minutes and work out the ideal level from that. Another way is to cycle for 5min approx. and test your own perceived level of effort. 1 being you can’t feel anything to a 10 which, well to be honest, would really, really hurt and probably involve vomiting (Oh, what fun!?! - Beeble). You want it to feel around the 6 – 7 which should be a push but achievable. Now we are ready!
One Final Warning
Before you try this remember for some people this is going to be very hard, so if you have a high resting heart rate, high blood pressure or suffer from any heart conditions or lung conditions do not attempt this. Even if you don’t have any of these health problems and during the exercise you begin to feel sick or ill then stop. Don’t stop completely but either peddle very lightly till you feel better or lie down with your feet elevated until the feeling has passed. If you feel pain, especially in the chest area, stop immediately. Make sure you inform someone that you are not feeling well.
The Plan
Picture this as a hill climb stage in the Tour de France. Right, now it’s time to begin: start peddling at 80 + rpm at your chosen level (do this for 5 minutes first if you haven’t already warmed up). We are going to do the basic level first but later I will show you how to make it more difficult. This time we are going to do a total of 10 min. Maintain the 80 + rpm for the first 2min 30secs and this is where we change it. Now double the level you are on (e.g. if you chose level 5 now make it 10) but that is not all: I also want you to stand up! (And start juggling! - Beeble) You can use the handle bars to lean on as much as you like but your bum must be off the saddle for a total of 30 seconds. When the 30 seconds are up, sit back down and drop the level back to the original starting level. Carry on cycling for the next 2min 30secs and then you guessed it, you are standing again and increase the level again. Repeat this until you have completed your 10min. Some of you will find this hard and some easy. For those of you who are already pretty fit, here are some ways to make it even harder and for those of you who find it hard at the moment keep at it because it will get easier and when it does you will then need to make it more difficult.
Making it More Difficult
Let me know how you get on by leaving a comment. I expect to hear my name used as a curse in many gyms over the next few days…
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