Designing an effective cycling training program

by Panos Prokos, MS, CSCS

Note: Before starting any type of exercise program obtain clearance from your physician. Always train under the supervision of a qualified Personal Trainer or coach. Aerobic exercise places increased stress in your heart and can possibly produce dangerous side effects.

In my article "Optimizing Aerobic training for maximum fat loss" I already discussed the benefits of aerobic exercise for fat reduction and keeping body weight under control. Various forms of aerobic activity can be used to achieve these goals including running, cycling, swimming, and rowing but in this article I am going to expand a bit on the cycling component. As a matter of fact, I am going to be a bit more specific and expand on the indoor cycling/spinning based aerobic training.

You could of course use most of the following information for an outdoor road cycling tour but since many people do not have access to a low traffic street which would allow them to concentrate on their effort, I decided that it would be more rational to focus on the indoor training. In addition, anyone with access to a road race bicycle can very easily mount it on an indoor trainer and use it for aerobic exercise particularly during adverse condition such as inclement weather, etc.

Which brings me to the first topic: What kind of bike to use for indoor cycle training. There are two different options depending on your specific goals. The first would be to use a stationary bike specifically designed for spinning training. This is the typical bike that you will come across in most gym group spinning classes. It is a bit pricey but if you are planning to get serious in your aerobic training and use it for years to come, it will be money well spent. The second option is basically the one I already mentioned above, in other words the road race bicycle mounted on a good trainer. Keep in mind that since this is the real McCoy, it tends to be even more pricey than the previous option, but what you are getting here, is a real bicycle which you can use for actual outside real world training. Therefore, if a few months down the line you decide that real road cycling training is a venue that you would like to explore, you would already be owning the equipment.

Assuming that you already have access to the bike, lets move on with a brief discussion on the necessary accessories that you will be needing. First of all, you should avoid using sweat pants or any other form of baggy style clothing as it could possibly be entangled on the moving parts and cause serious injuries. You should be wearing fitted clothing such as bike shorts accompanied by a pair of cycling appropriate shoes preferably with cleats which will allow you to train your hamstrings. Gloves are usually a good addition and I personally prefer them since they help maintain a better grip on the handlebars especially if you are going to use a real road race bicycle . You may also need a small towel as you are going to sweat particularly during the second half of your workout session. Finally, consider obtaining a water bottle especially if you are preparing for a spinning duration of more than 25 minutes.

After gathering all the necessary accessories you are ready to move on to the next step which consists of setting up the bicycle to your body proportions. I have decided not to expand on this subject here since this step is dependent on the kind of bicycle that you would be using, so your best bet would be to either follow the manufacturer's instructions or consult a bike shop with experience on your particular kind of bicycle.

Now on to our actual training session: A well designed spinning session should involve three basic stages which I will briefly discuss below:

• The Warm Up: This stage consists of two elements: A stretching component which you should be doing before climbing on your bike. Stretch the basic muscle groups particularly the muscles of your legs and lower back. I am not going to expand more on this subject here since you can find basic stretch exercises on many fitness books. The second warm up component should consist of a steady speed low intensity riding. Stay on this stage anywhere from 6-8 minutes depending on the overall duration of your spinning session. Towards the end of the warm up session, up the intensity just one notch and enter the second stage of your spinning.
• Main Aerobic stage: This is the part where you will be practicing various drills such as speed play, hill simulation, interval training, road race simulation, etc. I am not going to expand in all these drills in this article but I am going to suggest to focus on interval training for your main aerobic stage. Ride for a few minutes at a steady low-to-medium intensity and start increasing your cadence (pedaling speed) to a fast pace. Maintain the fast pace anywhere from 15 seconds to 1 minute depending on your level of fitness and experience. Bring your cadence back down to the previous level and maintain it for another 5 minutes. Repeat this cycle one more time. If you are more advanced, you can practice hill sprint drills by increasing the rolling resistance until a medium cadence at steady RPM is obtained and proceed doing a 20 second higher cadence sprint. Slow back down to the medium cadence and repeat the cycle one more time. This drill should only be used by advanced cyclists. Always train safe and do not push yourself above your abilities. There are literally dozens of drills you can use depending on your goals and abilities. Beginners should avoid any kind of strenuous drill and should concentrate on a low to medium intensity interval training. Advanced riders can experiment with various drills depending on their goals. A sprinter should focus on short speed bursts followed by a lower intensity intervals while a hill climber should focus on uphill high resistance drills at medium cadence followed by medium resistance drills at medium cadence.
• The Cool Down stage: This part should last between 6-8 minutes and consist of a gradual slow down of the resistance and eventually cadence followed by relaxed deep breathing. After you dismount you should also incorporate some static stretching particularly for the quadriceps, and hamstring muscles. Static stretching is very important at this stage as it allows the muscles to relax, minimizes soreness and promotes more efficient recovery.

If your training goal is to loose body fat and control your weight, you would benefit from reading my article "Optimizing Aerobic training for maximum fat loss" before beginning your spinning workout. The article provides a more detailed input to the amount of time that should be devoted to aerobic exercise when fat loss is desired.

Another factor that you should consider is the level of your Heart rate that should be obtained during your cycling activity. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines for training intensity suggest the following Heart Rate max (HRmax) numbers. Keep in mind that HRmax is equal to 220 minus your age. A 45 year old person would have a Maximum Heart rate HRmax of 220-45=175.

• For people who exercise for Health reasons: Heart rate: 50-60% of the maximum Heart Rate. Total exercise duration of 30 minutes accumulated exercise during the day.
• For people who exercise for Fitness reasons: Heart rate: 65-80% of the maximum Heart Rate. Total exercise duration of 20-60 minutes per session.
• For athletes who exercise for Performance reasons: Heart Rate: 65-90% of the maximum Heart Rate. Total exercise duration of 15-45 minutes per session with occasional workouts lasting up to 2 hours.

Keep in mind that the above numbers are general guidelines. I am listing them only for your information and for discussing them with your physician. You should always contact your physician before beginning any exercise program and discuss the above guidelines and how would they apply to your case. Always obtain clearance from your physician before assuming an exercise program.

Train Smart, and Train Healthy !!