Written by Francesco Chiappero - BA Sports Science, Athletic Coach, owner of ReAction® and member of Equipe Enervit
According to the current law we could still go out and train, but is it really the best idea? What if we picked up our bike trainer and tried a new approach? A bike trainer can become a fun and useful tool if used properly.
A mirror, a playlist, and an energy drink, and you’re ready to go!
During winter, we might be used to training in our garage, but at this time of the year, you could also place your trainer on the terrace or near the window. This will make sweat evaporate faster; just remember to avoid direct sunlight.
From there, a mirror and the right playlist can boost your motivation. Don’t forget to mix up an energy drink suitable for what you’re trying to achieve during your training to help maximize your performance.
We’ll talk about this later!
Convert an outdoor session to an indoor one
Compared to an outdoor session, an indoor session can be more efficient, the training is more intense, and therefore the training volume needs to be lower.
The suggestion is to stay between 20 minutes and 90 minutes. You should dedicate roughly 10 minutes to warming up and another 10 minutes to cool down; the rest of the time should be dedicated to sprint or varied exercises, preferably staying at or above 70% HRM.
Flat training
Reduce volume by 10-20%, keep the specific exercises the same.
Climb training
Reduce volume by 20-30%, keep the specific exercises the same. If the climb is more than 10 minutes long, you can split it into multiple parts. The recovery intervals should be less than 3 minutes long.
If your trainer doesn’t simulate climbs, you can always create an incline by placing an object under the front tire.
What about long-distance rides?
If the ride exceeds 90 minutes (even after taking into account the volume reduction), you might want to consider a double session for the day. Remember to recover for a few hours and rehydrate in between sessions.
Rehydration and supplementation
The sweat pool that you find under your bike is self-explanatory. In essence, a correct rehydration strategy during an indoor session is fundamental. At the same time, a supplement strategy that provides the correct amount of carbohydrates during single sessions and double sessions is also very important.
Here are some examples:
- Low duration and intensity sessions (up to 60 mins)
One 500ml sports bottle with 30g of Enervit Sport Isotonic drink.
- Mid duration with mid-to-high intensity sessions (up to 90 mins)
One 750ml sports bottle with 45g of Enervit Sport Isotonic drink + one Enervit Sport Isotonic Gel halfway through the training.
- Double daily session
Also, take one Enervit Sport R2 Recovery Drink at the end of the first session.
Postponed competitions, what to do?
Stick to your training plan and try to work on your conditioning. If you do that, then the restart won’t catch you by surprise.
Motivation can be a problem, but your passion for the sport will surely push you through this period. A structured training session and a few new exercises can go a long way in making it more entertaining and, most importantly, help it pass by quickly; this “quarantine” will end faster than you think.
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