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The British Cycling 20 minutes warm-up is ideal for a high intensity race where you will go “full gas” from the start of a road race, a cyclo-cross race or straight into a high intensity training session.

Just going out for a ride, you should start your ride at an easy pace and increase inrensity during your first ten minutes of the ride.

For a time trial you may want to warm up to the heart rate or power to match your time trial pace.

Do not hop on your bike and go full gas. This will put a lot of strain on your heart. It is far wiser to allow your heart rate to gradually increase to your target pace.

Many experenced riders will bring a turbo or rollers as it can be difficult to warm up at the venue.

Hill Climb Strength Exercises for youth and Adults

There are three videos I have found on the British Cycling website that you might like to watch.

CAUTION: If you have an injury check with your doctor and or a Sports Injury Physiotherapists first

First I would like you to read the following extracts from the Mayo Clinic article on Strength training is OK for Kids? Try also to make time to read the preceding full article link

Performed properly, strength training can: Strength training, not weightlifting: Strength training is meant to increase muscle strength and endurance. Bulking up (using weights) is something else entirely.

I am not a qualified gym fitness instructor, but I have worked with youth for a number of years. Development of technique is very important. Weights can be replaced in elastic exercise ribbon or bands.

Be also aware that: In growing youth most power will come from natural physical growth, so setting power goals may be unhelpful for a younger rider. "Intensity should be based on feel. We don't use power at junior academy, efforts are just efforts — you go hard [by feel] or you don't go hard." Tom Pidcock, Cycling Weekly, Dec. 2018.

The following British Cycling videos are not necessarily made with youth in mind. I strongly recommend that youth do exercises that utilise their own weight.




For the older rider this fourth exercise video from British Cycling with weights might be of interest.

This article is mainly aimed at youth and juniors, (under 18)

The general census is at least 3 sessions a week, training 4 or 5 times a week is ideal.

www.cyclingweekly.com suggested: Regular short rides are the fastest way to boost your fitness.. 60+minutes long ride. Hilly Ride 30-60min, Hard ride30-60min. (around 4 hours total)

www.cyclingtips.com Ten hours of training per week is a good amount for most serious recreational riders: Monday rest; Tues. 60-90 minutes 90%HR. Wed. 2 hours endurance. Thurs: 60-90 minutes with a few mates push each other. Fri. One hour coffee ride with friends, Finishing with a short upper body weight training session, swim, Pilates or yoga. Sat: 2 hours include hills. Sunday, two hours endurance.(10 - 20 hours adults)

Dr Laura Dugas,  Young athletes whose training hours exceeded their age or whose sports hours exceeded their free play by a factor greater than 2 were also more likely to develop injuries and overuse injuries. 

HOW AND WHERE TO TRIN

Here are key points from my research below :

Next: read this article first from Cycling Weekly. Talent or training? How a gifted young rider becomes a champion

 Then do a Lifestyle Audit (word) to see how many hours you can train a week.

 

 If you want more information read below there are lots of informative links and information.

PDF of full report: Risk of Injuries Associated With Sport Specialization and Intense Training Patterns in Young Athletes: A Longitudinal Clinical Case-Control Study

Quotes from Michael Guilford a British Cycling accredited coach who specialises in developing young riders. interviewed by Cycling Weekly.

“You need to be careful with expectations of physical improvement in young riders. Development in power is likely to come mostly from natural physical growth, so setting goals like ‘improve 10-minute power from 200W to 300W’ may be unhelpful for a younger rider. It might be more appropriate to focus on a different area such as cadence.”

“Building good habits is more important than hitting numbers, since the numbers will change anyway as the rider grows… the best habit for a top-level cyclist is training to be a better bike rider”

Do you use Zwift during a live coach led training session and have problems with terrain changing your resistance when you are trying to hold a set resistance?

Using a RIDERS CHOICE workout on Zwift will flatten out the road. Your smart turbo will then maintain the same resistance on terrain, allowing you to chose your own gear and cadence to set power. You will still see your power setting etc.on the screen.

This is how to use Riders Choice during a Zwift Group session:

  1. Join the session early

  2. As soon as you are on the road side waiting for the session to start, click on MENUE, bottom Right.

  3. Click on the "Workouts" icon, in the top right area of the Zwift panel.

  4. In the workouts panel list choose "Less than an hour to burn" 5.Depending on the training session length click on: "45min Riders Choice"

  5. Or "60min Riders Choice"

  6. When selected, click on "BACK" to go to the main menu.

  7. Then click on "BACK" again to go to the main meet up screen.

  8. Zwifts resistance will be constant and you will set your power using your gears and cadence as you would on the road.