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Stages In Cycling Training

Any sports activity constitutes a systematic training for the participant to develop body strength, endurance and skill to maximize his capability for winning the competition.  A cyclist can understand the principles of training and follow the below mentioned guidelines to succeed in this activity.

Many factors go into the structuring of systematic training for cyclists during off-season and in-season periods. Base training is the fundamental process of creating endurance in the cyclist for further strenuous training sessions. Preliminary competition training is the intermediate stage that increases the intensity to a considerable level.

Late competition training is the final tempo workout interspersed with recovery sessions that develops maximum capacity in the cyclist to face the competition.  When the races are over, the cyclist undergoes the fourth phase which consists of recovery sessions. Here he is expected to practice short and light riding schedules along with stretching and weight training program.

The body constitution of the cyclists varies according to food habits and genetic factors. So the same lengths of schedules cannot be prescribed generally for all the cyclists. The cyclist should take guidelines and plan layout from his instructor before adhering to the scheme. Base training is the first step taken up by the cyclist and it consists of high volume and high frequency of cycling. During this training, the intensity is kept at lower level so as to prevent injuries to the tendons.

Easy rides for long distances should be combined with cross training like running or swimming mainly forms the structure of base training. The cyclist should never overexert or intensify to cover the distance in a short time. Knowing his maximum heart rate, the participant should ride to the extent of reaching around 60% of his maximum heart rate. He should ride on a lower gear with a rhythmic 110 rpm covering uphill and downhill terrains.

By this, he overcomes the difficulty of bike handling. Training with light weights, stretching and circuit training should be mixed proportionately with the base training program to achieve astounding results. He should keep his cycling frequency to the optimum level to maintain the muscle tone.

By base training, the cyclist’s aerobic capacity increases to a large extent meaning that his lungs take in more oxygen for the blood to carry to all the muscles of the body. Excess fat in the body is utilized for conversion into energy. The posture, the form and the technique of the practitioner improve to a great extent. He develops a strong muscular endurance by base training. His cardiovascular system is brought to a higher fitness level and lactate threshold is increased. By systematic training, the cyclist develops great potential for competing in the races.

Written by Sam · Filed Under Plans