New Bike out of Question

[Innkeeper]

Hi thanks for all the replies to my other post.
Not working a the moment due to lock down. So want be spending any cash for a while. But any way today's question?
So fitness has a lot to do with my cycling. So getting fit given bike I have will have todo so.
How do you people get/stay fit. Get on your bike and push it as fast and hard as you can every day.
Or easy days hard days rest day. Ever just cycle for the view of scenery ?
Mean for now what would be a good training program. Bearing in mind my level of fitness (not fit) and the current situation.

 

[Mickthemove]

Just ride and enjoy, wear a heart monitor and try and raise your heartbeat to 25-30% more than your resting and ride until you feel you have had enough.... if you really want to push yourself, do 10 minutes of easy soft pedalling and the 2 or 3 minutes of everything you have got (or go up a hill), repeat until bored or not enjoying it but always know your own limits and work within them

 

[Innkeeper]

Heart rate goes up 20 30% just looking at my bike? but will carry on. Would be nice just to get fitter. I can see am getting better even just looking at app's on my phone.

 

[MattR]

Just ride and enjoy, wear a heart monitor and try and raise your heartbeat to 25-30% more than your resting and ride until you feel you have had enough.... if you really want to push yourself, do 10 minutes of easy soft pedalling and the 2 or 3 minutes of everything you have got (or go up a hill), repeat until bored or not enjoying it but always know your own limits and work within them

I'd agree but not that intensity for the HIT, especially when starting out - 2 or 3 mins of everything could be too intense. Would 20 seconds and 2 mins recovery be safer to start with?

A heart rate monitor is very useful.

 

[Landy Andy]

For fitness try cycling along, pic a point, lamp post, bench or similar, and go flat out till you get to it, then return to the previous speed. Keep doing it as you cycle. It’s the same method that we use in running.

If you are interested I have a Garmin Fenix watch which will take your heart rate via your wrist, as apposed to chest strap, and it will also log all your cycling info including plotting it on maps, where you can overlay details of heart rate and other info. Let me know if interested.

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[Kannon Fodda]

Baby steps dependent on your current level of (un)fitness. If current guidance suggests we need 3 - 4 periods of around 30 minutes cardio type exercise a week, then to start with, forget about intensity, interval periods, or whatever, simply set yourself a goal of how far you think you can go on moderate terrain, for that period. Do it a few times with a rest day between when you try and simply do a few gentle stretches. As it gets a bit easier increase the distance for the same time period. Once you are getting a bit more comfortable try a more challenging (hilly) route. At that point you'll be happier with both duration, and you'll be a bit faster. Now you can start to think about varying your speed with higher intensity intervals.

But do watch that heart rate as your best guide to stamina and thus fitness. There are a number of online guides as to what is sensible.

Caveat - I'm not a fitness instructor (and if you saw me you'd know that)

 

[Puddleduck]

I always ride to enjoy the scenery

I'm looking forward to being able to get out in the kayak again.

 

[Jev88]

Think of it like "steps". The more steps (or miles on a bike) the better, within reason. I find a cycle round the local fields far less mentally challenging than a walk. But then we are lucky to live on the edge of Peterborough with absolutely loads of cyclepaths and walkways away from traffic and 10 minute cycle to fields (near where MH is kept).

 

[Puddleduck]

Even going out on my bike is not possible at the moment and I am looking forward to being able to leave the house / garden. I'll be really unfit by the time that happens though.

 

[lorger]

Not a cyclist although I did 15 miles the other day, I'm a runner/plodder but I'm sure the principle is the same.

You need to get fit before you start anything to strenuous, I'll give a running example which you could do similar for cycling.

For the first 3 or 4 weeks depending on your fitness cycle for a set time not a set distance, for instance I'd get someone to run for say 20mins and do this for a few weeks. The reason for a time rather distance is because you'll get fitter with each week so if you cycle/run for 5 miles after 4 week you might be doing 5 mins less exercise, if you go by time you'll be getting further.

After you've got your self fit enough to start training then do something different once/twice a week, again with running when training for a race I'll do a speed session once a week and a hill session once a week.
Speed session is run 1/2 mile as fast as i can then 1/2 mile jog and do this 5 times working up to 10 times, hill session find either a long hill or short steep hill and same again sprint up it and jog back down start with 5 and work up to 10.

Then you have your long run/cycle where you go slower than your normal speed but longer/further, mixing it up with make you fitter and stronger doing the same all the time will get you fit but your body will get used to it so best to mix it up.

I'm currently still working back to fitness after a new hip last year and my daughter is is wanting to use the lock down to do a couch to 10K, i've only got her going out for 20mins when we started a couple of weeks ago she was managing less than 2 miles, we're still doing 20 mins and she's now up to 2.15 miles. We will start training after another week once she's fit enough to train.

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[Innkeeper]

Here's a screenshot of Strava so you get an idea of my fitness.

Will say I think I could of pushed it harder in places. Also didn't feel to bad when I got back. That was from today.

 

[9526]

We tend to cycle for enjoyment, and the fitness is a “free” advantage.

With that approach, you don’t feel like your doing a workout, but taking part in a leisure activity. (I hate repetitive training like the gym, which bores me to tears)

Mix up your routes, to keep the interest levels up, slowly build up the distances/terrain and you’ll quickly see the benefits (what seems like hard work now will be a breeze in a few weeks). Keep an eye on the calories burnt and see them as fat burnt (some pedants would say it’s more complex, but imagine 3500 cals as approx equivalent to a pound of lard).

Stick to a decent calorie intake and slowly increase the calorie burn and you’ll lose weight and feel better.

You’ll be helping the NHS in the process

 

[Pappy]

Ride and enjoy it. Fitness will come naturally. Wear cycling shorts. To begin with you need to toughen up your arse more than your legs so cycling shorts help a lot.

 

[bigwood]

I used to cycle a lot during my school days and later hiring bikes with the kids. Due to management regarding bikes as instruments of torture we gave up with bikes.

 

[bigtree]

This is my longest ride I have done since getting back on my bike this year, been alternating with a short run then long run. Did my short run yesterday and thinking I will do another tomorrow . This is a snapshot of the ride which I did on the 8th.

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