Boost your fitness on the bike with this basic training

As a cyclist, it’s important to know that your leg muscles aren’t the only part that matters when it comes to fitness on the bike. By road cycling, your glutes, back, shoulders, arms, and neck muscles are all activated. That’s why it’s important to focus on a full-body workout. A solid base training plan is essential if you want to improve your cycling fitness and performance. Get yourself ready for the next cycling season and get those wheels turning!

You won’t build the fitness of a Tour de France rider overnight. :-) The secret of the best cyclists lies in riding tens of thousands of kilometres at a strong aerobic pace. You’ll save yourself a lot of frustration if you learn to enjoy the process of slow, steady improvement.

Strength training is part of your cycling fitness

If you want to improve your cycling fitness, the first thing that probably comes to mind is training your legs. Legs are definitely important, but don’t forget that you already get more than enough leg training while actually riding. In your preparation, it’s better to focus on full-body training instead. Try to spend only a quarter of your training time on leg strength and use the rest of the time to work on your other muscle groups.

Flexibility is important to stay healthy on and off the bike

If you really want to be fit for the cycling season, make sure to mix flexibility training into your fitness routine. Before every ride, take at least 10 minutes to stretch properly to actively support your recovery. The video below shows a comprehensive stretching routine for cycling.

Train your coordination skills

Training your coordination skills doesn’t just benefit your cycling fitness, but also your overall wellbeing and injury prevention. It helps you stay in control in the most challenging situations. Go for exercises that improve your balance and stability. You can do this in the gym or simply at home. The key is to do it consistently, so you keep improving over time.

Tip: coordination training should always be done before strength or endurance training, and after a warm-up. You can only train your coordination properly when your muscles aren’t fatigued yet.

Endurance training is the most important factor for top fitness

Don’t underestimate the importance of endurance training when preparing for the cycling season. Make sure not to overdo it at the start — no high-intensity training with unfamiliar levels of muscle strain. Instead, build up calmly in a way that matches your level. Gradually increase the intensity and volume of your training over time to see slow but steady improvement. And don’t forget to get enough rest for recovery as well.

This approach has two major advantages:

• The risk of injury is reduced because you’re not overloading your muscles.
• You keep improving, which helps you stay motivated.

Tip for beginners: you’re usually full of motivation at the start. Ready to hit the road, you begin cycling with the mindset of "the more the better." Put the brakes on that mentality to avoid overloading your back and joints. Ease into a training routine, gradually increasing the intensity and frequency of your rides. Read this in-depth blog about cycling training for beginners.

Training zones

What are training zones? Zones are used to measure training intensity based on your maximum heart rate. Zone 1 is 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. Zone 2 is 70-80%. Spend more than 80% of your total training time in zone 1 or zone 2. This helps improve your performance.

How do you know if you’re in zone 1 or 2?

Check your breathing:

•  Zone 1: when you can breathe easily. For example, if you can breathe only through your nose for 5 minutes, you’re training in zone 1.
• Zone 2: despite light to moderate effort, you can still hold a conversation with a training partner.

Zone 1 Training Information

You can significantly improve the efficiency of your cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels) by training in zone 1. This boosts fat metabolism and accelerates muscle development. Many 'energy factories' are built in the muscles, known as mitochondria. The conversion of fuel into energy takes place in the mitochondria. This allows you to significantly improve your performance.

Zone 2 Training Information

In zone 2, you work on your carbohydrate metabolism. Simply put, this means your body can convert carbohydrates into energy more easily. During more intensive training, your body will be better able to use carbohydrates from your glycogen stores as fuel. This means you should definitely replenish those stores after your training session.

How long should an endurance workout for beginners last?

Don’t forget to do at least a 10-minute warm-up before your base training, followed by a 10-minute cool-down at a relaxed pace.

• Zone 1: 60 minutes or longer, but no more than 2 hours in the first phases of training.
• Zone 2: 30-60 minutes. For slightly more experienced cyclists, no more than 90 minutes.

So: improve your fitness

If you want to ride more in the future, make sure you don’t do too much at once. Base training is an important part of cycling fitness, just like strength training. Don’t forget coordination skills and recovery. Even if you strongly believe that more is better when it comes to training, that’s definitely not the case in cycling. While riding, your muscles are stimulated, but the real improvement in performance only comes when your muscles rest afterwards.

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