Best use of Available Time

[TimB]

My cycling has really gone to pot over the last 2-3 years, as my time available to ride has dwindled. I currently am able to get out on the road only 2 -3 times per week for maybe two hours at a time; occasionally I can do one longer ride on a weekend, but nothing over about 60 miles.

I'm also going to a gym nearly every morning - one nearby opens at 5:30am, but that leaves me only 35 minutes or so to exercise, since I have to get ready and leave by about 6:20am to drive the 35 miles to be at work by 7:00am. What's my best use of those 35 minutes? The last several months I've been doing weights twice a week (relatively low weights with high reps) and then using a stationary bike the other three days. I've been doing this with more or less no thought as to whether it's the best use of my available time.

I don't race, have no real intent of ever doing so. At this point, with my daughter just under 2, I'm not going to have a huge increase in riding time any time soon, and my primary goal is simply to be as fit as possible (not necessarily limited to cycling) given the time constraints.

Opinions? Comments?

[coylifut]

One of the best Tri guys I know (who's also a physical therapist and personal trainer) told me that any minute past 45 spent in the gym is a wasted minute. He designed a program for me that looks much like Friel's anatomical adaptation phase. The difference is there is no rest between exercises, but the exercises alternate muscle groups. If you want me to post the program, I'm happy to do so. Each circuit takes about 12 minutes. You could do two circuits and about 10 minutes of core work. I'd do it 3 days a week and ride indoor 2 days. That, with your other cycling would be a good use of time.

[scottcw]

If you want me to post the program, I'm happy to do so.

Please.

[coylifut]

Hack squats, Seated rows, Leg press, Bench press, Hamstring Curls, Upright rows, Leg extensions, Calve raises, Straight legged dead lifts. 15 -20 reps, 3 circuits plus the core work puts it about 45 minutes.

When pressed for time I use machines, when not, I use the Swiss ball when doing the bench press and free weights for the other exercises. I do a separate core program that takes about 10 minutes. The whole program takes about 45 minutes.

When cross ends, I switch to a different-power oriented program.

[TimB]

Thanks, Coylifut.

Your routine is similar to other circuit-training programs I've found over the last couple days searching the web since I've started to question my no-thought approach to training.

And therein lies another issue I've been having - motivation. It's hard to continue every day without some sort of focus or goal in mind. I guess that's one reason I seem to prefer my weight-lifting days to the stationary bike days. It's so much easier to quantify progress with the weights; an obvious goal is simply to be able to life MORE.

I'm going to give your cicuit a try - with free weights it's always a bit more time-consuming, but I think they offer benefits over machines since using them often involves auxillary muscles - for balance, etc.

[Lost Weekend]

Your schedule sounds alot like mine. I try and hit the weights 2-3 time/week for no more then an hour per session. I only ride on the weekends and in the winter months that gets cut down to about nil. In a way, I like the fact that I don't ever really get burnt out, and am always fresh come spring time. I do get some good weekend skiing in which is a great leg workout.
I don't think you need extreme amounts of riding or any exercise for that matter to stay in decent shape. I believe alot of it has to do with your diet, and keeping the excess poundage off. I did the cycle oregon last year with only 300 miles in my legs and didn't have a problem at all- although I actually put on a few pounds by the end of the week long ride. Too much chair time at the beer gardens I suppose.
Looks to me like your using your time just fine. Steady and constant is the key, along with a good mental outlook. Keeping an eye on your 2 year old is probably a good workout in its self!!!!

[Ken Lehner]

What's your definition of "as fit as possible"? Not trying to be flippant, but without knowing what you would consider to be success, we can't really give you advice.

[TimB]

Ken,

I've been struggling somewhat with this exact question. My best answer to date : I don't want to get fat, and when I DO get to ride, I'd like not to be embarrassingly slow. (I know it's all relative.)

Another salient point - heart disease is rampant in my family, so I guess from some standpoint whatever exercise I do should maximize my benefit in my fight against that.

TB

[Ken Lehner]

Ken,

I've been struggling somewhat with this exact question. My best answer to date : I don't want to get fat, and when I DO get to ride, I'd like not to be embarrassingly slow. (I know it's all relative.)

Another salient point - heart disease is rampant in my family, so I guess from some standpoint whatever exercise I do should maximize my benefit in my fight against that.

TB

I'd suggest that doing weights will do nothing to further the goals you mention above. To avoid getting fat, burn as many calories as you can (like aerobic exercise) in the time available, and watch your diet. Running and biking fit the bill. To avoid being embarrassingly slow on the bike, do as much riding as you can near your functional threshold (the power you can hold for about an hour); the (in)famous 2x20minute ride is the archetype.

For the heart disease, watch your diet, avoid harmful stress, exercise as much as you have time for, and get regular checkups. But hey, I'm not a doctor.

[dgauthier]

the (in)famous 2x20minute ride is the archetype.


Would you explain the (in)famous 2x20minute ride, please?

[Ken Lehner]

Would you explain the (in)famous 2x20minute ride, please?

Sure. It's merely riding two twenty minute intervals at the power you can maintain for an all-out hour effort, with only a minute or two in between at most (enough time to turn around and catch a drink, or towel off). Nothing more than a brief mental break. This meets a requirement of doing a workout that contains between 30 and 60 minutes at this level (level 4), with intervals between 15 and 30 minutes each. The idea is to do this twice a week for about 10 weeks, increasing the wattage by 5W every other week. Start at 250W, and in 10 weeks you'll be putting out a maintainable 275W (a 10% gain). They are pretty hard. Not many people are used to doing that much TT-level riding without a break.

My winter training plan (for triathlons) is to do "fun" bike riding through October, during which I have weekly cross-country running races. I'll do a 10 week period of 2x20s into January (while doing longer runs and longer swimming sessions), take a two week break, and then another 8-10 weeks of 2x20s with some harder bike rides. Then it's race time!

[coylifut]

I'd suggest that doing weights will do nothing to further the goals you mention above. Originally Posted by Ken Lehner


Are you generally against weight training or just for TimB's situation?

[Ken Lehner]

Originally Posted by Ken Lehner


Are you generally against weight training or just for TimB's situation?

For purposes of road cycling (including triathlons and duathlons), I'm generally against weight training. Specifically for TimB's situation, it just doesn't seem to apply.

[TimB]

Ken,

I guess you've hit upon the real basis of my question - whether weight training is a worthwhile expediture of my rather limited time to exercise. I must admit to actually enjoying it - unlike many/most others here it seems. I'd begun to wonder lately, though, if my time could be better spent. I'd even given some thought to starting to run as it seems a more efficient use of time than cycling. I'll probably continue to lift some - as a means to keep the stationary cycling from becoming too monotonous. But perhaps running is also in my future. If I could just get started...

But, as always, the most important exercise is that push away from the table! Why is that always so difficult?

Thanks much to everyone for their thoughts - it's really encouraged me to think more about what types of goals I ought to set.

TB

[coylifut]

originally posted by Ken Lehner
For purposes of road cycling (including triathlons and duathlons), I'm generally against weight training. Specifically for TimB's situation, it just doesn't seem to apply.


I'm always interested in the opposing view and I've often wondered if my weight training really helps my cycling. I "feel" like it does. If anything it offers off-season variety and is done when it's too dark and damp to pedal out of doors. Coaches such as Rick Stern believe weight training gives no performance advantage to the endurance athlete at all. Conversly, coaches such as Carmichael, Friel, the Wenzels and others strongly advocate weight training. I particularly like the string of articles published last year on cyclingnews.com about winter training. If anyone wants em, I'll post the link. The most successful tour rider of all time spends some of the off-season in the weight room. Why?

I have a copy of Jonathan Vaughter's article in Cycle Sport (March 2002). It has pictures of of Boardman, Hincape and Simoni weight training. In the article, Vaughters says, "...the reason why I lift weights is that cycling isn't really an endurance sport." He goes on to say "...cycling races are really a series of short anarobic efforts followed by short perionds of recovery and nothing at all like a marathon. Despite most races looking quite endurance like, these events are usually won and lost in bursts of under five minutes..." We all know what that's like. If you cant match the acceleration over a climb or in a cross wind...you don't make the jump, the group splits and your day is done.

Like TerrB, I want to use my training time as efficiently as possible. So, If weight training isn't useful, I'd like to why so I can spend my time on something more beneficial.

[Lost Weekend]

TimB, You have found the secret to any good form of exercise-enjoyment of the actiity. If you have found somthing that you really enjoy, I say stick with it. I think lifting will not only help on the bike, it helps with every day life- and is a real benefit the older you get in my opinion.
Lift twice /week run twice/week sneak a ride in when ever you can
No worries!!!! :beer:

[Zoomie80]

Coylifut....what do yo udo for your 10-minute core program?

[bigwheel]

Here's what to do.
Invest in some lights (light and motion, niterider), wake up at 5:30 and ride the 35 miles to work and back home after work. I'm a teacher and have about 4 sets of clothes in a locker room complete with a shower. I usually want to get to work asap, so I ride directly there in the morning. After work I will ride anywhere from 15 to 35 miles on the way home, depending how much time I have. If you did that 2 or 3 days a week the mileage will pile up.

On the mornings when its raining or when I need a break, I do the exercises in the book core performance by Mark verstegen. Excellent training for overall fitness, flexibility and functional strength and balance. I am 33, totally ripped (still waiting for the phone call from Men's Health) and in good shape and I have 4 kids from age 2-13. I'm a busy guy, but that is the way I sneak my mileage and exercising in. If I didn't do all of this I'd be a fat, miserable, insane load like all the other people I work with.

Good luck

[toaster]

Tim,

Fitness includes cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, agility, bone density, joint function and strength, and body composition. That's just physiological, and I think you should factor in mental well-being and a properly working immune system, too.

So, if you want to know these things, first see your doctor for a physical and blood panel. Next, go to a well-qualified physical trainer or therapist and get checked for function and flexibility. Have your posture evaluated, maybe by a good chiropractor or the physical therapist. Practice recovery and relaxation and get your 8 hours of sleep!

Get your weight, height, and bodyfat recorded and see where you are in terms of where you would like to be given that you ride a bicycle and don't want to be overweight or overly muscled.

As far as basic guidelines, you might consider your cardio fitness to be addressed with a minimum of 3-5 days a week for 20-60 minutes at an intensity of 55-65% of max. H.R. and for your resistance training you should be gettting 2-3 days a week of at least 1 set of 8-10 exercises at 8-12 reps.
Stretching needs to be included and this may be done 2-3 times per week for all the major muscle groups.

Anything less than that will not really make you fit and anything more means you are basically an athlete.

Which do you want to be?