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Cycling Training Tips

winter training

Inspiration for Your Winter Training

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MTB is a great alternative for regular road training when is cold.

Now it’s time to begin your winter training if you are a serious cyclist and live on the Northern Hemisphere. There are several old posts here on Training4cyclists that can be relevant for you when you plan your winter training:

Off-Season Cycling Tips – It’s off season, so read this post before you start to plan your next season.

Winter Cycling Tips – Here are some winter cycling tips that optimize the success rate of your winter cycling program.

12 Week Cycling Winter Training Program – Here is an excellent winter training program that can be used for inspiration to develop a solid performance.

Weight lifting is a controversial topic for cyclists. Here is a post about weight lifting for cyclists and one about why squat is the king in weight lifting.

Despite global warming, it’s very unlikely that you can go through this winter without doing indoor cycling. Here are som tips on how to achieve better results with spinning.

Winter Cycling Tips

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Ready for winter cycling training?
Cycling in the winter time is not always the funniest thing in the World. Nevertheless, serious cyclists need to train in that period too, and my experience is that it is a good idea to follow a structured training program. Here a some tips for the winter cycling period that hopefully will make you more successful.

1. Before Winter Cycling: Set a goal

I use the off-season to set new goals for the upcoming season. When you have something to look forward to, there is so much more motivation on the days when cycling is not the most attractive thing to do (rain, snow, wind etc.)

There is a more comprehensive article about off-season cycling tips, where you can get more information about what you should do before the winter season starts.

2. Justify program to weather forecast

Serious cycling training is so much about planning. In the winter season, one of the most annoying things to experience as a cyclist is when bad weather makes it impossible to train.

I strongly recommend the riders I make training programs for to justify their programs to the weather forecast. Thus, if you know there is going to be heavy rain on Sunday, then take your long ride earlier in the week instead of risking a cancellation. It is amazing to see how uncomfortable cyclists can look, when they either have to train a long ride in heavy rain or reduce/cancel their scheduled training session.

My point is that if you want to optimize the success rate of your winter cycling program, being aware of the weather situation is a very good place to start.

Here you can get some inspiration for your winter training program.

12 Week Cycling Winter Training Program

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12-Week Winter Training Program - 2012 edition

What does winter mean to you as a serious cyclist? Curling up on the couch to watch TV? Hibernating until the season springs into life again?

Or do you view it as the perfect platform to start preparing for next season?

Yes, winter is the time to enjoy a break, have fun and allow your body to recover from the rigours of racing. But the off season should not mean the “switch-off” season.

If you are serious about improving your abilities on the bike, winter is the BEST time of year to steal a march on your competitors.

Don’t Wait Any Longer: Grab Your Copy NOW!

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Just imagine starting next season faster, fitter and stronger than your rivals?

But just how can you make the most of those cold, frosty months? Well, an exciting new e-book will show you the way.

The 12-Week Winter Training Program is the perfect winter warmer. It reveals how you can use your time most effectively during the off season and includes an exclusive training program that will get you up to speed so you start next season in perfect mental and physical shape.

Before You Download The Winter Training Program

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The winter training program is soon ready for download. I know it is a little late, but before I publish it, I would like you to consider the following aspects about your winter training. This will help you to understand how important it is to customize the upcoming winter training program. It also explains why it is impossible to make general training programs that suit everybody.

The winter training program is supposed to be 100% ready to use and I think it is a great option for serious cyclists who haven’t got a personal coach. But to get the best out of the program, I will strongly recommend that you customize it to your personal fit. Therefore, if you consider downloading a free winter training program here on Training4cyclists.com, you shall have an opinion on the following aspects to get the best out of the program:

Planning: Which days are your favourite days for long training sessions? By default I have chosen Sunday to be the day with the longest rides, but that is not sure that is your No. 1 choice.

Strength Training: Is it possible for you to visit a gym regularly? Does your gym have the necessary facilities for strength training with free weights? Does your gym have an instructor who can help you with the technical part of e.g. squat or do you already have a huge experience with all the exercises? Are there exercises that for some reasons should be exchanged with other exercises?

Bike Training: Will you ride alone, in a group or a combination? How will you plan the prescribed intervals so you can both have fun with your friends and still follow the training protocol?

Monitoring: Heart rate monitors watches and regular cycle computers are affordable for all cyclists. Power meters are expensive, but can be extremely valuable for ambitious cyclists. You probably already use either a heart rate monitor or power meter, so it is naturally to bring these tools into consideration when you plan your winter training.

Physical tests: Tracking your progress through physical tests is an essential part of a serious training program. Tests are not supposed to be really expensive with blood samples, power output, heart rate data and oxygen consumption, but can be as simple as a time trial on standardized circumstances using a stop watch (e.g. indoor cycling or outdoor hill climb). Test results shall be used to track progress and to modify the training program.