Gym During the Winter

by | Nov 25, 2019 | Technique

Today we talk about how to tackle the gym and the bike in November and December.

In this period the recovery gym is considered by many an important phase because we are going to work on some muscles (especially the legs) that normally for the rest of the year are involved only in pedalling and now with the exercises in the gym we will stimulate them in a different way.

Other muscles such as the upper body (arms and chest) during the cycling season we use them but they are not particularly stimulated, only with the gym we will be able to give them some tone.

Others, on the other hand, don’t really consider the gym, for example, I myself hadn’t done it for a year (it was 2008) in November/December.

I preferred to do a whole month just with fixed-motion bikes.

I started using the racing bike after Christmas. It was a good choice because thanks to the fixed click (I had a 39X16 but I don’t remember exactly…) the result was a good agility and an excellent pedal stroke. I also had a good “strength” by inserting rips.

Was it wrong to skip the gym that winter?

I don’t know, but I felt like trying to follow that line that winter and that rewarded me.
Good advice from people who followed me even when I was a Junior.
Winning Amstel Gold Race at the beginning of the year and Giro di Lombardia at the end of the year.

So as you can see in “Preparation Time” there’s a bit of everything. It’s up to us to have clear ideas about what we want to do and how to work. As long as it is done with determination, with few uncertainties in order to obtain the result we have set ourselves.

To tidy things up a bit, I think the right thing to do (without creating confusion) is to alternate gym and bike.

I’ve been doing it for many seasons too.

In the long run it’s the best thing because you give your whole body a chance to work and tone up.
And if you can’t stand the gym, hold on, it’s just a short period!
Then you have another ten months to pedal as hard as I can.
The bike must be “regenerative” in function of the gym and help you dispose of the exercises you do on the machines.

Exits that favour agility and rides on the flat!

Once you arrive at the end of December, reduce the intensity in the gym to start the real specific preparation on the bike.
With the classic jobs that you know well!

 

 

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