[background music] Manon Lloyd: We live in a society
built around instant gratification; same-day delivery, films on-demand, digital photos,
social media, 24/7 live news. You'll be forgiven for assuming that everything happens immediately,
but some things still require good old-fashioned hard work and dedication,
like getting fit. There's no real substitute for working hard and putting the hours in.
However, there are plenty of things you can do to get fit quicker. Not like that, guys. Anyway,
before I help you get fit quick, let's take a quick poll. Do you struggle putting the time in
for training, or do you relish the challenged and get stuck in? Let us know over on the app.
I've lost count the amounts of times I've started the week with I'm going to train every day and
eat really healthy only to get three days in and to be sat on the sofa with a massive bar
of chocolate when I should be out training. You're going to make life so much easier for yourself if
you stick to your plan. Why not write yourself a week-by-week training plan so you know what
you're doing each day, but be realistic. Don't set yourself a long-distance training right after
a full day at work and be out until 10:00 PM. Why not opt for a short sharp turbo session or a
Zwift race, and get some good quality efforts in. Once you pass the first two weeks, it'll be part
of your routine and you'll be more likely to stick to it. I know some of you might have really busy
lifestyles and schedules and not so much time to train, but it's always better to do something than
nothing. If you really don't feel like doing your training, and you feel ill for example,
rest up. Listen to your body when it needs rest. Equally, you don't need to
train every day. Why not try two or three days of training, then a rest day, and then repeat.
Why not set yourself some little goals. They say that people that set themselves goals are more
likely to achieve their objectives. This could be entering your first Sportif, your first race,
or just a personal goal like doing a training ride in X amount of time.
Now for the fun part, the sessions that are going to make you fit. First, you want to
consider what you want to get fit for. Do you want to get fit to be a truck sprinter? If so,
hit the gym and lift some weights, but if you want to get fit just for your general riding then here
are some sessions you might want to consider. It's good to have a different mix of sessions in
your schedule, so some longer rides and some short intense rides. We'd always recommend doing a good
10 to 15 minute progressive warm-up before each ride. This is going to give you a good
indicator of how the session might go. Also, I recommend doing a 10-minute spin down after.
This is really going to help your legs feel a little bit better the next day. Like me,
you might have a stressful job, and yes, working at GCN can be stressful sometimes and long hours.
After work, you might not think you have enough time, you don't think it's worth getting on the
bike for 20, 30, or 40 minutes but you can get a really good session done in that amount of time.
Why not try a quick 10-minute warm-up then go in to your main set which is 30 seconds
flat out effort, 30 seconds rest. Repeat that six times then you can have a nice three-minute
rest and repeat the main set again. This is a short but effective session that might make
you feel a little bit queasy. You could also try 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off, if you find
the 30 seconds on is a little bit too much. If you can, why not get out for some long
rides on the weekend. This is going to give you a really nice basic to your fitness.
Why not spice it up by throwing in some efforts on your long rides. This way, you're going to get the
most out of your session and it's going to make the hours fly by. Well, I find it does. Anyway,
you could include 10 to 20-minute blocks in zone 3 if you have power or heart rate, or 8 out of 10
effort. Another way to get fit quick is by riding with people fitter and quicker than you.
I can tell you from experience, it's not very pleasant but it is effective. You will suffer
hanging onto those wheels but you will get fitter. If you are struggling for a workout to do,
we have loads on the channel. From Walmart videos to short sharp sessions, to what
kind of sessions you should do when you're out on the road. Be sure to check them out.
Remember everybody reacts differently to different sort of sessions. You might find that some
sessions might be really effective and some may not be so effective. As long as you're riding
your bike, you're heading in the right direction. What won't get you fit quick is riding lots of
easy miles. You may think that jumping on your bike and riding further will get you naturally
fit, but it's not as effective as the structure I've just chatted about. If you're doing things
like commuting, try and build a structure around that ride so you're making most out of
every minute on the bike. Thank you for watching everybody. I hope this video has given you some
tips on how to get fit quick. If you have any of your own tips please feel free to leave them in
the comment section below. Happy riding. [00:05:00] [END OF AUDIO]