- Has this month's Tour de France inspired you
to get back on your bike,
to become a little fitter, faster,
maybe even ride a little longer,
take in some more challenging terrain perhaps?
- Though maybe, like me, you've left a little bit late
to train up for that big event that is fast approaching.
- Either way, we hope this upcoming series
of training videos helps you take your cycling
to a new level.
- Now, we wouldn't normally recommend
throwing yourself in at the deep end,
but you've only got four weeks,
and you need the shock to force your body
to make the adaptations that you need.
- Here are some guidelines for you to follow each day
to help set you up for success.
(intense bass music)
- Now, before you even get started with training,
you need-- - I should--
- Yeah. - Ahh.
- Too early, mate, too early.
You need to think about setting yourself some clear goals.
So write them down and remind yourself daily
of what you're aiming towards.
- People who set goals are proven more likely
to achieve their objectives.
You should set goals
that adhere to the following principles.
They should be specific, measurable, attainable,
relevant, and time bound.
- Smart goals, nice.
- Yeah.
- Now don't get ahead of yourself.
Trust your plan, believe in it, work towards it,
adapt to any variables that come your way,
and you will get there.
- [Man] It's called hard work because it is;
if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
Let's start by addressing what is often
the most overlooked part of any training schedule; sleep.
If you're gonna be increasing your workload out on the bike,
you need to make sure you're taking care of your body
whilst off the bike.
Aim for at least 7 1/2 to 9 hours of good,
unbroken sleep each night.
It's completely natural to wake up
and feel a little bit tired,
but if that still lingers after an hour or so,
then you probably need a little bit more good quality sleep.
Once your first good night's sleep is out of the way,
there's only one way to start the day,
and that's with a good breakfast.
- Yes, because even if your training session
is later in the day,
it's important to kickstart your body
with a healthy, wholesome breakfast.
- [Man] You only need to do a quick search online
to be met with many valid reasons
why breakfast should not be overlooked.
- [Woman] Yep, and some of the top reasons include
increased productivity, both physical and mental.
- Muscle development. - Uh-huh.
Increased metabolism, and stable blood sugar levels.
- We've asked the pros what their favorite breakfasts are,
so if you're stuck for ideas,
why not have a look at that video?
Before you can even start your training program,
you need to carefully think about
how much availability that you have.
- And be realistic when calculating your availability.
There's no point in trying to do a four-hour ride
after a twelve-hour shift at work.
Firstly, you won't get any quality,
and secondly, you'll very quickly become overtired.
So on days like that,
maybe try to do a 60-minute training session
with some shorter, more intense intervals,
and save your longer rides for your days off.
- [Man] As a basic structure for your week,
I would plan two days of training,
followed by a day of rest.
Three more days of training,
followed by a second day of rest.
I think it's important in the early weeks
to have two days of rest.
(upbeat music)
Any high-level athlete will tell you success
is not an accident.
Preparation is key.
Most athletes will prepare themselves
well in advance of any session that they do.
This covers all bases,
from nutrition and hydration,
to equipment, to clothing.
Having everything laid out well in advance
is a really good habit to get into early on.
As fatigue sets in later in the schedule,
it will become harder to maintain these habits
if you haven't ingrained them in the first place.
By pre-programming yourself
to take care of these basic tasks,
you will be able to implement them with less effort
and much more effectively
than if you had to think about them
each and every single time.
It's all about being time-efficient
and maximizing the time you have available on the bike.
If it takes you an hour to get ready,
you've missed an hour you could have spent training.
That's no good, is it?
(upbeat music)
There, that's your training done.
Now let's look at your post-ride organization.
This is potentially more important
than your pre-ride ritual,
as it will kickstart your recovery
and get you ready for the next session.
More often than not, you'll come home tired from training.
It's probably best not to reach
for the first thing you see in the frig.
Instead, plan your meals in advance.
That way, you can insure you'll get the right nutrients
within the first 20 minutes of finishing your sessions,
just like this pie.
Another great tip that I like
is to leave a glass of water, or juice, at room temperature.
Not only is this a great way to rehydrate
after a training session,
the fabulousness of room temperature is also much easier
for your stomach to absorb.
It's less of a shock, and less likely to upset your system.
By now, you've almost reached the end of your training day,
but here are a few helpful tips
to help you get more from your training sessions.
Stretching is one of them.
You can start by doing some light stretching
for 10 to 15 minutes.
It will slowly help bring your heart rate down,
and with some gentle breathing exercises,
can re-kickstart your recovery after you've eaten.
I find there's a timesaving way of doing this.
You can eat, and maybe even drink a protein drink,
and stretch at the same time.
A few simple cord stretches,
or hamstring stretches,
are all that's really needed.
We've got more videos on this,
but as a basic start,
you can't go far wrong with these.
Stretching is a great way to improve your flexibility,
which in turn could potentially prevent injury,
and who wants to spend time injured?
- [Woman] Get out of your kit as soon as you can.
I mean, if you're hot and sweaty, or wet and dirty,
it is good practice to get washed and changed
as soon as you can.
Your training kit is unfortunately the perfect environment
for any bacteria to breed and run riot on your body.
The less amount of unnecessary time
you spend in it, the better,
so get your kit in the wash,
and get yourself under the shower.
You'll also feel much fresher and healthier by doing this,
which in turn will help you focus on your goals
you outlined for the full weeks.
- So there you have it, eight key pointers for you to follow
for your own personal Tour de Fitness.
- I see what you've done there; that's clever.
Tour de France, but Fitness, nice.
- Oui oui. - Nice.
Anyway, if you follow these guidelines,
in addition to your cycling schedule,
you absolutely will make improvements.
- Join me next week
when I'll be doing another one of these sessions,
taking it a little bit further next time,
and introducing some actual training that you could do.
- Yep, and if you want to see
how you could possibly train on your commute,
you could click down here
for one of my commuter sessions.
- Thumbs up!