Turbo trainers or indoor trainers are a great way of getting in quality training
sessions in and around your other daily commitments and they can be especially
useful when it's cold, wet or dark outside. However some people struggle
with motivation. So here are our top 5 turbo trainer mistakes to avoid in order
to get the most out of your indoor training sessions
Make it count... don't just jump on the turbo without a plan. Structure your workouts and plan
them in advance either by using a specific training video or training
resource or plan on doing some specific intervals that will work towards your
end goal whatever it may be. A smart trainer such as this BKool can be
really useful in helping you structure your workouts because you can put in a
pre-designed session and then the trainer will adjust the resistance
automatically depending on the interval that you have
Number 2: Don't upset the neighbours. Now turbo trainers can be noisy and chances
are the people in the flat downstairs aren't getting as much out of the
session as you are. Well, they might be if they're weird, but anyway…
Older trainers tend to be noisier but there are plenty of quieter options available such as
this BKool Smart Pro 2 which only creates 68 decibels at 35kph
making it pretty quiet. To put that into context the typical conversation is
around 40 to 80 decibels. And having a quieter trainer also means that you can
hear music and other entertainment more easily too
Number 3, getting bored… Don't dismiss turbo training as boring. It kind of used to be but now it really
isn't and needn't not be. The invention of smart trainers has made indoor
training far more stimulating, sociable and competitive. Now smart trainers work
by connecting to either your computer, smartphone or tablet and enable you to
do interactive workouts. You can do things like transfer your club
chain-gang indoors or race in genuinely exciting competitive races or simply
just find other people to ride with. If you're in the market for a new turbo
then we would thoroughly recommend that you go for a smart one. They need not
break the bank, they are more expensive than a basic turbo and top-spec units
can be around a £1000 but this BKool Smart Pro 2 is £499 and the
BKool Go is £349 and both of these will allow you to access BKool's
own simulator app and create your own routes in a virtual world as well as apps like Zwift
Number 4: Don't go eyeballs out all the time. Turbo training by its very nature is short and sharp and the
temptation is always there to jump on and make every single session an hour of
pure pain as you wind the affort up to maximum and hold it there. However a
couple of high-intensity sessions is all that's needed to improve most cyclists
and if you're planning on doing four or five turbo sessions a week then a good
rule of thumb is to make half of them easier zone two efforts, which equates to
roughly three or four on a scale of one to ten or 65% of your max heart rate.
And finally, number 5: Not using a fan. Now in kitting out your indoor pain
cave a fan like this is an essential piece of equipment because when you're
inside you don't have the airflow you experience on the road constantly
cooling you down and as a result indoor training can get very hot and sweaty and
overheating is often the reason why FTP test results are lower indoors than they
are outdoors. A fan will help keep you cool and help stop your heart rate
drifting. And while you're at it also make sure that you've got a towel and a
water bottle too as these will all enhance your indoor training experience
So there you have it, there are top 5 turbo training mistakes but let us know what
yours are in the comment section below and to see more videos like this simply
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