James Lowley-Williams: We at GCN love riding bikes. I mean,
it's good for fitness and it's good for leading that healthy lifestyle we all aspire to lead.
Manon Lloyd: What are those pesky things that make our fitness nosedive?
James: It's so good. Manon: Yes. You know--
James: Manon. Manon: Well, let's get started. Shall we?
[music] Manon:
We all love a bite to eat but overeating before a ride can leave you feeling sluggish
and bloated. That's not what you want before a solid workout. Why not leave a good amount
of time between your main meal and your ride? If you love a Sunday roast, have it after your ride.
[music] James: Equally, don't under-eat.
You need that energy to ride properly and train properly too. Constant undereating will leave you
feeling fatigued and without the energy to train. It's all about balance. Fuel properly, train
properly. Making sure you get the fuel in when required is absolutely key. Well, on that note,
I need a bar. [laughs] [music]
An injury is a proper thorn in the side to anyone who's trying to gain some fitness. I mean,
trust me, we've all been there. Manon: We've been there.
Overtraining and mismanagement of recovery techniques such as stretching
and core can increase your chances of an injury. James: Yes. If you're setting out to do an ever
string or even a Mariana trenching, make sure you're in tip-top condition
before you do it because might just be one step forward and two steps back.
I think I'm feeling like the after-effects, not only just from a crash but also a
trenching. [music]
There are many reasons to feel stressed in modern-day life. We all suffer from it from
time to time. It's healthy and totally normal to have a little bit of stress.
Manon: Constant high levels of stress can be a big limiter to your fitness. It'll make it
harder to lose weight, your fatigue levels will be higher and your motivation to ride will be less.
James: If you are suffering from higher levels of stress. Use cycling as a way of relieving it.
Head out onto the open road. Use it as a bit of meditation, leave all those worries and stress
behind and use it as a relaxing technique. Manon: Put some time aside to work on
your mental state. Your mind needs just as much recovery as your legs.
James: I do love getting out into the fresh air. Nice, relaxing.
[music] Manon:
Getting sick can cause a drop in fitness too. There is nothing worse
than being stuck in bed ill when you just want to be out on your bike. Especially during high
training blocks when your body's under a lot of stress, your immune system is very fragile.
James: Yes. If you feel yourself getting sick, make sure you rest, rest, rest.
Manon: Okay, I get it so rest. James: That's exactly right. Yes,
you've just got to rest. The last thing you want to do though is train through sickness. Make
sure you give enough time to get away from that illness period before you get back on the bike.
Otherwise, you'll have to spend more time recovering and less time riding your bike.
Manon: Don't rush it. Take as much time as you need to get over your illness. Don't worry,
your fitness will soon bounce back. James: Yes, so don't stress. I think
that's the big thing, isn't it? Manon: Yes. Just relax. It's
going to be okay. [music]
Manon: I think we're all guilty of this one. James: Actually, Manon, my body is a temple.
I don't know what you're talking about. Manon: Yes, okay Hank. Alcohol sadly is
a disaster for your fitness especially when you end up on a night out and end up missing a load
asleep and in no state to train the next day. Some people can do it, but they're just a rare breed.
James: Yes. I'm definitely not one of those rare breed. If you're going to drink,
do it in moderation. Maybe swap out the pint for a half pint and drink responsibly too.
Maybe one unit of alcohol isn't going to do much. I mean, some people say it's healthy
but you be the judge of that. A whole load of jägermeister, vodka tonic gin and tonics,
and a crate of beer though, probably isn't going to help you smash your PBS.
I guess someone else will have something to say about that in the comments, won't they?
Manon: Dan Lloyd. James: Dan Lloyd.
[music] Manon:
We all work hard to gain fitness. Working hard up the climbs, getting those interval sessions done,
repeating session after session. Right, another interval.
James: Manon, that was pretty quick. Training hard every single day won't actually gain you
a lot of fitness. You also want to focus on your recovery, your rest so all that hard training can
soak into the legs and you can gain higher levels of fitness. On that note, we've been using whoop
to track our recovery so we know just how much recovery we need to be at tip-top condition.
On that note, I've got 30 minutes left of recovery. if you need me, this is where I'll be.
Manon: Right. I think I deserve a rest day after those intervals. Seriously guys,
don't neglect the rest days. Take an easy day or a day off every so often because you will
get fitter and stronger for it. This just isn't the place to take your recovery. Come on, Hank,
let's get back and recover properly. James: Yes. To be honest Manon,
this isn't the comfiest. Manon: It doesn't look very comfy.
James: I]t's no armchair. Manon: I'll tow you home.
James: All right. I need that recovery. [music]
James: It's easy to focus on your body and push yourself to the limits in a bid to gain
better fitness, but mistreat your bike and your bike is going to mistreat you. Hey Manon.
Manon: Yes. Fail to take proper care of your equipment and your fitness will potentially
plummet too. Mechanicals in the middle of a training block or worse a mechanical that
can cause a crash and lead to injury can take a massive hit to your fitness. Take care of your
bike and it'll take care of you. Before every ride, give your bike a once-over. Check the
gears are working, the brakes, and make sure your tires are pumped up to avoid any mishaps out on
the road. Every now and again, give your bike a good clean because a clean bike is a happy bike.
[music] James:
Poor amount of sleep isn't going to help you once you're out on the bike but consistently
poor amounts of sleep will impact your energy levels thus make it hard to get up
and train to improve your fitness. What you could do is track the amount of sleep you get.
Maybe you write a diary, work out when you go to bed and when you wake up, and accumulate that
amount of hours of sleep needed. On that note. I don't normally sleep in lycra but
I might make an exception. [music]
James: That is our list of things that will ruin your beloved fitness.
Manon: If we've missed any, leave them in the comments section below.
James: Why is that? Manon: So we can avoid them obviously.
James: Right where you go with it. Guys, I hope you enjoyed this video. If you have then what do
you do? Give it a big thumbs up. Manon: Thumbs up.
James: See you next video. Manon: Bye.
James: [singing] [00:07:50] [END OF AUDIO]