{"id":56004,"date":"2023-11-04T10:00:48","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T09:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=752629"},"modified":"2023-11-04T11:46:11","modified_gmt":"2023-11-04T10:46:11","slug":"8-ways-indoor-training-will-make-you-a-better-rider-in-2024-whatever-your-goals","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/8-ways-indoor-training-will-make-you-a-better-rider-in-2024-whatever-your-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"8 ways indoor training will make you a better rider in 2024, whatever your goals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Supplement your outdoor riding with targeted indoor sessions to improve your fitness <\/p>

By Paul Norman\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 04 November 2023 at 09:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

While indoor training used to be the preserve of dedicated racers looking to maintain fitness through winter, the latest advances in tech have made indoor cycling more appealing \u2013 and more beneficial \u2013 to a wider range of riders than ever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of your goals in 2024, indoor training can benefit your cycling performance, particularly over the winter, when opportunities to ride may be limited by the weather and lack of daylight hours.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are eight ways in which a structured programme of <\/span>indoor training<\/span><\/a> can supplement your outdoor riding, helping you to become a better rider and achieve your cycling objectives for the coming year.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can also learn more about how to use indoor cycling to help you train effectively in our <\/span>BikeRadar Podcast<\/span><\/a> series with Wahoo\u2019s Mac Cassin.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Get structured<\/h2>\n
\"Wahoo\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Structured training can help you make targeted gains in your fitness.<\/span><\/figcaption> Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

When <\/span>riding outdoors<\/span><\/a>, it\u2019s easy to get into a routine of similar-length rides with comparable effort levels over many of the same roads or trails.<\/span><\/p>\n

Riding at similar intensity isn\u2019t the best way to work on your winter fitness though and is most likely to result in you reaching a plateau that\u2019s below your optimum capacity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to have intent and purpose to your training,\u201d says Mac Cassin, principal sports scientist at Wahoo. \u201cIf your goal is to improve, sometimes you\u2019ll need to do stuff that you don\u2019t want to do. It\u2019s about having a clear plan and <\/span>periodisation to your riding<\/span><\/a>, having something you\u2019re working towards, maximising the use of your time available and hitting specific targets.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A more structured training routine, which mixes steady recovery rides with higher-intensity efforts<\/a>, has been shown to result in quicker adaptations, which result in increased exercise capacity. It\u2019s also important to plan in recovery time, to help your body adapt to training stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you prefer outdoor rides, indoor training is a great way to supplement these and provide a more varied exercise regime, which will <\/span>reap benefits<\/span><\/a> later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Become a better climber<\/h2>\n
\"Alpe\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Use Zwift to replicate climbing.<\/span><\/figcaption> Zwift<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Indoor cycling enables you to work on your climbing. You can put in a concerted effort against a consistent gradient, often for far longer than you could on a real hill, short of travelling to the Alps.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to ride simulations of real climbs, pair up your Wahoo trainer with <\/span>Zwift<\/span><\/a> and you can ride Alpe du Zwift, which replicates the length and gradient of the most famous climb of all. You\u2019ll generate the additional stamina that makes shorter climbs a breeze.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wahoo makes climbing drills even more realistic with its <\/span>KICKR Climb<\/span><\/a>, which ramps up the front of your bike so it\u2019s at the actual slope you\u2019d experience. That helps you to recruit the muscles you\u2019d use in a real climb, rather than those you use when riding on the flat. It makes out-of-the-saddle efforts much more authentic and helps you to pace your climbing efforts better.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Go longer<\/h2>\n
\"Simon\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Want to go the distance in 2024?<\/span><\/figcaption> Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re aiming for a longer event next year, whether that\u2019s a <\/span>first century ride<\/span><\/a>, a big sportive or LEJOG, the winter is a great time to build a base of fitness. However, most people don\u2019t have the time to do more than a couple of long rides a week, particularly with the short winter daylight hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s where higher-intensity training sessions on a Wahoo trainer can really help. Yes, you can spend your winter evenings on steady turbo rides, but it\u2019s much more time efficient to mix in shorter, higher-intensity sessions such as <\/span>short intervals<\/span><\/a>, which will kick-start your body\u2019s adaptation to higher-volume riding at greater effort levels come summer.<\/span><\/p>\n

A polarised training programme that mixes up these higher-intensity turbo sessions with lower-intensity endurance rides \u2013 which you might prefer to do outdoors \u2013 and with recovery days, will get you ready for longer efforts come the summer.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Get stronger<\/h2>\n
\n
\"Dynamic\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Strengthen your core to improve your performance on the bike.<\/span><\/figcaption> Adam Gasson \/ Immediate Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

It\u2019s important to work on the strength of your whole body, not just your leg muscles. Core muscle strength in your torso has been shown to enable more efficient cycling, making you more stable on the bike and also helping to prevent injury.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wahoo\u2019s sports scientists say the stronger your core, the less fatigued your legs will be and the easier it will be to maintain your position on the bike.<\/span><\/p>\n

A comprehensive <\/span>indoor training programme<\/span><\/a> will address your overall musculature, not just your pedalling. <\/span>Wahoo SYSTM<\/span><\/a> includes off-bike exercises to work on your core, so you\u2019ll be a more efficient rider and less likely to suffer from aches and pains or injuries when riding.<\/span><\/p>\n

Riding on a <\/span>smart trainer<\/span><\/a> indoors, you\u2019ll also avoid the risk of a crash if the weather is poor or conditions are icy, which could put your training back by weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Work on your weaknesses<\/h2>\n
\"4DP\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Wahoo\u2019s 4DP test provides a full profile of your fitness.<\/span><\/figcaption> Wahoo Fitness<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

It\u2019s not just your strengths that winter training can address, it\u2019s an opportunity as well to assess your relative weaknesses and to improve those. While the power output you can maintain for an hour \u2013 your <\/span>functional threshold power, or FTP<\/span><\/a> \u2013 is a useful and frequently used measure of your fitness level and how it is improving over time, Wahoo SYSTM assesses your power output to derive other metrics too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Its <\/span>4DP analysis<\/span><\/a> includes shorter efforts: your five-second power output, your five-minute power and your one-minute maximum anaerobic power. These provide a more comprehensive view of your capabilities on the bike, which you can use to target your training to improve overall performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to look at your numbers, but you shouldn\u2019t obsess over them,\u201d says Cassin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Go faster<\/h2>\n
\"Simon\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Indoor training is ideal for intervals.<\/span><\/figcaption> Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

If your aim is to go faster, indoor training is a great way to increase your FTP and <\/span>VO2 max<\/span><\/a>, offering structure that\u2019s difficult to achieve when riding outdoors. While the need to keep alert to what\u2019s going on around you, and even just the availability of suitable quiet roads, can be a handicap to really working on your training, working out indoors avoids such problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can concentrate on your planned workout, watch your output numbers and follow a training routine much more easily without distractions on a turbo trainer. This will enable you to work on drills that will make you faster outdoors once the better weather comes around. The in-built power meter in Wahoo\u2019s smart trainers gives you the numbers to quantify your effort and <\/span>ERG mode<\/span><\/a> ensures you\u2019re meeting the prescribed outputs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many riders find indoor cycling uncomfortably hot, although a powerful fan such as the <\/span>Wahoo KICKR Headwind<\/span><\/a> can help to keep you cooler. However, although the heat build-up when riding indoors may feel unpleasant, it has advantages, says Cassin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your body will adapt by increasing blood plasma volume to help carry the heat to your periphery, which in turn increases cardiac output. Over time, this is likely to increase your VO2 max.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Finesse your technique<\/h2>\n
\"Simon\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Cadence drills can help fine-tune your technique.<\/span><\/figcaption> Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Following on from this, the distraction-free indoor environment offers the opportunity to really work on your pedalling technique, to improve your efficiency on the bike.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

High-output, low-cadence drills, mixed with fast pedalling exercises, will train your muscles to work more efficiently in propelling you forward. This will help not just with power delivery but also add to your ability to take on longer rides with less fatigue come the summer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wahoo SYSTM has a series of drills it recommends to improve your cycling strength and efficiency.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Find balance<\/h2>\n
\"Simon\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Use indoor training to complement your outdoor riding.<\/span><\/figcaption> Steve Sayers \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Finally, exercise during the winter shouldn\u2019t just be about time on the bike. It\u2019s important to build off-bike recovery time and other exercise into your routine too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wahoo SYSTM provides a comprehensive suite of off-bike activity, including yoga, strength and flexibility improvement, and mental training to help you improve your focus and stay positive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Its content includes documentaries and ride-throughs of iconic routes, helping you to relax, and clarify your aims and objectives for your cycling in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to maintain your motivation is to have goals that you\u2019re working towards,\u201d Cassin concludes.<\/span><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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