increasing fitness

littleknown

just wondering what is the best way of improving fitness_ shorter harder spins or longer more relaxed ones?

yesterday did about a 70km spin at a good speed which was good although to be honest at the end my legs were flagging a bit but really i didnt bring enough nibbles but this got me wondering as to if its a better idea to pace myself a bit and do more KM ??

its the old quality and quantity debate really...

E@gle.

long spins are good for developing your endurance. if ya want to get faster interval sessions are the way to go

Lumen

Fitness is specific.

smithslist

you need to name your goals or why you want to get fit, in a simple term to put it:
1) Long mile spins - Your would be training for sportives,
2) Short Interval training - training for racing

Racers would also do long mile spins, but they will use them for:
- increase endurance, stamina etc, but would proportional do more for interval training because of there racing goals,
- help as a basis for recovery spins,
- There are many more reasons but these are just a few.

Both long mile spins and short interval training benefit is different ways and would be the same in other alethic sports (running etc) and are both different types of fitness, so in all you need to set your training towards your fitness goal.

CheGuedara

Lumen wrote: »

Fitness is specific.

+1

You'll need to set specific goals from training (what type of increase in fitness you want to achieve).

This could be anything from losing a few Lbs, to increasing your endurance ability or your pure power but each of these requires different means to their ends.

Just saw smithlists message - *SNAP*

littleknown

well am basically trying to get fit enough to be able to do a decent cycle without getting knackered. at the moment i find that i can do the same route but push myself too hard and get worn out or take it easy and hardly break a sweat,

I am basically trying to get to the stage where i am healthy and strong enough to join a group of cyclists.

at the moment i would be afraid to join them as depending on their speed or ability i could be wrecked after the first climb.:pac: and it would be difficult to turn back on your tod or hold up the group. this i suppose is the goal, to get to a level where i can begin to go out on spins with people with more experience.

blorg

With what you have described I think you would be best starting with just getting the miles in on the bike. When you are comfortable with that you can try the fast intervals. You need to get the base in that you can survive whatever distance first.

CheGuedara

Cool,

Well one of the best things you can do to get fit for cycling in a group is to get out, make contact with and cycle with a group. Just cycling in a group can help bring you along even if it speed is higher than you would normally cover alone so you might be pleasantly surprised and end up being better able than you might think.

Maybe stay away from groups with a heavy race focus though but groups/clubs with a leisure or sportive angle should be fine and would probably have a few groups catering to different abilities of speed/distance. And most non competitive groups would realise that there are different abililites and may regroup at the summit or descent of significant climbs to allow those that dont climb well the chance to get back on.

If you feel like you really do need to train up more through individual efforts in cycling I'd guess that if you could do cycles of between 30 & 60miles at a 16-18mph average that kinda ability would have you very safely set to tack on with a group.

Getting to that is just a matter of getting out and putting the miles into the road:)