high revolution
Sep0
I have been cycling like mad. With that I mean, I have been cycling and anyone looking at me must have thought I was mad (more so then usual even) or at the very least, I suspected them of thinking that based on how I was feeling.
The reason is that my schedule for this week told me that I needed to cycle at a lowish heart rate (that bit I can do easily!) but at an ever increasing high amount of revolutions per minute (RPM for short). And I tell you, when you are pedaling at 100 RPM on ... Read More
Easy Days….
Sep0
After a few weeks of training like mad, it’s time for an easy week. I really like the three weeks increasing the intensity of your training and then actually taking a step down and having a week in which you simply let your body absorb and recover. During a week like that, you can still work-out, it definitely is not a good idea to sit down on the couch (if you were so inclined…) and do nothing. Your muscles would just go into shock and become stiff and then when you pick up again ... Read More
Keep that Fuel Tank topped up!
Sep0
By Guest Blogger Coen van Schijndel, Topvorm - www.topvorm.com
Keep your Energy Tank fuelled!!!
An important concern of cyclists, as well as marathon runners or triatletes and all those that go for the longer nuance races is their energy supply. The energy sources which you have available to support your effort, are your body fat store and the storage of glycogen (carbohydrates) in your liver and muscles together with whatever you manage to consume and add during the actual ... Read More
The Corkscrew
Sep1
Although the implement this exercise is named after, also may have relaxation as a result – this version is only a great, simple exercise that was explained to me by my physical therapist earlier this week. It is one of the few exercises that stretches all the tendons that keep your skeleton together. And as you will notice when you do this one, it tells you exactly which areas you may need to concentrate on for a while!
Lie flat on your back on a soft mat or rug – stretch ... Read More
the Art of Falling….
Aug0
As I am a keen mountainbiker these days, I regularly run into things. Literally. Mostly the things I run into are of a material that is a lot tougher and harder then me – like trees, trunks, roots and occasionally another biker. The latter always results in a discussion which one was the hardest…. I usually win. 
The softer materials you can run into consist of sand ... Read More
Anaerobic Capacity
Aug3
Today a guest-post by Coen van Schijndel, fitness expert and trainingscoach. www.topvorm.com
When the aerobic system (meaning: with oxygen) cannot cope, because the effort is too high, the body switches to another system: the anaerobic system.
Anaerobic literally means: without oxygen. Physically, it is the moment that you r body cannot cope with the conversion of glucose from carbohydrates as it has to do so without oxygen. Without oxygen, glucose is transferred with the help ... Read More
Max Training
Aug0
Having written about testing your maximum heart rate a little while ago, it occurred to me that it had actually been a long time since I did check it myself. In fact, I soon enough discovered it was 6 years ago! I have always trained and roughly know my limits but still – it’s good to test your max more regularly then every 6 years since your age changes (arrggh) and your circumstances change too. So to keep your training at the most effective levels, do a check once every 2 years ... Read More
Building up your training
Aug1
It’s not always easy to know how to go about building up your training, rather then doing the same thing day-in-day-out, week-in-week-out. It’s hard enough to simply train at least 3-4 times each week.
Ofcourse, your training schedule depends on what you are training for. If you are aiming for a certain race – your goal is pretty fixed and you will need to make sure you get to your best performance around that time. But your goal could simply be to lose some weight, ... Read More
Big bike ride
Aug0
I have said it a hundred times, and I’ll say it again – I love the summer. In fact, I love THIS summer in particular, although I will probably claim the same sentiment next year and have done so the past years too… This summer is special, simply because it is NOW.
Training gives you focus – and focus means you can seriously enjoy the moment. Have you noticed how often we are told at the moment that you “should be IN the moment”? It seems the new ... Read More
Jetlag
Aug0
Everyone has their favorite ways of dealing with jetlag – most people just succumb to it actually, you see them walking round like zombies for days. And sometimes that was after a mere 1 hour flight But seriously, jetlag can be really awful and if you fly longer distances it’s a good idea to try and not get into a battle with it. You’ll lose.
There’s ... Read More
Calories
Aug0
Here’s another one of those great topics that you could spend hours on…Calories. We all know what they are used for – basically as a measurement of the richness of food in the sense that if you eat too many calories, you will gain weight and if you eat less – you will lose some. But then I got the question – what is a Calorie? Hmmmm, nice subject for a Saturday morning.
So a Calorie is indeed a measure of energy – to be exact, originally it was a ... Read More
Block training for strength
Jul0
If you are looking to build strength and resilience – you might want to consider block training. Simple word – very hard training! I do block training on the bike in the gym since this is one training session that I really like to control v. closely in terms of effort and time.
The idea is simple – you alternate between high RPM (revolutions per minute) with a low resistance, and low RPM with a very high resistance. Aim for 3 mins. for each block but you can build up ... Read More
Livestrong – a great site!
Jul0
Being a fan of any rider in the Tour de France but definitely one that admires the amazing performance Lance Armstrong has just shown – I obviously had to check into his Livestrong project.
To my surprise, it’s not just about a way to gain funds for his project, but the site is really good. If you are looking for all sorts of good calculators or tools, even a way to track your progress – then have a look at http://www.livestrong.com/tools. You can register and keep a ... Read More
From the downtown bike shop
Jul1
I caught this on Twitter – thank you for that! – and just have to share with you. Don’t worry – I will mention the source ofcourse which is Craig’s list or @downtownRob. It just fits everything else I write about and creates some light humour after a long week!!
A few things from the bike shop.
Date: 2009-05-27, 4:05PM PDT
Whoo-hoo Seattle, the sun is out! Let’s discuss a few things before you fumble with swapping the unused ... Read More
A spring in your step
Jul0
It’s a known fact – your body ages as you get older. It’s one thing knowing this, but I have sad news – it’s even worse experiencing it!!
Of course I am not THAT old – but I definitely notice that I am less flexible then I used to be. Because your cells don’t renew as eagerly as they used to, both your muscles and joints tend to become stiffer. But seriously – you don’t have to take that! You can actually do something about ... Read More
Some music to get you going!
Jul0
For me, when I am working out in a gym – I need MUSIC! A great beat is like a great personal trainer – it gets you going, and keeps you going just that bit longer when you feel like giving up. So here are some favourite tunes that I love to work out to – turn up the volume and enjoy!!
Playlist:
Gonna make you sweat – C+C Factory
My life sucks without you – Kelly Clarkson
Elevator – Flo Rida
So What – ... Read More
Variety creates progress
Jul1
I got started in Triathlons because I got injured as a runner. Simple fact. I had been running for a few years, and really loved it, but did find myself getting a few injuries along the way, shin splints, heel spur, sore knees – just because I was pounding the pavement too much. So then someone said “hey, you should try this little triathlon” whilst I was recovering and because I am Dutch and therefore born on a bicycle, and I could swim a length, I thought I would just try ... Read More
Measuring up…
Jul0
As I see yet another magazine proclaiming to get you that hot “beach body” within a week, I thought I might do a little overview of how best to measure whether you are getting anywhere near that ideal.. Mind you, never understood the overkill on getting to that Beach Body. To me a beautiful body is anyone who is looking healthy, with a zest for life and confidence in themselves!
However, even for health it is good to know where you are at, and benchmarking against ... Read More
Energy – part 2.
Jul2
I talked a lot about what types of energy your body uses as you breathe, walk around and work out. You basically use the three types : carbohydrates, fat and protein in that order of preference.
I got quite a few questions about that from you all. The generic question I hear is “If I work out at a fast pace, do I burn more calories and get faster?”
Well – the wonderful answer to this question is “it depends!”. So you know nothing more then you did ... Read More
Some new exercises!
Jul0
Training again with Travis this morning – he never ceases to amaze me by coming up with new stuff every time. I like variety though, so happily go through the new moves he throws at me (and then stands by and just laughs!! PT are sadists at heart really I have decided)
Here’s some that you really ought to try in your gym!
For your hamstrings and balance:
Find a regular bench, stand on the right of the bench, facing along the length of it ... Read More
