What can you get out of 45 minutes? In this training concept, we assume a working week packed with appointments, the tight schedule of which leaves no time for a longer bike ride. Changing clothes, preparing the bike, possibly picking up a puncture on the way, then showering and changing again - that takes a lot of time.
Instead, spinning or ergometer training (roller) with strength intervals and running help out of the misery. Travelling to work by bike also counts as training. It sounds simple, but it's better than sitting in the car! With two such units per day (possibly also so-called "combined training": first 30 minutes of running and then 20 to 30 minutes on the roller to train your motor skills) you can get through the week well. Use the weekend for a longer tour with corresponding metres in altitude.
"Of course, this training concept cannot replace a long-term planned performance build-up, you can't do a complete marathon season with it!" explains BIKE training expert Erik Becker. "In principle, the more time you have to train, the better you can get." But since very few people earn their money in the saddle, such "emergency training phases" are justifiable, according to Becker.
Sporty through the week
Sport in the morning:
Half an hour on the roller or in your running shoes in the morning saves time. You'll be showering and changing anyway. Exercising after the office is easier if you start straight from there. Once you've lain down on the couch at home, you often can't manage it any more!
Leave your running shoes and sports kit in the office for a spontaneous lunch break session. Don't forget your shower kit and deodorant!
Bike instead of car:
Cycle one way to work every day and incorporate this route into your training, extending the route in the evening. Of course, you can also do it in the morning AND in the evening.
After work - short and crisp biking:
Warm up for 20 minutes, then 30 minutes at 80 per cent power and then coast for ten minutes (= 1 hour of training).
Fit during the coffee break:
Push-up grips or a Thera-Band turn a coffee break in the office into a short workout.
Gym in the living room:
The strength training exercises for the core muscles are always slipped in somehow (see BIKE 6/06).
When sport is simply not possible:
Walk every flight of stairs that crosses your path (two steps at a time). Keep an eye on your calorie balance. Avoid alcohol and second helpings at meals. Being overweight will not make your tour any easier ...
(Photos: D. Jacklin)
Your training plan for one week
Monday: free
Tuesday: 30 min run in the morning, 45 min bike in the evening with 2 x 10 min in the EB area
Wednesday: 30 min run in the morning or 1 h bike ride to work and back
Thursday: 30 min run in the morning, 45 min bike in the evening with 25 min in the EB area
Friday: free
Saturday: bike tour of your choice, climbs with a cadence of 40 rpm in the EB range
Sunday: free, if enough time: 2 h bike ride with a cadence of 100 rpm
You cannot build a racing season on this training plan! It serves as a short-term preparation for the summer touring season and brings particularly rapid success if you complete two units per day. After around six weeks, you should rest or do longer, quieter units to stabilise the basics again. Otherwise there is a risk of a drop in performance.
Tip: Start your tour at seven o'clock at the weekend so that you are back for a late breakfast with the family! Short tours can be crisp: warm up, ride fast, coast.
You can find the BIKE training lexicon with all the technical terms and training areas as well as many other training tips on the Internet: www.bike-magazin.de under Fitness.
Dipl. oec. trop. Günter Wagner
Lose weight now: Being fast means being light
1. try not to eat or drink anything containing energy once a day for a period of five hours.
Example: Breakfast at half past seven, next meal at 12.30 pm. This gives the body another phase in addition to the night's rest in which it can metabolise mainly fats.
2) Distribute your carbohydrate intake so that you start with a large portion in the morning and then eat smaller and smaller amounts of carbohydrates throughout the day, but increase the proportion of protein accordingly.
3. you can support fat burning at night with a small, low-carbohydrate, high-protein late meal (natural yoghurt).
4. try using quark or cream cheese instead of butter or margarine. Not only does it taste delicious, it also has significantly less fat. At 15 g fat per 100 grams, even cream quark has less than a fifth of the fat content of butter or margarine.
5 If you want to lose weight and only have a short amount of time, you should consume a lot of calories in the time available, even if a large proportion is provided by carbohydrates. However, if total consumption is high, the proportion of fat in the energy supply also increases. A heart rate of 80 to 85 per cent of your maximum heart rate is ideal. This means that significantly more calories are consumed than with so-called fat metabolism training at a low intensity level.
6 If you like snacking, you can swap crisps for nuts. Although these are also high in fat, they contain high-quality fats and above all do not contain the nutritionally unfavourable mix of carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index and saturated fats found in crisps. Very good and low in fat: popcorn!
7. puff pastry and croissants should be removed from the menu if possible. Fruit cakes with fresh seasonal fruit and dried cakes are delicious alternatives.
8. hand cheese (sour milk cheese, Harzer) with an almost unbeatable 0.7 per cent fat and 30 per cent protein is perfect for slimming down (also great for direct regeneration after intensive tours).
9. drink cold, mineral-rich water regularly. The body needs around 50 calories to metabolise half a litre of water. A small mosaic stone for sports weight, but one that adds up. If you choose a mineral water with a calcium-magnesium ratio of 2:1, you will also replace electrolyte losses in a physiologically favourable ratio.
10. if you like your dessert sweet, red fruit jelly is the right choice. The high fruit content provides a lot of valuable micro-nutrients almost fat-free. It usually tastes better with a little sweetener, but unlike ice cream, pudding or jelly, it only has a minimal effect on blood sugar levels and therefore has no inhibiting effect on fat burning.
Recovery: first race, then rest
- Tips for quick regeneration:
Active relaxation: always preferable to passive relaxation. 45 minutes of easy rolling on the flat relaxes body and mind.
Put your feet up: Put your legs up against the wall and stand up again after half a minute, alternating several times to flush the toxins out of your veins.
Sleep and relaxation: Yoga and sauna are relaxing, go to bed early after a hard workout (and work!).
Diet: A diet rich in protein and carbohydrates accelerates muscle recovery.
Caution: Alcohol prolongs the recovery phase.
Save time: Don't waste a minute
- Tips for everyday life:
Your bike must always be ready to ride, including a full saddlebag.
Having all your equipment to hand saves you having to search for it.
Plan your daily routine, arrange regular training sessions and start on time!
Exercising in the morning means you can start the day with a clear conscience and relax if it takes longer at the office.
Postpone breakfast: Exercise in the morning (running at sunrise) is also possible without breakfast. Use the first break at work for muesli.
Even your lunch break can be turned into a training session if you are prepared and have your bike or running shoes and clothing to hand.
"Precise daily planning helps you to fulfil your training workload. Decide in the evening what and, above all, when you want to train the next day!"
