Spring Training - What to do now for happy, healthy riding this summer and fall
As cyclists, we don’t need external motivation to get out and ride when the weather is nice. That’s what we love to do! But many of us can use a little push this time of year to get our bodies ready for those fun summertime miles.
Instead of laying out some magic bike workouts that promise a PR up your local climb, or giving you a pitch for indoor riding, I’m here to advocate for something simpler: schedule some gym time.
Doing a little, regular strength and conditioning work to improve your weaknesses (for cyclists, that’s basically anything but our legs!) will go a long way towards improving your comfort and minimizing the risk of injury or pain later in the year when you’re most excited to get out and tackle the big rides.
It doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, building a simple, easy program makes it much more likely that you’ll actually stick with it.
Here are three ways:
Sign up for a conditioning class or a yoga class. You don’t have to stress on what to do or when or how. You just sign up, show up and reap the benefits.
Build your own routine at a gym, with some core exercises like crunches and planks and squats. Start slowly! In terms of both repetitions and weight.
Schedule some regular time at home. Don’t tell yourself you’ll do stuff at home, but actually put it on your Google Calendar or whatever you use.
It doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated. One 12-minute video many of us appreciate is this Foundation workout that targets the back, core and legs. You can do it anywhere - in your living room, in a hotel room, even at work - in 12 minutes.
When it comes to building up fitness on the bike, yes, you should be riding regularly when you can. Now that the time has changed and it’s light in the evening, it’s getting easier. Here in Colorado, some days the howling wind can put a damper on ride plans, or even make it downright dangerous. On those days, pivot and do some core work instead! Your body will thank you this summer.
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Ben Delaney is a longtime cycling journalist who reviews gravel and road bikes on The Ride on YouTube. He’s done every one of The Ride Collective’s events.
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