Cycling is a popular activity for not only adventure lovers but also people looking to get fit and stay physically active. The road to becoming a fitter, faster cyclist is not an experiment of trying exercises, instead it’s a journey of well planned routines and dedication with goals and plans to see improvements.

Every cyclist wants to break their own benchmarks and improve their performances and to do this, one needs to put in a good amount of time, ride several times a week and consistently up the intensity. The health benefits of cycling are well known, be it with regards to mental health, heart diseases or simply general fitness. Thus, a cycling training plan can not only help you achieve your fitness objectives but also become a better rider

Here are a few cycling routines to get fitter and faster.

40s sprints for Muscle Endurance

If you’re a road racer and participate in numerous competitions and events where you need that extra burst of hard pedaling, this routine is certainly for you!

Short 40 second sprints can help you build power and recover quickly between efforts. It is great for endurance riding and to improve your lactate threshold which is the peak concentration of lactic acid in the blood.

Pedal hard at a higher gear for 40 seconds, then recover for 20 seconds. Repeat this a few times and build your sets accordingly with a resting period of 5 mins between sets.

Uphill whilst seated for Strength

Riding uphill whilst seated at a constant speed is a great way to prepare for endurance riding and improve core strength. Find a local uphill stretch of road where you can prepare training sessions to improve your stamina & endurance, get better control over your heart rate and breathing.

Focus on the action of maintaining pedalling speeds even though it may actually seem inefficient in relation to climbing the hill fast but this focuses on distressing the muscles and thus better endurance.

Gradual increase in distance

As you ride a bike, you would want to hit the roads for as long as possible for the sheer thrill or joy of riding. It is, however, imperative that you take a gradual step towards hitting the century mark on the distance meter! Riding towards your first 100KM should be a process, with rides planned out over weeks. Add a KM every alternate ride till you reach a ride distance of 90KM. Thereafter, take the leap towards the three digits and celebrate your #GoBiking milestone.

Mix it up!

There is nothing more demotivating and exhausting than a monotonous routine. So mix it up! Make weekly cycling routines with varying activities each time you go for a ride. For instance, you could do leisurely riding for 1 day and follow that up with high intensity cross training that hits the top of the power meter and strengthens your upper body. You could also mix up ride schedules with 30 minutes interval training to build your max velocity.

So these were a few routines to follow to improve your cycling performance and better your benchmarks and results. If you have interesting routines, do let us know! Share your #GoBiking images & routines on Instagram and tag us!