Introduction
Serious biking makes a variety of demands on your body. It works muscles and requires stamina and agility. During winter months especially, it is hard to maintain the top physical condition you need to get the most enjoyment out of your rides. All year round, however, training in the gym can help you build you endurance and loosen you legs for those early morning rides on a Spinning Wheel Tour. We'd like to help by pointing you to the most beneficial gym activities for biking:
Stationary Bike
Sure, it's not as much fun as going on a scenic Spinning Wheel tour, but stationary biking is closest approximation you can find to a real ride. And it's a great time to catch up on your favorite biking magazines! At least 20 minutes a day, three days a week, will keep you in shape for the real rides. To increase your endurance, try all out sprints of 20 seconds in highest gear and fastest cadence you manage. Do easy spinning for 5 minutes between sprints. Cool down for 15 to 20 minutes, and you'll find that you have more energy throughout the day.
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Leg Lifts
For those tough hills, there's no substitute for strong thighs. Leg lifts help strengthen your thighs and make those hill climbs a bit easier. Do three sets of 8-12 repetitions in each session; to get the maximum effect, break up the sets by doing your stationary biking and cross-country workout in-between. Increase the weight as you get stronger, keeping your sets and repetitions consistent. Do leg lifts at least twice a week to build up your strength, but remember that any weight training is most effective if you take a day off between sessions to let muscles recover.
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Cross-Country Ski Machine
Lateral leg exercise helps build up endurance and strengthen your calves. Use the cross-country ski machine at least 20 minutes a day, two-three days a week. To improve your endurance, increase the machine's resistance each week. Don't think that the upper body work is wasted either. Upper body strength makes a big difference to your endurance for long rides. The cross-country ski machine provides one of the best all-around workouts you can find.
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Stretching
Stretching can help loosen your muscles before and after a long ride. To improve your flexibility, try stretching for 20 minutes a day, two days a week. Forward bends ,touching your toes from standing, and calf stretches will help increase your muscle recovery time and help avoid soreness on a long bike tour.
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