Does anyone one use an indoor trainer on a regular basis? I bought a http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360026398 & I ride it on the road bike for 20 mins (now up to 30 mins) at a cadence of 90 pedals per minute once the HR monitor registers that I'm at 90% HR max. But is this any good? What training do you do on yours? I realise, that at 90%, I’m working anaerobically, and so using up my glycogen storage, and not the w/end’s excess chicken chow mein, Stella & Nan bread, but is this a wise approach? Or am I going about this the wrong way entirely? Thanks Tim
Can't see the point of an indoor trainer IMO, just get out in the fresh air and ride the thing.
Took my little boy swimming this morning and the pool also has a large gym attached, and there behind a huge window overlooking a park are rows of people on running machines and bike machines. It was a glorious sunny spring morning and these people are running, INDOORS, on a, FU@%$NG MACHINE...... WTF IS GOING ON !!
Turbo trainers are good if you have limited time to ride and so can do some riding at night for example, or if the weather is shite or if you have a comprehensive training regime so you can do 20/30mins low hr training as recovery in the evening after a hard day on the bike or you want to test yourself with no external factors to alter the result such as strong headwinds etc. I think anyone who uses one regularly will tell you that it is important to set yourself clear goals before each session as you can quickly make yourself fall out of love with cycling if your not careful with turbo trainers because they are so intrinsically boring.
I use mine on my decking. It / I overlook(s) a hillside of green grass, trees, etc. However, I only look up to clear my throat / mouth. The rest is head down and pedal for all you're worth.At least I'm outside. I have never been a member of a gym. I still dumb bell press + 32lbs above body weight (12.4 stone) out on my decking. Why then, do I have a beer belly?! Tim
I use one - mainly during winter when the weather is just too depressing.
I think you'd get more benefit out of it if you did more targetted sessions, rather than just going hell for leather.
I do all sorts of sessions on it, for example: 20 min warm up (50-60% Heart rate max) 40-60mins at 60-70% HRM 10 min warm down
and also "intervals" - a pyramid is a good way to do it: 20 min warm up 1 min fast as you can + 1 min steady 2 min fast as you can + 2 min steady 3 min fast as you can + 3 min steady 4 min fast as you can + 4 min steady 5 min fast as you can + 5 min steady then 4 3 2 1 Etc.
But now weather warmer, I'm out on MTB all the time instead.
If you use a turbo, use a good fan. Over heating causes the effectiveness of your training to go right down.
You can do steady stuuf on a turbo but you need to have a distraction. I've got an old video player which means I'm slowly going through loads of films I haven't seen since DVDs became the norm.
BTW 90% of MHR my not be anaerobic, it depends on what you lactate threshold is. For me 90% is just under what I can sustain for an mtb race.
For me, just maintaining a HR of 90% with 90 pedals per minute just about kills me! I can maintain it for 30 mins max (recently up from 20 mins), and no way could I sustain this level for too long. That said, I do ride a road bike on the trainer and not the Hardtail. Plus I do it outside on my decking, as long as it's not raining too hard! I don't find it too boring as there's always plenty going on in the fields for me to view. ps - since starting up biking, my legs have changed shape, and now the road bike saddle is bl££dy awful much beyond 30 mins. Need a better, leaner saddle. Tim
Although the clasic 30s:30s takes some beating as a quick effective and relativly un mindnumbing workout
warm up- 5X (30 seconds hard-30 seconds easy). 5 minutes easy and then 5X (30 seconds hard-30 seconds easy). 5 minutes rest....... repeat as many times as you can. I find about 3 sets of the 30:30 bit is enough. warm down
