|
IN BRIEF
|
L’intensive training with a home trainer has become an essential method for cyclists wishing to improve their performance. This type of equipment allows you to train in the comfort of your home while maximizing the intensity of the sessions. By effectively exploiting this equipment, it is possible to work on essential areas such as strength, L’endurance, and the velocity. Whether you are an amateur cyclist or an experienced competitor, the home trainer offers a multitude of exercises adapted to your goals, allowing you to push your limits and optimize your results on the road.
In the world of cycling, intensive training is essential to optimize your performance. Use a home trainer proves to be an ideal solution for training effectively, whether to improve your power, your endurance or your velocity. This article offers practical advice and specific sessions to incorporate into your training routine, to help you get the most out of each session.
Advantages of the home trainer
The home trainer offers several significant advantages for cycling enthusiasts. First of all, it allows you to train in a controlled environment, without worrying about weather conditions. In addition, a session ofone hour on a home trainer can be equivalent to 1.5 hours or even 2 hours of driving, thanks to the intensity and body temperature that increase further.
In addition, this training method is ideal for working on specific aspects such as strength, velocity and lactate threshold. Thus, it is possible to personalize the sessions according to the roles you want to improve, whether for competitions or simply to progress.
Targeted training programs
To get the most out of your home trainer, it is essential to follow adapted training programs. For example, starting with a 10 to 15 minute warm-up followed by several targeted sets can give excellent results. A typical example includes 2 to 5 sets of 5 minutes at a cadence of 50 to 60 revolutions per minute (rpm), while maintaining a stable heart rate.
For endurance events, specific sessions including 2 to 3 intervals of 20 minutes at intensity I3 with 5-minute breaks are recommended. This allows you to maintain a smooth pedal stroke while improving your overall endurance.
Exercises to integrate into your training
To enhance your performance, several basic exercises can be integrated into your routine. It is possible to work on strength with dedicated sessions, by gradually increasing the resistance on your home trainer. A good example of a program could include high-intensity intervals to stimulate maximum aerobic power.
By considering sessions as strength and velocity training, you have the opportunity to develop your pedaling technique and improve your performance threshold. This can be done effectively through cadence exercises by alternating between periods of low and high intensity.
Planning an effective training
To integrate home trainer sessions into your schedule, it is crucial to plan your week well. Start by setting your performance goals and choose the days when you feel the most fit for more intense workouts. Don’t hesitate to invite friends to make the experience more motivating and enjoyable.
A balance between intensive training days and rest days is also essential. This will allow your body to recover and thus optimize your results. It is advisable to alternate between strength and velocity sessions and longer outings to work on endurance.
Eat correctly during training
Finally, don’t forget that eating correctly during your workout sessions home trainer can have a significant impact on your performance. Although some cyclists consider nutrition during exercise futile, it can be beneficial to provide simple carbohydrates to support energy during the most intense sessions.
It is therefore advisable to have energy drinks and energy bars ready on hand, especially for long sessions. This will help you maintain a consistent energy level, ensuring peak performance throughout the workout.
For more tips on training and preparing for big passes, check out this article: Cycling in spring: our advice for preparing for the big passes.
Comparison of different types of home trainer training
| Drive Type | Benefits |
| Endurance | Improves aerobic capacity and general endurance. |
| Strength | Strengthens leg muscles and increases pedaling power. |
| Velocity | Optimizes pedaling cadence for better movement efficiency. |
| PMA (Maximum Aerobic Power) | Develops maximum aerobic power and improves performance. |
| Intervals | Improves recovery and the ability to maintain high effort. |
| Coast simulation | Prepare to face the climbs thanks to physical strengthening. |
| Recoveries | Optimizes recovery to avoid injuries. |
| Threshold work | Improves lactate threshold and maximizes performance over long distances. |
| Circuit training | Combines different techniques for a complete and varied workout. |
- Endurance session: 60 minutes at a moderate pace.
- Strength interval: 4×5 minutes with 3 minutes of recovery.
- Velocity: 2×10 minutes at 90-100 rpm.
- Threshold tests: 20 minutes at intensity I4.
- Maximum strength: 10 minute climb at low cadence.
- Aerobic capacity: 3×8 minutes at high intensity.
- Warm-up: 10-15 minutes gradually increasing the intensity.
- Active recovery: 20 minutes at low intensity.
- Weekly structure: Integrate days of rest and muscle strengthening.
- Optimization of cadence: Practice maintaining smooth pedaling.
- Using apps: Monitor your performance and motivate yourself.