2019-08-01_Men_s_Health_South_Africa

MARK CAVENDISH

SPRINT CYCLIST, GYM NEWBIE

AGED 34 | 175CM | 70KG

What shape does your training take?

I’m an endurance sprinter, so the majority

of my training is endurance-based, riding my

bike. The more you ride, the better you get. You

know how Mo Farah has a good finish? That’s

like me, but in road cycling it’s called sprinting.

It’s not far off a normal office job: five to seven

hours a day, so up to 35 hours a week.

You recently introduced gym sessions to

your routine. Why was that?

I’ve had the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) for a

couple of years. It was mismanaged and I had

to stop cycling, because getting my heart rate

up aggravated it. But I could go to the gym. The

only issue was I’d do a set, and then have to just

sit. One-hour sessions turned into four hours.

How did the strength work help?

When I got back on the bike, I noticed a

difference straight away. I felt more solid. I

could feel the transition of the power from

the muscle to the pedal. I’ve really seen a

benefit in my power output. It’s not just

about lower body: I need to be solid above my

waist, to sprint and handle my bike, but be

careful it’s not too much bulk.

Is the focus on weight problematic?

In cycling there's a lot of illness, and I’ve

had eating disorders. Last year, I had the EBV

and our bikes were substandard, so every-

thing seemed to be against me. It seemed as

though the only thing I could actually control

was my eating. I became ridiculously skinny;

and that has another detrimental effect, on

your power output.

A lot is made of marginal gains. How

much is down to your body, and how much

your equipment?

It’s predominantly body. There’s no

point getting the 1% gains everywhere else if

you’re unfit. As Eddy Merckx said: “Don’t buy

upgrades. Ride up grades.”

STRENGTH TRAINING

GIVES CAVENDISH A

LEG-UP ON THE REST

OF THE PELOTON.