Is the exercise
bike dead to
me now?■ Exercise bikes are
OK for a warm-up.
Wattbikes, which offer
a wider variety of
feedback on your
performance, are better
— but you can get a
proper session in
at home by simply
attaching an indoor
turbo trainer to your
rear wheel. The Elite
Magnetic is your best
entry-level option
(elite-it.com/en).
Turbo trainer goals
Endurance and fat loss
Warm up for ten minutes
with a high cadence, to
the point where you’re
breathing heavily, then
shift up a few gears
while maintaining the
same cadence (and
therefore increasing
effort). After two
minutes, drop back down
the gears and rest for the
same time, then do the
same again for five-,
ten-, five- and finally
two-minute intervals.
Power and muscle
Follow the same pattern
as above but drop the
cadence and increase
the resistance. The same
formula can be used for
the road.
Max anaerobic efforts
The most painful kind.
You can’t beat the tried
and tested method of
full-effort hill reps for
effectiveness, but to
mimic it on a turbo
trainer, max out the
resistance and go full
out for 30 seconds, then
rest for 30 seconds.
Repeat five or ten times.AUGUST 2016 MEN’S FITNESS 91