IF YOU’RE INTO...
HIGHINTENSITY
WORKOUTS
As boot camp training and HIIT are so
cardio-based, cross-training with a little
cycling will add some variation in your
workouts. You could go for strength
sessions on the bike, like seated low-
cadence hill repetitions, or you can use
cycling as part of your HIIT training by
mixing in exercises like short sprint sets.77WORDSSAMERA KAMALEDDINEPHOTOGRAPHYTHINKSTOCK; GETTY IMAGESCycleFIT POWERED BY CycleFIT POWERED BY CycleFIT POWERED BY
Using cycling to cross-train is a great
option for runners. It has aerobic
benefi ts and, being non-impact, it’s
also an ideal way to help maintain fi tness
while recovering from injury. For serious
runners, cycling can help in building
top-end aerobic levels by incorporating
high-intensity sprint intervals (on astationary bike
or on the road,
preferably a fl at
route) into a training session – for
example, several sets of 30-second
sprints with only a short recovery time.
Intervals not only raise your heart rate,
they also work the speed of your legs.Shifting
gears
Make cycling your new side
dish for a performance highIF YOU’RE A...
SWIMMER
Swimming and cycling are a perfect
match, as good rhythm, strong
muscles and body awareness are
common themes between the two
sports. Like swimming, cycling
requires strong lower body muscles,
and in both sports, bulk increase is
less desirable than strength, cardio
and VO2 increases. Time spent on
the bike doing strength sets can help
your swimming, especially if your leg
endurance is currently low. Cycling
strength training – riding a bigger
gear than is comfortable and slow
pedalling on the seat climbing up
a hill – is a top training tool that can
help swimmers increase their stamina
and performance in the water.IF YOU’RE
INTO...
WEIGHTS
The benefi t of cycling
for weightlifters is the
cardio aspect that
can’t be achieved easily in a weights
session. By adding cycling to your
routine, you’ll raise your heart rate,
which helps fl ush lactate from the
muscles and speed up recovery
times. A cycling cardio workout is
high intensity with a lot of weight
bearing; on an indoor bike, pedal fast
(sprint) to get your heart rate up for
15-30 seconds, take 30 seconds
recovery, then repeat multiple times.
Weight trainers can also add
cycling as a warm-up before a sesh.
Jump on your bike and ride to the
gym as part of your warm-up or use
a stationary bike at the gym.IF YOU’RE A...YOGI
Don’t undervalue the mental aspect of cycling.
Sure, it can be used for intense exercise but it’s also
a form of relaxation, allowing the mind to clear and
focus on the now, which makes it an awesome (albeit
unexpected) complement to yoga. While on an
outdoor bike ride, you can reconnect with your
surroundings, so the most compatible way of using
cycling in your regimen is a pre- and post-yoga ride
to and from your class to max your zen.IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN
GETTING ON TWO WHEELS to
complement your fave sport or exercise,
you’re missing out on the perks cycling
could be wheeling in for your performance.
Not sure how to weave bike fi tness into
your weekly plan? Donna Meehan, Cycling
Australia accredited coach, has this inspo...IF YOU’RE A... RUNNER
WEIGHTS
The benefi t of cycling
for weightlifters is thecan’t be achieved easily in a weights