Bike Trainer

Bike trainers are fast becoming a great way to enhance your work out. Wither you are adding more cardio to your routine or you are getting ready for your first century a bike trainer may be the right choice for you. Rain, sleet, snow or your wife saying you can’t go for a ride, getting your self ready for a century is a big commitment. Here are a few of the routines I have used to help myself get ready for the Six Gap century.
Force reps: Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes, then cranks the resistance down until it's very heavy (as if you were climbing a steep hill.) Drive the pedals down for 20 to 30 pedal strokes, concentrating on producing force on the down stroke. Don't increase cadence; keep cadence very slow. Recover for five minutes and repeat. You can perform four to eight force reps per workout.
Leg tension: Trains strength endurance. Envision climbing a long, steep hill. Keep your cadence in the 50 to 60 rpm range with heavy resistance. Smoothly pedal the length of the interval using good climbing form. You can perform leg tension intervals of five to 20 minutes with five to 10 minutes recovery between efforts.
Aerobic tension: Trains aerobic strength. Picture a very long, moderate climb. Keep your cadence in the 65 to 75 rpm range and your heart rate towards the top of your aerobic zone. Smoothly pedal for 20 to 60 minutes using these parameters. This workout is a lot harder than it may seem at first and is highly productive.
Power bursts: These are the first phase of power training. Using a high cadence and resistance, pedal as hard as you can for 10 seconds. At the end of the interval, your legs should be very fatigued and ready to quit on you. Recover for 10 minutes and repeat four to eight times.
Power intervals: These are more sustained and build aerobic capacity. Using a high cadence (over 100 rpm) and high resistance, pedal as hard as you can for one to four minutes. Recover for an equal length and repeat three to six times.
Endurance spinning: Perform this at 5 rpm below your maximum sustainable cadence and hold your cadence for 10 to 60 minutes. You may need to start off with a shorter duration and increase each workout.
Spin ups: Spin up quickly to your maximum sustainable cadence and then let it drop 20 rpm. Repeat this eight to 12 times

One leg spinning: This is one of my favorites, this helps you peddle in full circles. After you are warmed up clip in one leg and peddle making sure you push down and pull up with your foot to make a full circle. Do this for one minute and then change to the other side. Repeat for four to eight times per leg.

Now that you have the routines all you need now is a trainer. Prohoists and Ships in a Day have got you covered. With its internal magnet system for a quiet ride and larger-than-average 3 in. roller the Overdrive bike trainer is the only trainer you will need. Portable so you can take it with you and super stable it even includes a wheel stand for your front tire. So head on down to www.shipsinaday.com or www.prohoists.com and get this great trainer. BIG news if you are a merchant (or want to be one) you can go to www.AHIdistribution.com and get wholesale prices. See you out there!