Winter. Portland, 2007-08. Gray. Wet. Cold. Snow. Ice. Fog: In Perpetuity. Gawd.
So. You're not riding much, if at all. Weather like this (enough of this "Get Fenders" nonsense. Please) is why God made gyms. So don't show up when spring finally springs (this year, probably around mid-June) lazy, legless and lungless. Spinning classes are fine foul weather fitness facilitators. But there just aren't that many. Solution: Hit the LifeCycle (or your basement trainer) and develop some serious POW-AH. Just 30 minutes max a couple of times a week can produce big boosts in explosive power and anaerobic threshold, something all of us from novice to racer covet. As Owen Anderson, Director of the Human Performance Lab at Michigan State University says: "Intensity is the most potent producer of fitness."
So, here you go, the nefarious "20-40" quad crusher.
5-8 minute warmup, then hit it hard as you can in a BIG gear (11 or 12 on a LifeCycle) for 20 seconds, followed by 40 seconds of light resistance spinning at 100 rpm. Each 1-minute combo is a repetition ("rep"). Do 1 set of 4 reps (novice), 6 reps (fitness enthusiast.), 8 reps (stud/ette), spin easily for 2 to 4 minutes, then repeat the 4/6/8 set. Cool down for 5 minutes to flush out all the nasty wastes, and you're done.
Do this session 2 to 3 times a week.
UK researchers found that this kind of max effort-short duration-big muscle-big gear pushing can, in as little as 3 weeks, boost your explosive power (what you need to slam it at the bottom of a roller, go from 17 mph to 25 mph lickety-split , or attack at will at any time) by a whopping 23%. Substantial gains in anaerobic power and lactate tolerance, and 20 mph speed that now feels like 17 mph effort, are bonuses.
One caveat, brothers and sisters: On the 20 second bits, you need to go HARD. Hard as you can go. Hard enough, and in a gear big and tough enough, that by 10 seconds you legs are medium-well, by 15 seconds charred, at 20 gone, as in: Can. Do. No. More.
Half a freaking hour. Twice a week. Do it.
Who is the "mystery" Fit-Bit writer? Hint: Its not Carlo...
About Carlo Delumpa
When Carlo is not on his bike, he is usually thinking about his bike - or biking, bike accessories, this web site and the cute chick that shares his tandem. Carlo is a native of the SF Bay Area, where the weather is warm and the climbs go on forever. He's slowly winning the NW rain game with other sports, like skiing and hockey. And the climbing in Portland can go on forever if you don't mind going downhill a few times in the opposite direction.
Carlo is a co-founder and director of this illustrious cycling club, and the lead designer of pretty much anything Velo you see out there (with the possible exception of the race team swag). It lets him get out his creative yah-yah's and now that he's got a new iMac, watch out - you may see Portland Velo logo tattoos in the not-so-distant future.
Ever-so-approachable, Carlo is always open to ideas, suggestions and even criticism if it means making this an even better community. You can reach him at carlo@portlandvelo.net. Please keep the criticism limited to 25 characters or less, please.