Interior cycling is not a training as complicated as, let’s say, weightlifting or calisthenia – you are seated, and there is essentially a basic movement. So how much can you go wrong?
A lot. There is an important place to make mistakes during the bicycle which can lead to an ineffective training session or, worse, injuries. We interviewed pros and cycling instructors on current interior cycling errors and how to repair or avoid them.
1. Sitting too high or low
The first error that many people make is not to set up the bicycle properly, explains Melanie Melillo, CPT.
“The most common error I have seen in the last decade of helping runners to set up is that they have set the handlebars too high while the seat is too low,” explains Jake Maulin , CPT, co -owner of Cyclebar in Naples, Florida. “If your handlebars are too high, it makes the pedal stroke ineffective in the downward movement. If your handlebars are too low, it is difficult to breathe. »»
In addition, an overly high or low seat will put excessive pressure on your spine and your knees, explains Brendan Kirk, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, CKTP, De Spine and sports medicine In Glen Rock, New Jersey.
To properly configure your bike, stand next and use these guidelines:
- The seat must be about the height of your hip bone.
- Once seated, adjust the handlebars so you can keep them with a light handle while maintaining a light turn in your elbows.
- You should be sitting far enough from the handlebars to maintain a long neutral spine, explains Melillo.
- At the bottom of your pedal line, your knee should be slightly folded. “This will allow you to generate more strength safely,” says Kirk. But do not leave the knee too much – which will leave the “short” or unfinished pedal stroke, explains Maulin.
2. Running
Another current error is to grab the too tight handlebars. “We call it the handle of death or white joint,” explains Melillo. “It traps a lot of tension in your hands you don’t need.” Many runners also hold tensions in their jaw and let their shoulders go up to their ears.
Instead, follow these clues to relax:
- Relax your fingers and keep the handlebars with a light handle.
- Make sure your shoulders are relaxed.
- Maintain a soft turn in your elbows and turn them inward, so that they are on each side of your rib cage, “rather than vanishing like chicken wings,” explains Melillo.
For what? To get a good bicycle training, you need to allow your body to generate as much power as possible. “If your shoulders are in place by your ears and your elbows are on the side, you are not in an optimal position to get the most pedal blow,” explains Melillo.
3. Unequal positioning of the feet
When you cycle inside, your foot can be held in place by a toe cage or cut shoes. This allows the muscles of the hamstrings to activate when you pull your leg upwards, explains Andrea MetcalfCPT, LREA, a certified personal coach and book author Naked fitness.
If your foot points down, you work your calves but give the short hamstrings. Instead, hold your foot level in the pedal. This will allow quads and hamstrings to operate together, producing a more balanced training of the lower body which activates the largest muscles of the thigh.
4. Too low resistance adjustment
“We see runners adjusting the resistance too low, so they pedal furiously but do not benefit from the movement and even from the hyperextension of their knees,” explains Maulin. The corrective: Create a light to moderate resistance rate as a starting point, so you feel in control of driving, not as if you were on the bike.
5. Do not feed or hydrate enough
When you do a bicycle drive, it’s a good idea to have a bottle of water at hand.
“Interior cycling like cardio can be really sweaty, so you want to make sure to replace the fluids you lose – and electrolytes if you drive for more than 45 minutes,” explains Melillo. A supplement of hydration like Beachbody performance hydrates Can help you rehydrate, reconstruct important electrolytes and even improve endurance during your rides. *
And be sure to fill up with meadow-and after training with enough protein and carbohydrates to support your activity level and fitness goals.
6. Incorporate exercises from the upper body
Trying to adjust the upper body while making stationary bike is dangerous and “a little or no advantages,” explains Garret Seacat, CSCS, head coach with Absolute endurance In Manhattan, Kansas. “When you sweep from top to bottom on a bicycle by doing any type of upper body exercise during pedaling, you increase your chances of considerably injuring your lower back.”
The movements of the upper body also harm your efforts on the pedals, making your training less effective and decreasing calorie burns. Instead, do some pumps as part of your post-line section and your recharge time.
7. Eat the calories you have burned
“We have runners who are convinced that because they have burned hundreds of calories, they can engage in pizza and all the sweet things that your body aspires immediately after the ride,” explains Maulin. “A small treat is good, but what your body needs after training is proteins and hydration. Immediate consumption of alcohol can also cancel many of the good aspects of your training. »»
8. Watch too hard, too often
Do too much training, constantly do at full intensity exercise, and not give your body enough time to rest and recover will be able to undermine your efforts.
“Going every time every time you do the exercise is a trap,” says Melillo. “Your body should operate in all different areas of heart rate. He needs periods of rest and recovery. As much as he needs hard training, you need these moderate training which last a little longer. »»
9. Reduce your training
“Make sure you do a force training, basic training and stretching as well as driving,” explains Melillo. “All this supports the best performance on the bicycle.”
Stretch for at least 10 minutes to warm And cool to avoid injury and minimize the aftermath of the next day.
10. Try to follow the Jones
Cycling lessons can be competitive, which can make them fun and motivating. But getting carried can cause injuries.
“I generally see beginners trying to follow the person next to them in resistance or speed, but good resistance on the bicycle for a person can be too much for the person next to them,” said Andrew Blakey, CPTDirector of your future fitness in Toronto. “Listen to your body and choose a resistance that seems difficult but not that difficult you are in pain.” Choose a speed and resistance that suits you best, not the person next to you. »»
11. Make the same training sessions
“Everyone can have a favorite course or coach, but you benefit the most if you try all the different classes and all the different trainers,” explains Melillo. “You can learn something from a coach that another coach does not say. And it is not because you hate these rides in endurance or these HIIT walks that they are not important. Our bodies are sort of designed to find the shortcut, the most effective way. So you want to continue to challenge yourself with different physical and mental routines. »»
* These declarations were not evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a disease.
