2 Cycling Workouts to Keep You Fit

With temperatures already plummeting in many parts of the U.S., it's getting harder to pull yourself out from beneath the covers and head outside on the bike. While the offseason should be a time of rest and recovery, ending your workout routine completely will make your base phase in early spring that much more painful and set you up for injury, sickness or a mental burnout.

Here are two different workout routines—each roughly an hour in length—that will keep you fit and strong and give you pre-season speed.

Workout #1: Threshold Reverse Ladder

This is one of those hard, "I'm sweating buckets" trainer workouts that your body will thank you for come spring.

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A reverse ladder means you start with longer intervals and work down toward shorter intervals. As your interval and output increases, so will your rest interval. By doing this, you're teaching your body to hold a high output at fatigue. If you don't know your FTP (functional threshold power) or heart rate, go off of RPE (rate of perceived exertion). On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being lying on the couch and 10 being working so hard you couldn't hold the intensity for more than 30 seconds), your threshold RPE is going to be about an 8.

Warm-up

1. Spin easy for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Ride for 30 seconds at base cadence (cadence you normally ride at), then

for 30 seconds at base cadence plus 10, and finally at base cadence plus 15.

3. Spin easy for one minute and then repeat the above three times.

4. Complete 30 seconds of single-leg spinning on left side, then 30 seconds of single leg spinning on the right side.

5. Spin easy for 30 seconds. Repeat three times.

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Workout

Complete the following ladder two times (or three if you want a longer workout).

1. Ride for five minutes at 75 percent threshold (RPE 5).

2. Spin easy for 30 seconds.

3. Ride for four minutes at 85 percent threshold (RPE 6).

4. Spin easy for one minute.

5. Ride for 3 minutes at 95 percent threshold (RPE 7).

6. Recover with a one-minute easy spin.

7. Ride for 2 minutes at 100 percent threshold (RPE 8).

8. Spin easy for 75 seconds.

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9. Ride for one minute at 110 percent threshold (RPE 9).

10. Recover for 90 seconds, spinning easy.

11. Ride for 30 seconds at 120 percent threshold (RPE 10).

12. Finish with a three-minute recovery spin.

Cooldown

1. Ride easy for 10 to 15 minutes.

Workout #2: Cycling-Specific Strength and Speed Circuit

The offseason is the perfect time to get reacquainted with the weight room. Building functional strength in your glutes, hamstrings, quads and core will help get you leaner and faster for race season.

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Aim to complete at least three strength workouts per week. Workouts that combine strength and high-intensity cardio (like this one) should only be done once per week. To complete this workout, you will need to have your bike set up on a trainer, a 15- to 20-pound kettlebell, a mat and a BOSU ball.

Circuit

1. Spin for 10 minutes easy to warm-up.

Get off your bike, grab your kettlebell and do the following:

2. Kettlebell Windmill: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Extend the kettlebell overhead with your right arm. Slide your left arm down by your side as you lower to the left. Keep your right arm extended and look up at the kettlebell the entire time. Focus on engaging your core as you lower. The goal is not to see how far you can go down. Exhale as you as you lift back up to the starting position. Complete this move 10 times before switching sides. Repeat.

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3. Kettlebell Swing: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, feet pointed forward. Hold the kettlebell between your legs with both hands on the handle. Bend at the waist contract your core. Use power from your hips and core (not your arms) to swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height. Swing continuously for one minute.

4. Kettlebell Crunch: Lie down on the mat with the "bell" part of the kettlebell in both hands. Lift your legs up toward the ceiling and extend your arms straight up. Crunch toward your toes for one minute.

5. Get back on your bike and complete the following set three times. Spin easy for one minute easy between each set.

• Ride for one minute at 75-percent threshold (RPE 5), one minute at 85-percent threshold (RPE 6), and one minute at 100-percent threshold (RPE 8).

Get off your bike and complete the following set twice:

6. BOSU Split Jumps: Start in a lunge position with your right foot on the center of the BOSU and your left leg behind you. Jump up and switch legs so that you land with your left foot on the BOSU and your right leg behind you. Complete 16 reps.

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7. BOSU Bridge Marching: Lie down on the mat and place your feet on the center of the BOSU ball. Lift up into a high bridge. Raise your arms to shoulder height, contract your abs, and fire your glutes as you lift your right leg up off the BOSU. Hold for one second and switch legs. Continue this marching position for one minute.

8. Get back on your bike and complete the following set three times with a one-minute easy spin between each set.

• Ride for 30 seconds at 95-percent threshold (RPE 8), 30 seconds at 110-percent threshold (RPE 9), and 30 seconds at 120-percent threshold (RPE 10).

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Get off of your bike and complete the following twice through:

9. BOSU Plank With Leg Lifts: Flip the BOSU over so that the flat side is facing up. Hold onto the BOSU and extend into a plank position. Lift your right knee up and out toward your right shoulder. Return back to plank and repeat on the other side. Complete 10 reps on each side.

10. BOSU Burpees: Keep the BOSU flipped over with the flat side facing up. Stand directly behind it. Reach down and grab the sides of the BOSU ball as you jump back into a plank position. Once down in plank (making sure your back is flat), lower into a partial push-up. Hold for one count, then exhale as you lift back up to the starting push-up position. With an explosive movement, move your legs back toward the BOSU ball. Jump up to the standing position. To make this move harder, lift the BOSU overhead as you come up to standing (but then omit the jump). Complete this 10 times.

11. Get back on your bike and complete an easy cool down spin for 5 to 10 minutes.

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