These key strategies can lead to big performance boosts, no matter your age.

These key strategies can lead to big performance boosts, no matter your age.

  • Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io
    91·
    26 days ago

    Longtime coach Frank Overton is big on practicing what he preaches to his clients. He’s a competitive cyclist and knows how easy it can be to skip a workout when life gets busy. But that’s just something he’s reluctant to do—and stresses that to the cyclists he works with, especially those who are near or over 50 years old. At that age, everything comes down to consistency, he says. That’s just one of his five keys to holding on to existing muscle and even seeing gains.

    Overton founded FasCat Coaching over 20 years ago and has helped thousands of athletes achieve their cycling goals. Overton says that consistency shouldn’t be mistaken for relentless repetition. Riding an hour every day won’t make you faster, he explains. But training steadily based on a plan will.

    As his own training has evolved over the years, Overton has distilled his best advice for older riders into these five key rules for cycling success.

    Don’t Overdo the Miles

    Overton says many of the cyclists he works with are recently retired from work and motivated to put in A LOT of miles. It’s not uncommon for him to talk to riders who want to put in 20 hours per week on the bike just because they have the time! That volume of riding, he says, increases the risks of illness and injury. Instead, Overton suggests maintaining a more reasonable ride schedule of several hours per week and using any extra time to add two to three strength sessions per week.

    Do High-Intensity Work

    No matter what your riding goals are, adding high-intensity workouts can help make you a stronger, fitter rider overall, says Overton. These short (usually 30 seconds to a minute) bursts of all-out effort can unlock speed and power fast. But they’re not easy. Many training plans include one or two sessions of interval work per week. Overton recommends doing each interval at your max effort and then quitting once you begin to slow down. It’s better to do six solid intervals instead of 10 that you struggle to finish, he says.

    Lean Into Strength Training

    If you’re not strength training already or you only strength train during the winter, it’s time to commit to a year-round plan, says Overton. The good news is that many strength routines take only 30 minutes or less. The older you get, the more time you should spend working out with weights. Two short sessions a week are usually enough. If you do nothing else, Overton simply recommends doing squats once a week, aiming for three reps at 70 percent of your one-rep max (the amount of weight you can squat once). If you’re not sure where to start strength training, or are looking for more effective exercises and workouts, check out Bicycling’s Guide to Riding Stronger. It has dozens of moves to build power and endurance, with step-by-step instructions straight from our experts.

    Find a Goal for You, Now

    Overton urges athletes to find a goal that fits your life right now. That may be hanging with the local group ride, or just making it up the big hill on the neighborhood bike path. Choose something that has real meaning to you. Fitness goals are great, he says, but ask yourself if there is something even deeper that you hope to get out of cycling. For example, committing to a group ride goal can introduce you to a new network of riders, or completing a century can prove that you can accomplish almost anything on a bike.

    Avoid Long Riding Breaks

    Overton advises his older clients to avoid extended breaks from riding, as much as possible. This is part of his earlier rule about consistency. As we age, it takes a lot longer to regain our fitness. What used to take a month or two to get back to—whether that’s a number on the scale or your highest sprint power—could take older cyclists much longer, if you ever can get back to it. A week on vacation where you don’t ride isn’t going to ruin your cycling fitness, but three weeks with no training at all can take a toll. It all goes back to consistency. You don’t need to be putting in big miles every day. When life gets busy, you can maintain your fitness with a couple 30-minute spins several days a week, especially if you can add in some strength training.

    For more advice, tips, and strategies on how older cyclists can ride stronger, more comfortably and pain-free, check out our comprehensive program Ride Strong at 50+. It’s packed with expert advice and it’s free to our members.