The Cycle Gym

Your Cycling Personal Trainer

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Cycle Training Improvements

Hey Champions! That’s what I’m talking about everyone!! Graham is a client that comes to see me in our studio AND I get online with him and coach him through a session LIVE on Zwift. Just in the last few weeks Graham’s FTP has risen from 221 to 233!!! You can do all the zwifting in the world but without someone challenging you, giving you professional advice and having accountability, it can be very tough to achieve your goals. Coaching can be done in a number of ways these days. Inside, outside, in a gym, at home, trainer, on the road. There is no secret plan, just dedication, hard work and belief. If you want some help getting to that next level Cycle Coaching then contact us today. Have a great day, Graham Owner - The Cycle Gym Read the full article

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Remember, stay specific to the sport you are training for...

Hey Champions! Today I want to discuss a common mistake that I hear all the time. I have many consultations with both online clients and people who come in to our studio. We start with consultation to dig deeper into what the client is doing, what they've done, what they want to do/achieve and much more to make sure that we create the right path for them. When you start training or begin a training plan, you want to make sure that you are being as specific as possible to make sure that you develop the right muscles and aerobic systems. This means that you should concentrate on aspects of training that will enhance your performance. Some examples of this would be: - don't lift massive weights if you want to climb hills faster. Increased muscle mass is heavy and will slow you down. Also a heavy weight squat is a slow movement. You want to do lots of repetitions of fast movements so that it replicates what you do on a hill. - if you have a PT or are doing PT type classes, make sure that they know your goals and that your exercises are specific to the training period. - If you want to be faster, work on speed. If you want to be more powerful, work on power. If you want to be a faster hill climber, work on being faster up hills. - Work on the discipline the most that will have the biggest impact on your event time - Don't sit on a watt bike and peddle aimlessly just because British Cycling tell you its the best training tool since sliced bread (a little secret...it's not the most specific training tool you can use for cycling). Many clients I see/talk to just throw stuff in because someone else does it or because they heard/read it was a good idea. My advice to those who are taking on an event next year is to get as specific as possible. Talk to a professional who will give you their best informed decision based on their past experiences. Have a great day, Graham Owner - The Cycle Gym P.S. If you are wondering whether some coaching would help you, we have a free 10 minute coaching consultation available. If you would like one, just fill out your details below and we will call you back.   (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s); if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//forms.aweber.com/form/99/1200684399.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, "script", "aweber-wjs-9127yriqy")); Read the full article

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The reality of nutrition for cyclists - part 3

Hey Champions! So as you may know already, this week I am talking about nutrition and giving you a guideline on what you could potentially follow. Remember, that everyone is individual and you should follow a plan that suits you, your lifestyle and your digestion system. However, Calories are the main way to measure what goes into your body and what comes out. It is therefore imperative that if you want to lose or gain weight in a safe and controlled manor that you track your calories and macro nutrients. Today I am going to give you an example of what might go in and out on a training day and non training day. If you have any questions or critics, feel free to reply to this e-mail or DM me! Enjoy! What are the typical macro nutrient type foods? Proteins Seafood (non oily fish)     - Examples of non-oily fish: - Haddock, plaice, pollock, coley, tinned tuna, halibut, skate, sea bass, hake or cod. white meat poultry Chicken, Turkey, pork chops milk, cheese and yogurt eggs (Yolk is Fat. Egg Whites are the protein. Remove Yolk if you just want the protein) beans, lentils, quinoa soya lean beef Peanut Butter (also high in fat so don't each huge amounts!) Carbohydrates Many foods that contain added sugars can also be high in calories, so cutting down could help you control your weight. How do I know if a food is high in sugar? Look at the ‘Carbohydrates (of which sugars)’ figure on the label. High is more than 15g sugars per 100g Low is 5g sugars or less per 100g If the amount of sugars per 100g is in between these figures, then that is a medium level of sugars. vegetables: Examples of starchy vegetables include corn, peas, potatoes and squash. Nonstarchy vegetables still contain healthy carbohydrates, just not as many. Examples of these are asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, mushrooms, onions, peppers, greens and tomatoes. Fresh Fruits whole grain seeds Bread Pasta Rice potatoes (sweet potato and regular) sugar and sugary products e.g. haribo, a cyclists favourite, honey Fats Try to cut down on food that is high in saturated fat and have foods that are rich in unsaturated fat instead. This is how you can tell if a food is high or low in fat: High is more than 20g fat per 100g Low is 3g fat or less per 100g If the amount of fat per 100g is in between these figures, then that is a medium level of fat. However, remember that these should still be used in moderation and should only be 20%-30% of your daily macro needs so don't think you should be eating an avocado or boiled egg every day! Seafood (oily fish) Salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh tuna, sardines, pilchards. Eggs Avocado nuts (including peanut butter!) seeds vegetable oils (including sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil) Increase your water intake Decrease your caffeine intake Non Training Day A non training day should usually mean that you are expending less energy and therefore need less calories going in. You can also increase your fats and lower your carbohydrates. Protein intake will stay the same on a regular basis, as long as you are training consistently. Macro Nutrient percentages Protein = 50% of your calorie intake Fat = 30% of your calorie intake Carbohydrates = 20% of your calorie intake Training Day On a training day you will burn extra calories which means that you will have more calories to play with but you still want to stay in a calorie deficit. You will need to increase your can also increase your carbohydrates and lower your fats. Protein intake will stay the same as each other day unless you particularly Macro Nutrient percentages Protein = 50% of your calorie intake Carbohydrates = 30% of your calorie intake Fat = 20% of your calorie intake Use the guide above as a way to get the right nutrients into you on the correct day. TOP TIPS My Top tip is that I buy 3 medium chickens at a weekend shop with 2 bags of frozen vegetables this costs me £15!!! I keep 2 in the fridge and freeze the other one to use later in the week. This can help you to have protein with almost every meal. Protein with 2 of your meals should be more than enough. Don't forget to measure the weight of your meat to know how much calories you are having. Scan any packaging with any food you eat and add how much you are having. A cooked chicken can help make many dishes such as: Chicken and vegetables Chicken Fajitas Chicken Risotto Chicken and Rice Chicken and sweet potatoe Mince up the chicken and make chicken burgers or Chicken meatballs chicken stir fry Don't forget but you can use Myfitnesspal as a way to track your calories and macronutrients If you have any more questions or comments, then please do contact me. Have a great day, Graham Owner - The Cycle Gym Read the full article

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The reality of nutrition for cyclists - part 2

Hey Champions! This is a continuation of Monday's e-mail which started off the subject of nutrition. We are talking about nutrition because at this stage of the season, if you are looking to lose weight you need to start taking action now (see point 3 below!). Below gets rid of a few myths and will describe what I believe to be a healthy diet. If you missed Monday's e-mail, head here to view it.  If you have any questions, reply to this e-mail or DM me on Social media! Enjoy! 1. Brown foods vs white foods Many articles say that you should eat brown foods instead of white foods e.g. white or brown pasta/rice For you and me (the average cyclist), the macro nutrient difference is minimal. It really doesn't matter whether you eat one or the other. What does matter is the weight/portion size of how much rice or pasta that you eat and how long after exercise that you eat it. I would rather you banged in an Uncle Bens rice (1 packet is 2 servings by the way) into the microwave and had your carbs to eat after 2 minutes rather than waiting 30-40mins for your brown rice to boil! 2. It is ok to eat cake or fizzy drinks? - When you know your daily calorie intake, it allows you to eat how you like. Remember it is the weekly surplus/deficit that is important. - You can then still eat biscuits, cake, pizza, takeaway or fizzy drinks (there are always healthier options) but as long as you track what goes in, you can still have treats. - The more processed foods you eat, the quicker you will hit your calorie target and therefore struggle to eat much else the rest of the day without going into surplus. Processed foods are full of calories and low on nutrients meaning it won't fill you up for long and leave you hungry, wanting more food, leading to a calorie surplus. - The reason why you can eat as much vegetables and fruit as you like is because they hardly have any calories but are full of nutrients. On the opposite end of the scale if you have a McDonalds meal you will probably have 1/3-1/2 of your calorie intake and will then be starving the rest of the day because you can't eat much more. - So even though I say you can eat how you like, you still need to make healthy informed decisions on what you eat to fuel yourself correctly and not get hungry. 3. For every action, there is a reaction  - It will take you 6 weeks to see any real change physically. When you make a decision it will take 6 weeks for that decision to take affect. So whatever you put in your body today, you won't see the affect until further down the road. - I have seen clients put in 3 months of hard work, only to lose it all in 2 weeks and be back to where they started. - It is therefore imperative to stick at it. Make sure you surround yourself with a group of people that are like minded and looking to achieve the same things. This will help encourage you to make the right decisions more consistently and achieve your goals quicker. To summarise: 1. Find the right diet that works for you 2. Track your calories 3. Eat how you like, within your calorie count 4. Manage your macro nutrients in line with the demands of your sport 5. It takes 6 weeks to create change so stick to the plan. You can do it. Tune in on Friday to see my example of what a cyclist should eat on a training day and non training day... Have a great day, Graham Owner - The Cycle Gym Read the full article

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The reality of nutrition for cyclists - part 1

Hey Champions! Hope you are having a great day! One of the most asked questions for cycling is diet. What should a cyclist eat? When should a cyclist eat? What's good food for a cyclist? What's bad food for a cyclist? And so on and so forth. This week I am going to do 3 e-mails/blogs which outline what I believe to be a useful nutrition guideline for cyclists. I will drop the next two e-mails on Wednesday and Friday so keep your eyes peeled in your inbox or on our Facebook Page. The e-mails will talk you through the following: 1. Define what various nutrition aspects are 2. What cyclists should eat 3. An example of what a food day for a cyclist might look like Remember that there isn't a 'correct' or 'best' solution for nutrition, because everyone is different and we all have individual needs. The following e-mails are just guides and may or may not work for you. If you have any more questions, reply by e-mail or DM me on Social media. Enjoy! 1. Everyone is different The first thing to remember is that EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. No one is the same and your diet shouldn't be treated that way. A 'copy and paste' diet should not be used, because what may work for one person, may not work for another. 2. Calories are the only thing that matter Calories go into your body when you eat and calories are burned when you do exercise. - If you are looking to lose weight, you must have a CALORIE DEFICIT. That means more calories are 'burned' than calories eaten. - If you are looking to gain weight, you must have a CALORIE SURPLUS. That means more calories eaten than calories burned. - The more exercise you do, the more calories you burn, the harder it becomes to reach your daily calorie needs, leading towards weight loss. However, you still need to fuel yourself correctly otherwise your body will take much longer to recover. This will not help your consistency of training. - You can NOT guess your calorie intake. Just like me telling you to run or cycle at a certain speed with no technology telling you what speed you are doing, it would just be guess work. The same goes for counting calories. You can easily count calories using 'my fitness pal'. Contact me if you want to know more about this app and how it works. - This is why Slimming World, Weight Watchers and, I'm sorry to say, your beloved Joe Wicks 'diets' don't work long term because they use a points system or don't tell you the calories involved, making you guess how much you are eating (see above). They also use a 'good vs bad food' method when we all know that that is a load of BS (see below)! - All food packaging has nutrition details on it. Use it as a guide, use my fitness pal to get accurate figures. - Understand your daily maintenance calories and then take away or add 500 calories to get your surplus or deficit calorie number. It is the weekly calorie surplus that counts and if you stick to this number you will lose or increase weight safely. - It doesn't massively matter when you eat your food, as long as the calories are taken into account. 3. No foods are evil, unless you have a food allergy (e.g. gluten isn't the problem!) There are many articles out there that talk about bad food vs good food. No foods are evil, just eating more than your body needs creates a surplus. If a surplus happens regularly, weight will be gained because your body stores the excess calories as fat. - Carbs are good - There are no good carbs or bad carbs. CARBS ARE CARBS! - Fat is good - There is no good fat or bad fat. FAT IS FAT. Avocado, eggs, oily fish, peanut butter are often called super foods and should be eaten to lose weight. They are all quite high in fat and should still be eaten in moderation. - Protein is good - But you DON'T need protein supplements. Put the Protein Shake and Protein bars Down! Get your protein from natural sources of food. Your body can only handle a certain amount and any excess just gets flushed out in your urine. If you eat too much it could just be a waste. If you are a cyclist looking to lose weight, you want to reduce calories, not increase them. You also don't want to look be a body builder as that will slow you down. - Macronutrients are key - Carbs, Fat and Protein are called MACRO NUTRIENTS. This is what you should really keep an eye on to make sure that you get a balanced diet. You still need to manage these because too much of one or another may cause you to still gain weight. Refer back to rule number one because everyone reacts differently to adding more of one thing or cutting out another. It just takes time and lots of testing. - When you are doing LOTS of exercise you need carbohydrates to fuel yourself but if you are losing weight you need to RESTRICT (not cut out) carbohydrates. You want to always have a higher proportion of protein in your diet. You can get protein from both vegetation and meat, so whatever type of diet you choose there is plenty of choice. - When you are less active you need to increase your fat content slightly and drop your carbohydrates. Protein should always be more than carbs or fat. To summarise: 1. Find the right diet that works for you 2. Track your calories 3. Eat how you like, within your calorie count Tune in on Wednesday to find out what foods you can eat and dispelling a couple of myths... Have a great day, Graham Owner - The Cycle Gym Read the full article

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What Cycle Training Should you do in October...

Hey Champions! How are you today? This week we have moved away from endurance and are now concentrating on power. The first couple of weeks we just get back into the flow of things so that the body remembers what its like to train again! Many people use September as a bit of time off so we can't just jump right back into the thick of things. I test a couple of measurements in the first month which is FTP and Max Power. We keep things simple because we don't want to create any confusion. The FTP allows us to understand your aerobic capacity and the Max Power gets a measure on your anaerobic power. We then have two base points to start with at the beginning of the season and we look to build on those over the course of the winter to come out stronger, faster and fitter. If you want to get more technical and have data from previous years, we can mirror up the two years at the same period of time and compare what you were like the previous year vs this year and see if you are starting from a stronger point than the previous year. Also, these testing points give you a couple of goals to achieve. The clients that have started already have got a headstart and are already starting to notice the benefits of that early start. They are already watching their diet, how much stress or exercise they are doing and how all of this fits into their overall goal. If you start later than November, you will run the risk of playing catch up and doing too much too early and not getting to where you want to be at the beginning of the season. If you want some help with online coaching, studio based coaching then make sure you contact us today. Have a great weekend! Be Champions! Graham Read the full article

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At Least I'm Doing It

AT LEAST IM DOING IT...

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👍🏻 Last week I helped support one of my very first clients (Zoe) ride from #milantomonaco. #privilage Two and half years ago she signed up to #londontoparis to raise money for charity but none of her friends would do it, so she signed up alone. #brave #admirable Luckily she met three lovely ladies (Sarah and Rachel...Abbey couldn't make this trip unfortunately). #L2P was supposed to be a one off, a whim, but now each year after finding out that they all love ice cream and riding bikes they do a challenge each year increasing in distance and challenging terrain!!! #awesome #icecream#dreamteam #italy #alps Day 2 & 3 were pretty hard days with 2,000m of climbing each day. More than these ladies do on a regular basis, but not one complaint. They just knuckled down and smashed out the km's one by one. I was chatting to Rachel up one climb and she said to me. "I keep thinking that I'm really slow and holding everyone up. But then I think, wait, at least I'm out here doing it. So many other people wouldn't even attempt to do this." And Rachel was absolutely bang on. #fairplay to these ladies for actually getting out and doing it, where as many people would say "I can't do that" or "that would be too hard" and would never leave the couch. As long as you put in some time to train, you can do anything. It doesn't have to be huge distance or massive climbs, just get out off the couch and do something! If you want some help training, then we are ready and waiting for you! Have a great day! #justdoit #justdoingit #justdoneit #inspiration #inspirational #cycling#cyclinglife #lovecycling #instacycling Click to Post

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If you aren't travelling the world on a bike, you aren't living!

Hey everyone! I hope you are well and having a cracking week. We are heading into Barcelona today so there is quite a tricky finish into such a big city. We usually encounter this when we come in to a big city finish where traffic increases, the risk increases and it is usually a matter of getting on the back of the wheel in front of you and trying to avoid the traffic. Barcelona we have found to actually be quite good with bike paths so that should hopefully mitigate some of the risk! The end of a journey always has mixed emotions. You are jubilent that you have completed such a journey, but also, you have to pack up your stuff and head back to the reality of every day life. Travelling the world and seeing it on a bike for me is honestly one of the most amazing experiences you can have. If you aren't travelling the world on a bike, you aren't living! You get to see the world in real time. You see real people, coffee houses, nature, wildlife, lakes, ravines, the quiet of the mountains, the roar of the wind, it honestly makes you feel alive. Whether you are competing or just going for a social, next year should be the year that you get a bike and go somewhere because life is too short not to! If you want some help getting to a level of fitness that makes you feel confident, then we can help! Every journey starts with one of our free consultations. There is no obligation to purchase anything on top but we will help you understand everything about your fitness, nutrition and then be able to formulate a plan to move forward. All you have to do is reply with the words 'WINTER CONSULTATION' and we will contact you with more information. We have two studios - one in Stockport and one in Eccles, making it easier to get to. We look forward to hearing from you! Graham P.S. This is the last few days to sign up to our 50% discount of winter training. We only have a few spaces left due to a last minute surge this week. Make sure you contact us today to see if we have any spaces left as they are starting to go very quickly. This is only available until the 17th September. P.S. If you would like help training for an event or want some coaching we can help you. Our services include: 1. Training from our indoor studios. Fully kitted out gyms to help improve your strength, power and endurance. 2. We can train you at home using Zwift or Trainer Road 3. We can do remote coaching using Training Peaks Coaching Software If you would like some help with your cycling and training, then let us know by replying to this e-mail or visiting our Manchester (graham 07791060451) or Southampton (Andy 07770908030) websites. Facebook   |   YouTube   |   Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Beam.Pro Click to Post

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Where do I even Start?

Hey everyone! I hope you are well and had a good weekend. We are now 2 days into our journey and today is the last day before we have a rest day. We make sure that the guys have a day to relax and take it a bit easier today. We add this day off in because training is all about overloading and recovering. We know this because we have the experience, training background and software in place to help us make these informed decisions with everyone's training. We can help you put these training practices into place with a very simple plan. The first step though is to make sure that we understand where you are at right now compared to where you want to be. This process starts with a very simple consultation where you will: 1. Have a cycling fitness test 2. Be taught about nutrition and best practices 3. Understand goals, timelines and best training methods This first consultation is absolutely free with no obligation to purchase anything else afterwards. If we can help you in anyway then we have done our job. All you have to do is reply to this e-mail with the words 'WINTER TRAINING?CONSULTATION' and we will be able to send you more information. We look forward to seeing your reply and having you in to our studio. Have a great day! Graham P.S. We only have a week until our offer of 50% off your winter training in our group sessions is finished. We are already over 50% capacity so make sure you contact us today if you wish to get a space. Just Reply to this e-mail and we can give you more information. P.P.S. If you would like help training for an event or want some coaching we can help you. Our services include: 1. Training from our indoor studios. Fully kitted out gyms to help improve your strength, power and endurance. 2. We can train you at home using Zwift or Trainer Road 3. We can do remote coaching using Training Peaks Coaching Software If you would like some help with your cycling and training, then let us know by replying to this e-mail or visiting our Manchester (graham 07791060451) or Southampton (Andy 07770908030) websites. Facebook   |   YouTube   |   Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Beam.Pro Click to Post

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There is no 'perfect time' to start...apart from this October!

Hey everyone! I hope you are well and having a good week! I have been making plans on what I want to do next year and one of my secret passions is that of videography. I did media for GCSE and A-Level but then after that, it was a hobby that disappeared. However, with the easy access to technology I have been able to take it up again. I love being behind the camera, but getting in front of it is a whole different ball game! Vlogging is something I want to do, but also I get scared and nervous about being on camera! I have lots of ideas about how I want to make a video or say in the video, but then make excuses as to why I should wait. The music in the gym is too loud Other people are around and will see me I'll look silly if I mess up my words The camera is too big and people will be self conscious of me filming It will take ages to edit the video. I have therefore stalled on starting to do a vlog and I talk to lots and lots of people who do the same for fitness by making excuses instead of just taking action. I'll wait until my kids go back to school I'll start in the new year I'll wait until after easter I'll start when you start I'm waiting for better weather These are just a few of the excuses that I hear when people think about starting to train. All that is necessary is to take action and just do it. I am therefore going to do a deal with you, ok?! I am going to start doing my vlog TODAY!!! I am going to do my first bit of filming tonight and start getting content out over the next couple of weeks. It won't be every day, but it will be more than doing nothing! If you have previously stalled on starting your cycling training or know that you just go into a winter cocoon and come out unfit in the Spring and have to build yourself up again, then we are giving you an offer that you can't turn down! This winter we are giving you a 50% discount to join our group training sessions. If you e-mail us with the words 'WINTER TRAINING', we will contact you and let you know more information. With this extra saving, we are leaving you no excuses to start this winter and come out in the Spring, fitter, stronger, faster, leaner and able to tackle those hills you've always struggled against with ease. We are looking for 10 people to join us because we are already just over 50% capacity. This doesn't leave you long to sign up as this offer is only available until September 17th. We look forward to hearing from you and sending you more information. Have a great day, Graham P.S. Don't forget we now have studios at Pear Mill Stockport as well as in Eccles to give everyone easier access to our training. Just reply to this e-mail with 'WINTER TRAINING' to hear more about this amazing 50% discount offer! P.P.S. If you would like help training for an event or want some coaching we can help you. Our services include: 1. Training from our indoor studios. Fully kitted out gyms to help improve your strength, power and endurance. 2. We can train you at home using Zwift or Trainer Road 3. We can do remote coaching using Training Peaks Coaching Software If you would like some help with your cycling and training, then let us know by replying to this e-mail or visiting our Manchester (graham 07791060451) or Southampton (Andy 07770908030) websites. Facebook   |   YouTube   |   Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Beam.Pro Click to Post

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The Early Bird Catches the worm...and gets a hefty discount!!!

Hey Everyone! I hope you are all well and have been having a good summer! As many of you may know I am off to do a bit of a cycle tour around Europe in September supporting corporate group rides with my other business 'Cycle Tours UK'. That means that I am therefore unable to do any of my winter planning in September. I have been really busy getting lots of training plans, training sessions, an online store all ready for winter, so no matter what type of training you want to do, we will have you covered. This has led me to stop my daily e-mail and vlog to make sure that I have everything ready for you in October. This year I am opening up another studio in Pear Mill, Stockport to compliment our other studio in Eccles. This will allow you to choose between the two studios and anyone near the South of Manchester to have closer access to our training. Our Services now include: Cycle Fitness Training (like spin, but i'll actually get you results!) Nutrition plans (Maintain a healthy eating plan, without giving up the 'naughty' stuff) Strength and Conditioning (group and individual) Rehabilitation (injury/pain prevention) If you are interested in taking your cycling fitness to a new level next year, then we have a fantastic offer for our studio training. We are offering an Early Bird special for those that sign up to our winter studio training. We are offering a 50% discount if you sign up before the 17th September. Our training will help you to: 1. Stay consistent (massively important when days are short and time is limited) 2. Allow you to do less training in the winter but maximise your performance 3. Train in a group environment that motivates you 4. Have a professional coach look at all your data on a regular basis to make sure that you stay on track 5. Have a professional coach be at your training sessions so you don't slack off 6. Put a training plan in place over winter to maximise your results in the summer 7. Meet other members who are also like minded individuals To show you how quickly we can gain results, this is a quote from one of our recently acquired clients: "I joined the cycle gym just over 6 weeks ago and have not only got my training on track but also my diet. This has helped me achieve my personal goals and I feel amazing. I am now 'stronger, for longer'"!!! - Dave Mould I understand we aren't even through summer yet (although the weather wouldn't agree with that statement) but due to me being away in September I am looking for 10 people who want to see big changes or want to increase their fitness over winter, then reply to this e-mail saying 'WINTER TRAINING'. I will then contact you to let you know more information. This offer is only available until September 17th and we are already over 50% capacity, so you don't have long to book your training this winter at this amazing discounted offer. I can't wait for this winter as we have LOTS of exciting things happening and we will be adding huge amounts of value to the club this year and we won't just be taking you to the next level, but the gyms will also be taken to a whole new level! Look forward to seeing your e-mails come through and booking you in. Have a great day! Graham P.S. All you have to do is reply with the words 'WINTER TRAINING' to confirm you are interested in this 50% discounted winter training offer and we will reply and let you know more information. P.P.S. If you would like help training for an event or want some coaching we can help you. Our services include: 1. Training from our indoor studios. Fully kitted out gyms to help improve your strength, power and endurance. 2. We can train you at home using Zwift or Trainer Road 3. We can do remote coaching using Training Peaks Coaching Software If you would like some help with your cycling and training, then let us know by replying to this e-mail or visiting our Manchester (graham 07791060451) or Southampton (Andy 07770908030) websites. Facebook   |   YouTube   |   Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Beam.Pro Click to Post

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TOP TIPS ON TRAVELLING TO A CYCLING EVENT

Hi there! How are you today? Looking forward to the weekend? This weekend I am having a quick weekend in Ireland. It is the first time that I have seen the Irish family since I got married so I am literally about to head out for a meal in a minute so thought I would get a quick e-mail in before heading out. I am lucky that I don’t have an event on this weekend because I always find travel takes it out of me, whichever direction I go and it doesn’t matter how small the time difference! When you go to an event and you have to travel it is really important to make sure that you plan and prepare for this part of the event because it can be psychologically and physically tiring. Use the below tips to help you when you need to travel to an event or click on the infographic below for more information! Here are my top tips in making sure that travel doesn’t get the best of you when you head abroad for a cycling event: 1. Try and sleep in line with the times that the country you are visiting. Sometimes easier said than done! 2. If the event is abroad, try and arrive a couple days in advance if you can to adjust the body clock and to get used to any changes in temperature/elevation. If it is in the same country, arrive in plenty of time to get prepared and sort all of your equipment out and to register. 3. Research what the weather will be like to help determine your hydration, nutrition and clothing strategies. Stay hydrated at all times. Drink lots of water and eat lots of vegetables! 4. Try and maintain a neck position that doesn’t cause tightness 5. Try and get a massage or use a foam roller to loosen off the muscles in tight areas on arrival 6. If you don’t have a masseuse or foam roller handy, a lacrosse ball, stretching or yoga can be beneficial 7. Bring a Book to read to help you get to sleep if you are suffering from jet lag 8. Make sure you get your bike serviced and looked at before you go. Also check it over again when you get to the event. 9. Having a check list can help to keep you focused and not lose sight of what you are doing/where you are supposed to be 10. If coming from high elevation to sea level, try and leave your arrival as late as possible to make the most of the increased blood cells you will have gained at altitude! Those are my top tips for managing your travel when heading to a cycling event but check out this awesome infographic which shows how to travel like an athlete! Hope that helps over the coming months if you have to head off somewhere for a cycling event. Have a great weekend and enjoy the heat wave!!! Graham   P.S. If you would like help training for a cycling event or want some cycle coaching we can help you. Our services include: 1. Training from our indoor studios. Fully kitted out gyms to help improve your strength, power and endurance. 2. We can train you at home using Zwift or Trainer Road 3. We can do remote coaching using Training Peaks Coaching Software If you would like some help with your cycling and training, then let us know by replying to this e-mail or visiting our Manchester (graham 07791060451) or Southampton (Andy 07770908030) websites.  Facebook   |   YouTube   |   Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Beam.Pro Click to Post

[thecyclegym-blog]

WHICH TURBO SHOULD I BUY?

Hey Everyone! I hope you are having a great week and you are excited for the weekend! So today I just want to clear one thing up about Turbo Trainers. I’ve been using SMART turbo trainers (the ones that connect to your pc and use power and resistance to control the turbo) for about 5 or so years now. I am a BIG fan of the Computrainer which is at the VERY TOP of the price list, but that was because no one else was even in the market for them to not charge that price. Since then, the price has dropped more in line with other smart turbos, but their product hasn’t kept up with the technology in turbo trainers unfortunately. However, I still use them in my studios because they produce one hell of a return on investment and I love them! So what should you be doing for purchasing a turbo. 1. Don’t buy anything that isn’t a smart turbo trainer 2. Don’t buy anything that isn’t a smart turbo trainer!!! So straight away I can hear a lot of people saying ‘but they are so much more expensive’. Yes they are, but FOR A REASON! 1. They are more complicated to produce 2. Until this year they didn’t sell as many so they didn’t produce as many (this has now reversed and prices should come down if the economy plays ball) 3. They use power data and controlled resistance 4. You can connect them to your phone, iPad or computer meaning you can train ANYWHERE! 5. They last longer than a ‘DUMB’ Trainer. In this day and age, the technology is SO GOOD that many of the professionals are using turbo trainers as part of their training as well as their warm up and warm down at a race, but can also be hugely valuable when anything outdoors is against you or if time is a barrier. You can pack in so much more on the turbo, which is why when people come to see us at our studios, we get them results faster than you can say PETERSAGAN! So my recommendations for turbos are: 1. Buy electronic drive/magnetic resistance (fluid trainers power curve is harder to get right) 2. Buy Something above £500 (if you are worried about cost, most online stores will offer finance to spread the cost) 3. Something with both bluetooth and ant+ is preferable My Top Turbo Trainers are: 1. Tacx Neo 2. Tacx Flux 3. Wahoo Kickr 4. Elite Drive 5. Computrainer You can purchase Tacx & Elite Products on our online store by clicking here Have a great day! Graham   P.S. If you would like help training for a cycling event or want some cycle coaching we can help you. Our services include: 1. Training from our indoor studios. Fully kitted out gyms to help improve your strength, power and endurance. 2. We can train you at home using Zwift or Trainer Road 3. We can do remote coaching using Training Peaks Coaching Software If you would like some help with your cycling and training, then let us know by replying to this e-mail or visiting our Manchester (graham 07791060451) or Southampton (Andy 07770908030) websites.  Facebook   |   YouTube   |   Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Beam.Pro Click to Post

[thecyclegym-blog]

I'VE STARTED TRACKING MY CALORIES...

Hi Guys! I hope you are all good today as we are now half way through the week! So I have always thought I was pretty on top of things with food. I thought I had a good understanding of how much I was putting in, both portion size and calorie wise. I have dabbled in tracking, but have always failed in keeping it up because it took a while to add all the foods and drinks I was taking in. I essentially wasn’t committed enough to keep it going or figure it out myself. However, MyFitness Pal - the number 1 food tracking app has come on leaps and bounds. With extra features such as barcode scanning and portion size automation, it takes care of everything so easily. All you have to do is enter what portion of the food you ate and BOOM, your done. You can carry on with your day. It literally takes me a maximum of 1 minute to enter the foods that I am eating to get a clearer (I say clearer because it can’t always be 100% accurate) understanding of what is going into my body. Tracking food was frustrating because I probably knew that I was eating stuff that I shouldn’t have done and as soon as I started to add it in, I felt guilty and packed it in. However, that is the whole point of tracking food. It makes you make better decisions and helps you question whether you need it because if you go over your target calories for the day, then you aren’t going to hit your goals as quickly as you would if you stayed under. The goal is to stick to this for 6 weeks, just like anything to do with fitness, you have to give it time. You can’t expect quick fixes and you can’t expect miracles. You need to commit to what you do and stick to it. We have the ability to calculate your calorie count and macronutrients and put that into a plan in line with your training. Let me know if this could be something you are interested in. Have a great day. Graham P.S. I’ve also found that you can now integrate my fitness pal with Training Peaks so we can check on your daily calorie count with your training to make our coaching decisions even more informed! They update in real time as well, which is super cool! P.S. Remember that you can buy all of your turbo and cycling needs from our online store. CLICK HERE to see our latest offers on turbos, accessories and coaching. Facebook   |   YouTube   |   Twitter   |   Instagram   Click to Post

[thecyclegym-blog]

Learn to cycle like you drive

Hey Everyone! I hope you are well today and had a good weekend. There wasn’t any riding for me this weekend as I was at my friends wedding in Wales. However, Wales isn’t somewhere that I’ve done a lot of cycling, but as you drive through the winding roads, that travel through the valleys, you can’t help but fall in love with the place. I definitely want to get my bike out and take it for a spin in Wales someday soon. Whilst driving down there I encountered some strange driving where cars in front of me would brake in the middle lane with plenty of room in front of them. This then causes panic with drivers behind and everyone else starts jamming on their brakes which could lead to; 1. A crash 2. A domino effect where everyone slows down, causing a traffic jam for no reason. This kind of driving reminds me of cyclists when they are out. If they are under confident or don’t have as much experience the same thing can happen. Many cyclists panic and jam on their brakes instead of either: 1. keep pedalling, just lighter 2. stop pedalling but maintain the wheel of the rider in front 3. stop pedalling and just pop out to the side of the rider in front a little to get more wind resistance slowing them down naturally. The methods above are an easy way to maintain speed when riding behind other cyclists, without slowing down the group or causing an accident. Granted, becoming confident about doing the above does take time, but just remember that as the rider infant of someone, you are in charge of making sure that the person behind you gets a safe ride. You don’t have to practice these techniques at 100mph. You should practice these in a safe, closed road environment to start with and then pick up the speed as you become more confident. So remember, 1. You should throttle your pedalling like you do when you drive. 2. You don’t always need to pump the brakes when you see something up ahead 3. You can decelerate by taking your feet off the throttle and use natural wind resistance to slow yourself down without causing a crash behind you If you have any questions on this, I am more than happy to help or teach you these skills. Have a good day. Graham   P.S. If you would like help training for a cycling event or want some cycle coaching we can help you. Our services include: 1. Training from our indoor studios. Fully kitted out gyms to help improve your strength, power and endurance. 2. We can train you at home using Zwift or Trainer Road 3. We can do remote coaching using Training Peaks Coaching Software If you would like some help with your cycling and training, then let us know by replying to this e-mail or visiting our Manchester (graham 07791060451) or Southampton (Andy 07770908030) websites.  Facebook   |   YouTube   |   Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Beam.Pro Click to Post

[thecyclegym-blog]

HOW TO TRAIN IN THE LAST 4 WEEKS BEFORE AN EVENT

Hey there everyone! I hope you are well today and looking forward to the weekend! So we have a little over 4 weeks until we head back out to France to do another Bordeaux to Barcelona, so what am i doing in the last 4 weeks? Training The last 4 weeks is really important part of the training block. If you are training less than 15hrs a week, you really don’t need a long taper. The taper can be 1.5-1 week because we actually need as many miles in the legs as possible to handle the distances and terrain that we will come up against. So over the next 4 weeks you want three weeks where you have your largest build of distance, hours or stress (whatever your using to measure your progress) with a one week taper. Mistakes At this point in your training you should have had a consistent block of training where you have been building each week so the increase in the training over the next 4 weeks shouldn’t be too much of a shock to the system. What you don’t want to do is have done no training and then panic in these last 4 weeks and try and cram in as much as possible. This will just tire the body out and could lead to injury or illness. Nutrition If you are losing weight to be light for the event, then make sure you maintain your CALORIE DEFICIT as this is what drops weight. Make sure you are getting an even portion of macro nutrients (Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat) and don’t drop any of them out of your diet unless you have an allergy as they all contain important nutrients to help your body grow & repair. Make sure you are getting plenty of water on board and that you are cycling the fluid. If you are doing large distances at this point then you need to be taking on lots of water, but on rest days, water might build up and increase your weight so make sure that you keep turning the legs on a rest day or use something like a sauna to sweat it out (thats a pro tip!) Sleep Manage your sleep well as this is when the recovery process has its greatest effect. If you are doing long miles and building up a good amount of distance each day then you should have a good nights sleep. Try to get to bed around 9pm for a full cycle. That about wraps up how you should be training in the last 4 weeks leading up to an event. If you need any more information then please do get in contact. Have a great Weekend. Graham       P.S. If you would like help training for a cycling event or want some cycle coaching we can help you. Our services include: 1. Training from our indoor studios. Fully kitted out gyms to help improve your strength, power and endurance. 2. We can train you at home using Zwift or Trainer Road 3. We can do remote coaching using Training Peaks Coaching Software If you would like some help with your cycling and training, then let us know by replying to this e-mail or visiting our Manchester (graham 07791060451) or Southampton (Andy 07770908030) websites.  Facebook   |   YouTube   |   Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Beam.Pro Click to Post

[thecyclegym-blog]

WHY ERG MODE SHOULD BE PART OF YOUR TRAINING

Hey Everyone! Hope you are having a fantastic week and managed to dodge the rain. As soon as It gets wet I head indoors. You can call me whatever you want and quote Rule #5 at me, but I am a big believer in QUALITY training over anything else. the wet, wind and rain can potentially be a hinderance. It might help you work on your technical skills, but ultimately being a drowned rat isn’t necessary in this day and age with the technology that we have. With so many training apps and software, it is very easy to purchase a smart trainer and get the biggest bang for your buck. For me I started using smart trainers with the software that we use in our studios called Perfpro which can only be used on PC. However I now do a lot of my training at home and use my mac and zwift. Because of my training background, I already know the duration of efforts I need to do so I don’t write the plans anymore, I just get on and train. However, the problem with this is if you feel really good, you can get carried away and start chasing KOM’s, other riders, bigger numbers and you can totally mess up your training for that time. It is therefore important to use ‘erg mode’ if you use something like Zwift or Trainer road with pre programmed sessions. This will help you hit your numbers and specific power goals. Erg mode essentially applies resistance as necessary to make sure that you can’t go over the targeted power. It is great for specific training sessions and any ‘gradients’ won’t get in the way of you hitting your targeted power. If you have a coach, you should be prescribed a mix between erg and gradient based workouts to get the most adaptation. So make sure you get a mix of both ‘gradient’ and ‘erg’ mode workouts so that your body doesn’t get used to doing the same thing over and over again. If you want any indoor training plans then please do contact us. We can coach remotely using Training peaks. Have a great day! Graham     P.S. If you would like help training for a cycling event or want some cycle coaching we can help you. Our services include: 1. Training from our indoor studios. Fully kitted out gyms to help improve your strength, power and endurance. 2. We can train you at home using Zwift or Trainer Road 3. We can do remote coaching using Training Peaks Coaching Software If you would like some help with your cycling and training, then let us know by replying to this e-mail or visiting our Manchester (graham 07791060451) or Southampton (Andy 07770908030) websites.  Facebook   |   YouTube   |   Twitter   |   Instagram   |   Beam.Pro Click to Post