Short of Time Training

Marcello lives in Italy and has not got as much time to train, he can only train during the week on work days and he wants to know the best use he can make of his limited time. We suggest he tries some interval training to maximize his training opportunities. Here is what he should do

Question:
Which is the best training system for a person having few hours during the week workdays? Thank you.

Hi Marcello,

If you want to improve and are short of time then you have to go for a high intensity training regime. This you can achieve with interval training and hard longer rides all depending on how much time you have available.

Interval training can take different forms, the best for improving you power should be done on a climb, not too hard but hard enough that you pulse will be over 80% of max, this interval should be undertaken as many times as you can until you can do no more.

For improving speed you should ride shorter intervals on flat road, pick a safe stretch of road up to around 2 kilometers and then split this so you can do intervals of half a kilometer, a kilometer and two kilometers. Start with half a kilometer and do four intervals with a rest between them. Then the one kilometer and the two kilometer, trying to do four of each. When you have done four intervals of two kilometers then start to work your way down again through the one kilometer and half kilometer intervals, four each again.

Another way to improve your speed and sprinting is to work with a partner taking turns to lead out and the other to sprint past. Pick a safe piece of road and sprint for a certain point coming from behind the other rider, this helps both of you as the leader will want to keep the speed high to stop the other passing and the one behind has to be going faster to pass the one in front.

Another option is to use a route that you know and train on regularly and ride as hard as you can between points. Pick houses or lampposts or some other marker and ride hard from one to the other and then rest between the next ones. This helps your strength and speed over different terrain and over different distances, so you might have to make an effort on a climb, on the flat or even on a descent, its depends on the points you have chosen.

Remember to rest and don’t do intervals every day, on other days just go for a ride or put your feet up. I hope this helps and you see some improvements soon?