How To Not Suck On A Luger

Wow, a wet, chilly, grey fall day here in WPA. This time of year I have no desire to put myself through the elements when my only goal is to maintain my weight and some fitness until training starts up again in about a month, so I just hit the basement to start developing my off season work out plan.

I'm giving up the gym membership this off season to save a little money and to focus more on cycling specific workouts as I did two years ago, so today I just experimented with sort of a circuit training that utilizes both the bike and weights.

Here's a little insight into what my ditching the gym and working out a home will be....

I've set up a work out area in the basement. I have an old Jamis Nova attached to a mag trainer with the front wheel raised to even out the bike. I have an old mirror near by that allows me to see my legs so I can keep an eye on my pedal stroke, and make sure I don't get too sloppy or relaxed. EVEN CIRCLES!

Then I of course have iPodious loaded and ready with some mixes, an old tv/vcr and a bunch of old cycling videos to watch.

To recreate so of the gym atmosphere I have a nearby wall plastered with photos of masturbatory worthy gym chicks in workout gear I got out of Wifey's SHAPE Magazine and a couple of photos of scary people working out in jeans and dress shoes. ( kidding of course ;)

For motivation - interspersed with the M'bate Worthy Gym Chicks I have a couple photo's of me from one or two of this years "suck fest" races (see Hardcore 24 or Seven Springs) along with some racers I dig such as...

This year's wanna be goal weight racer: 6'1" 149 lb. Frank Schleck...

Not sure I want to loose 30 lbs. I think I'd be dead. But I can try!

Then I also have a set of 15/20 lb. dumbbells and a barely useful, but good enough for me home gym.

Take this for what it's worth, I'm NO pro. I don't pretend to be. I'm also not a trainer, a doctor or anything of certified value, so if you bust a nut or blowout an artery- don't blame me. I also don't want blamed for you doing this workout and seeing your fitness fizzle, no improvement, or not finding it challenging. This is just one of the things I do to keep me from sucking on the barrel of a Luger when I can't ride and finish in the front of the middle of the pack come race day.

So here we go...

The work out I did today is kinda of a "weight training" circuit deal. I kinda enjoyed the gym last year, but found other than using the stair master I could do the same weight workouts at home and use my trainer to focus on some more bike specific leg muscles without packing on excess muscle weight.

A good way to find out what muscles you want to work is during a ride take a few minutes at different times and allow yourself to focus on what muscles you feel working at that specific time. Seated climbs, (glutes? hammies?), technical rock garden (arms? core?) Out of saddle climbs (quads?, arms?) etc., etc., Everyone is different in their technique so that's why I suggest making some mental notes.

After you've made your mental notes, now you can transfer some of that to your indoor sessions a couple times a week. I do just enough with the weights to keep those muscles reminded of what they go through during a ride and add a little more so as to improve 'em.

Not gonna get too specific about the workout. Reps, weight amount etc., it's your call, you know what kind of riding you do and what you need to focus on, not me. Plus I can't be giving up my secrets of how to finish in 10th place.

Today I did an hour, but you can do as long as you want. I start with 15 minutes on the trainer warming up at 90-100 RPM, then a quick round of 5 different weight and core exercises, then back on the bike for a 5 minute standing hill climb effort followed by spinning a moderate gear (not too easy, not too hard) at 90 RPM for 10 minutes. Repeat as often as you want. I alternated between the standing and sitting hill climbs to mix up the muscles a bit and to let my ass breath.

I prefer this type of circuit. Keeps the heart pumping and for me it breaks up the boredom of the weights with bike time.

This is just one type work out I like to do in the off season. I also like to mix in 2 hour marathon spin sessions, intervals (even though I'm bad about doing them), recovery spins and outdoor riding of course.

Once the off season is in full swing I'll post more of some of the other dumb shit I do to stay in that exclusive group that I like to call "thin Americans".

In other less sweaty news:

The El Santo went on eBay today too. Let the bidding begin. Daddy wants a Mamasita!!! Tore the f'er down yesterday except for the crank. Tom's got the tool for that (does that sound perverse, or is it just me? It's just me? I thought so.) So I'll head over there tomorrow to get my crank pulled (again, me?)

Now it's time for another off season activity... 12 oz. curls with some WIld Goose.

Later.