Indoor Biking Workouts with the Concept2 BikeErg
Here are some Concept2 BikeErg - Indoor Biking Workouts to get you ready for a long season of outdoor cycling, as well as a few strength training movements to build power and for injury prevention.
Steady State Endurance Rides
If you are dreaming of epic gravel, road, and mountain bike rides this summer, now is the time to start preparing for them. Steady state endurance rides on the BikeErg will help you do that.
The Workout
30 mins to 120 mins depending on your weekly volume goals.
Aiming for zone 2 Heart Rate (HR), or a conversational pace.
Damper between 3-6, or able to maintain 70-90 RPM.
Incorporate more endurance rides to help build weekly volume in your training, and to build a strong cardiovascular fitness base.
Hill Simulators
Do you wince thinking of how winded you feel on the first few rides of the season as you crest each hill? Use this workout to get you ready to tackle even some of the longest and gnarliest of hills come outdoor riding season.
The Workout
10 minutes easy warm up.
3 x 10 minutes, increasing the damper every 2 minutes in the 10 minute “hill” segments. Start at damper setting 4 and work your way up.
Take 2 minutes easy and go back to damper setting 4 between each 10 minute “hill” segment.
You should be breathing heavy and working hard, just like you would at the top of a big climb. Take a 5-minute cool down and pedal easy.
Zone 4 Intervals
Ready to crush your Strava segment PR this summer? These zone 4 intervals will help you do just that. Zone 4, or anerobic threshold, should be performed at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate beats per minute (bpm).
The Workout
Warm up your legs and pedal easy for 10 minutes.
10 x 1,000m intervals in zone 4 with 90 seconds rest between each effort.
Increase the damper for each interval (5-6) and decrease for the rest (3-4).
Take a 5-minute cool down and pedal easy.
With the help of ErgData and target heart rate zone, get into zone 4 quickly, but do not push too hard so that you will not be able to finish all the intervals or go into zone 5 heart rates.
Sprint Intervals
Sprints do not just help your speed, they also help improve your endurance, build your VO2 max, and help build your fast twitch muscle fibers. Sprints are a great way to improve your cardiovascular fitness, without taking up too much time.
The Workout
Pedal easy for 15-20 minutes to start. For sprints, it is important to be sufficiently warmed up before you begin.
10 x 30 seconds all out with 60 seconds rest.
As you continue to adapt, decrease the rest or increase the amount of intervals.
Pedal easy for 5 minutes to cool down.