Exercise routine for cyclists - Day 1

Today I started my 3 day exercise routine in preparation for the cyclocross race on 22nd January in Abingdon.

With just over a week to go, I need a sure fire way of getting my fitness back after the joys of Christmas and new year took a toll on me.

About a couple of years ago I invested in a set of exercise equipment called ViPR (

official page here). I bought the 4Kg, 8Kg and 16Kg models, second hand on eBay. 

Here is what the Day 1 routine looks like using an App called VT ViPR:

 

The routine for Day 1 is pretty simple. 

The first two exercises focus on the legs, with big full body movements revolving around squats.

The next two exercises focus on side lunges, and start to recruit more of the core muscles.

Then I put a couple of arm focused movements to get the back and chest nicely warmed up which helps retain heat but also relax the neck muscles during the ride.

Finally forward lunges with rotations which recruit even more of the core muscles and improve stability on the bike.

To make things easier I made sure I only did a short workout but at full intensity.

 

I originally started using ViPR at the gym about 5 years ago. It revolutionised the way I approach aerobic training. The loaded movement concept really bodes well with me and I eventually cancelled my gym membership since all I ended up doing was train with ViPR.

One other benefit of ViPR for me is that it can be a great warm up routine before a ride, in 10 minutes using the 4Kg model, I can feel as warmed up as if I had cycled for 20 minutes and I can do that in my cycling gear.

Next time I'll post about the Day 2 ViPR routine.