3 simple but important exercises for cyclists

May 4, 2016 by Rachael Lowe
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The main goals of any strength and conditioning programme for cyclists should be to improve performance and prevent injury.  For this you need to establish good form, increase power and develop endurance.  These three but simple exercises are a good place to start. Thread the needle As cyclists we spend a lot of time in flexion, hunched over our bike for hours on end.  This can cause problems with and stiffness in the thoracic spine and shoulders.  Threading the needle is a great flexibility exercise to undo Continue reading →

Play the Zwift game to overcome cycle training pain!

April 29, 2016 by Tony Lowe
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Get serious about your cycle training and have fun at the same time with Zwift! As most committed cyclists must now know, the most efficient way to build fitness for performance on the bike, particularly during the winter is to use an indoor turbo trainer and follow a power based structured training plan. However like many others the tedious and painful reality of suffering for hours, going nowhere has prevented me following this path to progress. In any one winter I probably would use my Continue reading →

Can I vote myself off ‘Someday Island’ before my next challenge?

April 15, 2016 by Jackie Maclean-Martin
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This is my imaginary island, my ‘excuse island’ for when I’m suffering from ‘excuse-itus’. Brian Tracy, author and presenter in personal and business development suggested many people get stuck on ‘Someday Isle’ which limits success in achieving our goals, unless we vote ourselves off the island and basically get on with it. Life is busy, a tricky balance between family, friends, work, home, admin, holidays, health and hobbies, so when do we find the time to exercise?  I could be an Olympian if there was Continue reading →

Strength and conditioning to improve your cycling

April 6, 2016 by Rachael Lowe
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long distance cycling endurance
If you’re serious about your cycling you’ll integrate a couple of interval sessions into your training week, but have you ever thought about strength and conditioning?  Common in most other sports and the secret tool of the pros, this approach to training doesn’t get much attention in cycling, but it’s set to explode!  Be ahead of the game and learn how to use strength and conditioning exercises to improve you cycling. A year-round strength and conditioning program for a cyclist is an essential aspect of training for every level of rider Continue reading →

Important life lessons from a 24hour cross country ski marathon

April 4, 2016 by Neil Maclean-Martin
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Last weekend I was given the opportunity to compete in a 24 hour cross-country ski marathon in Switzerland (Ski-24).  Let’s get some of the numbers sorted first – there were 61 teams consisting of mostly ten members, there were two solo guys and five teams of three of which we were one, that meant roughly eight hours each.  It was a four kilometre course with about 160m of up and down every loop.  Between us we managed 83 laps which added up to 332km and Continue reading →

I Miss My Bike…

March 23, 2016 by Keith Partridge
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keith our cakeith our cameraman on bike fitness and filming in venzuelameraman in venzuela
It seems like an eternity since I last felt the saddle between my cheeks, the wind-rush in my face and sweet smell of chammy cream in my nostrils. Fantasizing of those good things in life, home and play I feel fit and strong – all the riding seems to have paid off, training for something entirely different. I’m a million miles away from my trusty carbon steed, hauling large rucksacks around the rain forest, climbing previously un-scaled cliffs, exploring new cave passages deep with the Continue reading →

Riding the Strade Bianche Gran Fondo

March 8, 2016 by Tony Lowe
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What it takes to “Ride into the legend” on the iconic dirt roads of Tuscany… There are a handful of professional cycling one day races that have become true legends of the sport. This is because of their history, their courses and their champions. The most recent event to gain this status is the relatively youthful Strade Bianche run each year in March in the world heritage setting of the medieval city of Siena and the surrounding Tuscan hills. This race involves a tough hilly Continue reading →

SkiFit is in the Easyjet Traveller Magazine!

February 1, 2016 by Tony Lowe
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You know you’ve made it when you open an inflight magazine and see your product! Mum will be pleased! While we do know its actually too late to get fit for skiing once you are sat on the plane flying out to start your skiing holiday, however it’s still great to get this recognition! Hopefully those skiers who happen to flick to page 48 of Traveller Magazine while munching on an easyjet sandwich daydreaming about the mountains, the snow, the food etc that they will Continue reading →

Cyclists, the wait is over – BikeFit is now available!

January 25, 2016 by Tony Lowe
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Get fit off the bike to perform better on the bike, with BikeFit guided video workouts developed specifically for cyclists! Based on the success of the SkiFit and TriFit programmes we have now developed and launched BikeFit, a programme designed by our own clinical human performance expert Neil Maclean-Martin to increase performance while also developing robustness against injury, especially for all cyclists. This four phase, 8 week programme adopts a similar incremental model to SkiFit with each 50 minute workout building on the last and Continue reading →

Help! I’m going skiing for the first time in 4 weeks!

January 14, 2016 by Tony Lowe
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Ski lessons will make or break your first ski experience – choose a excellent instructor such as the team at BASS St Gervis – Megeve HELP!! I am 52 and have never skied in my life! I am not really fit:( and have 4 weeks to at least make some effort. I also have a problem with one knee so shall have to work around that:( Where would you suggest I start? We recently received this question from a SkiFit user who faces the very Continue reading →