Training & Nutrition - Long or short/intense workouts?

Something that has questioned me for a while is, do you get a better workout from riding a long time or from doing a short yet super intensive workout? I recently read somewhere the shorter/more intense workout once a week keeps your more fit than riding 3-4 times a week and riding lightly.

Any ideas?

Depends on what you want to do and what your goals are. Ideally, both have their value. Long easy rides while spinning at a high cadence help loosen the legs, stoke the metabolism to burn fat and lay the ground work for riding at higher speeds later in the season. Also, in the winter it is more difficult for the body to ride hard and fast versus the late spring and summer months. As the year progresses, work in shorter intense rides to increase speed and, as you said, "fitness." If you really want good advice pick up a copy of Joe Friel's Cyclist Training Bible.

Thanks, I'm actually training for CX, so I'm guessing a combination of both would be benficial.

You need both, longer easier rides to develop and maintain the aerobic foundation for speed and intensity. The intensity brings speed and power. If time and work schedules do prevent longer rides, short, intense work-outs will do in a pinch, temporarily, to maintain fitness.

So, yes, you need both.

if done properly, both within the same week. break up your efforts and have fun excelling at both. more fit? my short distances that are intense with many jump up's keep me in the sprint, but without the long endurance rides i can't even get to the sprint at the end of the ride!! my goal is top speed AFTER the 1st 50 show miles. this means taking both types of workouts seriously.

You need both. Long rides to build and maintain endurance, short hammer rides/interval rides to build power and strength. You also need rest time, so dont go 100% every day of the week.

Even in the long, slow rides, you can do a sprint or two, can't you?


jim

Even in the long, slow rides, you can do a sprint or two, can't you?


Absolutely. Charge the hill. Sprint to the sign. Take a long hard pull. A workout doesn't have to be one or the other. Mix it up. :D