jcdebow

I've been reading through past posts on indoor trainer programs and nutrition requirements - all information has been excellent and much appreciated. I'm a newbie to the technical side of training, so please excuse the simplicity of my questions. I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I want my workouts to be as beneficial as possible, and (since reading about catabolism - yikes!) am worried the weight loss and fitness gains I've had this year have been muscle fuelled.

STATS
35 yrs, 5'8'', 170 lbs, MHR ~195, RHR ~62

RECENT RIDE HISTORY
Summer ~ 60 to 100 miles per week, 3 century rides

WINTER GOALS
Lose 5-10 lbs, improve cardiovascular fitness

INDOOR TRAINER TIME AVAILABLE
1 hour per day Mon to Fri, 2 hours per day weekends

QUESTIONS
Given my simple goals and the time I have available, what would be the best weekly training program?
How much should I eat after riding so as not eat my muscles alive?
What is my theoretical LT?

Right now, I am riding between 125 and 165 bpm for about an hour a day, and complete a two-hour Spinervals interval workout on Sunday.

Any suggestions? Thanks

Az B

I'm no expert here, but it sounds to me like you've got a pretty good handle on things. I'm not a calorie counter, so I'm not much help there. I pretty much eat what my body wants as long as I'm losing a pound a week or holding steady, I'm not really worried. I lost 20 lbs this year without counting calories, so I know I'm on the right track.

I'm assuming the interval workouts are at least 70% of MHR?

The only thing I could think of to improve things would be to add some circuit weight training, or some different cardio just to break up the monotony of riding a trainer. I've recently begun jump rope to add some cardio and lessen trainer time. It also has the benefit of putting some stress on your skeletal system to reduce bone loss. For weight training, you can do a lot with a couple of dumbbells, a pull up bar, (or sturdy doorsill) and a fitness ball.

Az

DannoXYZ 

Sounds like you're on track, so don't worry about it too much. Stick with the programme you made. Be careful with your food-intake because you end up burning off only about 1/2 the calories in the winter workouts compared to riding outdoors (don't have to count every single calorie, unless you're obsessive). Just double-check your weight and body-fat% once a week to confirm things aren't changing for the worse. If so, modify the training and meals. Just a couple suggestions:

- Try to keep HR above 140 just below LT, for the endurance rides.
- add in some aerobic intervals, 160-170bpm
- do a couple anaerobic intervals, 170bpm -> max-HR

To find your LT, do the 2x20 test.

jcdebow

Thanks. I appreciate the suggestions. You had talked in previous posts about carb consumption post-workout (1.5g/kg). How does that apply to a one-hour endurance ride? I train at 5:30AM and am starving when I get off the bike. How much should I eat directly after to avoid muscle breakdown and maximize fat burning?

DannoXYZ 

That 1.5g/kg figure is assuming you depleted most of your glycogen on a 2-3 hour ride and it anticipated further meals within 2-hours. It's basically the worse-case scenario.

Do you eat before the morning ride? A one-hour ride indoors will probably burn off 400-600 calories, depending upon your fitness level. So you can still take in an energy-bar after the ride to quench the starving. Then a normal breakfast later.

jcdebow

Yeah, I usually have peanut butter and banana on whole wheat pita 15 min before, then my usual oatmeal w. nuts, seeds, and soymilk after.

I'm glad you clarified the 1.5g information for me. I couldn't imagine how (or why) I would eat that much after an hour ride.

Thanks again.