I am trying to stay in shape during the winter months here in Chicagoland, but being tight on funds I don't want to buy a gym membership and cycling trainers are pretty expensive last time I checked. I tried to develop a little workout routine that I can do at home for free. I am going to be entering my first races (road and mountain) next season and my main goal is jut to finish in the middle of the pack. So here is my routine and I would love input of where I can improve it.

Push ups Crunches Body Squats Planks Lunges Side Crunches Skydivers Calf Raises
warm 10 10 10 10 sec 5 each 10 each dir 10 sec 30
1 30 30 30 1:00 min 10 each 30 each dir 1:00 min 90
2 40 40 40 1:00 min 10 each 30 each dir 1:00 min 90
3 50 50 50 1:30 min 20 each 40 each dir 1:30 min 90
4 30 30 30 1:00 min 10 each 30 each dir 1:00 min 90
cool 10 10 10 10 sec 5 each 10 each dir 10 sec 90

Thank you!

You can pick up a decent fluid trainer for around $150.

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Categor...02382&metaData=


Or you might be able to join spinning classes ... a dozen spinning classes @ $5/class = $60. Look around and see what you can find.


Or you might be able to get a 1-month gym membership at the local community centre or YMCA. We've done that while we are staying here in Canada for about a month, and we paid about $45 each. The community centre gym has lots of cardio equipment, weights, and a pool, all of which we can use. So we've been running, spinning, walking, swimming, etc. etc. to get our cardio workout in.


What you are doing is fine, but it would be a good idea to add cardio, and especially cycling-related cardio ... especially if your goal is to race. If $60 or $150 are still too much for you, add brisk walking/jogging. Go out for an hour a day, 6 days a week and walk as fast as you can, even break into a jog now and then, to get your heart rate up.

i don't want to but I think I will just have to buy a trainer. I'd love to run outside but the weather is so unpredictable out here it's hard to get a good training regime going I think.

I'm just curious if there are any other good exercises to strengthen muscles in the offseason. Can I do it at home or do I need weights and resistance training to really get any benifits?

The core work you are doing is good. One legged squats are good. One legged calf raises on a stair step are good. Lunges are good. But mostly what you need is aerobic training. The rest of it maybe makes a difference, maybe not, it's that small a difference. Trainer or rollers. I can't do anything in the spring if I haven't trained all winter.

+1

In my early days of cycling, I put the bicycle away in about November and started riding again in about April ... and it felt like I was just starting to ride for the first time. Even though I did try to keep somewhat active through the winter, I had lost so much fitness that I was struggling with 5 or 10 km rides.

Then I got an inexpensive stationary bicycle ... nothing special. But I rode that thing anywhere from 30-60 minutes a day about 4 days a week, and what a difference come April!! I could get on my bicycle and ride a decent distance without feeling like I was brand new to cycling.

When I got my trainer, and when I got involved in spinning classes, and when I started riding outside year round ... that made even more of a positive difference.

The OP can go to a pawn shop or secondhand dealer and find out if there are similar stationary bikes available for cheap. They don't have to have all the gizmos, just be a simple stationary bike. They don't have to cost a lot of money.

I guess I fell prey to this forum in a way. All I see is "you have to get a fluid trainer blah blah blah blah". Thanks for reminding me that getting the pulse pumping in any way is better than nothing!

I aquired a half decent spinning bike from a workmates father for a bottle of Balvenie,just luck,I asked around at work and a mates father had one in his garage.
Hang on for a month or so, then have a look in the "for sales" in your area, someone will have decided to get fit this "New year",but got fed up after a couple of weeks.
I struggled on with a normal cheap exercise bike,but only after taking a couple of spinning classes ,did I realise that the exercise bikes with the heavy flywheel work the best,you can peddle a hard resistance,while keeping it smooth. Without the flywheel,peddling,is very jerky.
BTW. I live 25 miles from Elgin--- Scotland.

That's crazy! I wonder if that's how this city got it's name...

So lets say I do buy a trainer, if I were to use the above workout routine to supplement that should I add anything? For example a different core exercise?

Because of the way your table didn't format, it's hard to know just what you have been doing, other than the list of exercises at the top. So it's hard to say. Mostly just work on developing cycling ability on the trainer. If you see weak spots then, work on those.

My wife dumpstered her trainer from a bike shop.

[TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Push ups[/TD]
[TD]Crunches[/TD]
[TD]Body Squats[/TD]
[TD]Planks[/TD]
[TD]Lunges [/TD]
[TD]Side Crunches[/TD]
[TD]Skydivers[/TD]
[TD]Calf Raises[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]warm up[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]10 sec[/TD]
[TD]5 each
side[/TD]
[TD]10 each side[/TD]
[TD]10 sec[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]1:00 min[/TD]
[TD]10 each [/TD]
[TD]30 each [/TD]
[TD]1:00 min[/TD]
[TD]90[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]1:00 min[/TD]
[TD]10 each [/TD]
[TD]30 each[/TD]
[TD]1:00 min[/TD]
[TD]90[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]50[/TD]
[TD]50[/TD]
[TD]50[/TD]
[TD]1:30[/TD]
[TD]20 each[/TD]
[TD]40 each[/TD]
[TD]1:30 min[/TD]
[TD]90[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]1:00 min[/TD]
[TD]10 each [/TD]
[TD]30 each[/TD]
[TD]1:00 min[/TD]
[TD]90[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]cool [/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[TD]10 sec[/TD]
[TD]5 each side[/TD]
[TD]10 each side[/TD]
[TD]10 sec[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


Is that easier?

Nope, just the same. For stuff like this, I post a JPG of a spreadsheet or word processing document using MWSnap.

I can see your table better if I use Go Advanced in my Reply with Quote. The HTML editor takes out all the spaces when it posts. So you're doing 6 circuits of these exercises? Fine to do if you have the time, but don't take cycling time away to do them. If time is limited, spend it on the bike. I tend to do stuff like this and weights in the winter, when I really don't want to spend that much time outdoors, on my rollers, or on a spin bike. So then I have the time for various cross training activities or routines. In the late spring and summer, I'm hard pressed to recover from just cycling.

I've found one-legged squats and calf raises to be much more effective.

yeah I noticed that after I submitted it, I fixed it. So your saying I should limit this to maybe one or two circuits and include one legged squats and mix that with some rollers/trainer.

Hey, that's great. How'd you do that?

Try getting on the trainer and doing your workout. Then do your core and legs until you're too tired to continue. Then you're done.

Edit: you only need the calisthenics 2 or 3 times/week.

I actually went to "go advanced" and there is an "insert a table" and I filled out the table from there.

I can turn you on to a Cross Fit gym in South Elgin, it's sort of a pay as you go deal but it builds core, speed, endurance and pain. Lot's of fun.
I have a used trainer and old dvd's for winter. I also use TRX straps but that's just me, I really like your routine. I might even use it every once in a while. I just can't do the same thing every day.
Can you look around for some reasonable spin classes? Does the Center offer them? Everyone I know that uses them has left me in the dust come spring time.

Hey I ride my road bike by Virgil all the time!

Yeah I can take a look at cross fit if it isn't too expensive. I caved and purchased a trainer as well. I was looking at the Elgin Center but they require a year membership, and I don't really know if I'll still be in Elgin in a year, so that was a no go. I know PSIMET was talking about one class in west Dundee and that was about 100 bucks for 6 classes.

P.S. I got a smoking deal (60 bucks cheaper than online) on the trainer at All Spoked Up in Batavia

You ride by Virgil the town or Virgil the street? I live on Meredith Rd in the town of Virgil, pretty much roadie heaven out here, must be 10-20 organized rides go down my street a year plus at least two club rides on a weekly basis. It's flat and windy but no pressure from traffic. I sometimes do "the Barrington loop" out of Elgin. That's about 36 miles with some mildly entertaining hills. The challenge on that ride is usually tempo with guys I ride with. We're all friends so we have the roadie unspoken code of try to kill each other.
The Elgin Center has left me underwhelmed to say the least...
Like I said before, I ride a trainer too. Just try to find routines with intervals. Simulated hills and sprints etc. Just sitting on it helps, but not as much.
Name of the gym is called LGN Performance, they're in South Elgin. I have no clue if they have a website but I'm sure they have a phone #.
There you go pal, best I could offer. Hope it helps.

I have ridden by your house a whole bunch of times haha. Where is the Barrington loop? I just moved here in May and I'm always looking for new rides.

I'll try to find you a mapmyride or strava link, I'm sure one of the nerds I ride with saved the route. There's TONS of riders out there on weekends.

Even in January?

Noooooooo.....!

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