English – Page 20 – BKOOL Magazine

Believe it or not, overtraining is much easier than you think. Piling on the hours of training isn’t always beneficial, and can even lead to problems. Overtraining can become dangerous if not caught in time, often jeopardizing the performance and long term health of many amateur athletes.

We’re going to explain what it is, why it happens, and what some of its symptoms are. This will help you detect it before it’s too late.

What is overtraining?

When you take on a high volume of training, we talk about two concepts: overload and overtraining.

Overload is the abnormally high muscle pain you feel when you don’t recover sufficiently between workouts. It usually appears after several consecutive days of demanding workouts, and also produces a feeling of exhaustion. Fortunately, overload has an easy cure: rest.

When you ignore the signs of overload and don’t slow down, that’s when you’re overtrained. If you continue to train harder after the body shows symptoms of overtraining, all you do is harm yourself.

Overtraining is a serious problem for your health as an athlete, since you may need weeks, or even months, to recover completely and return to your previous level of performance. Overtraining also affects the endocrine system, which is responsible for the hormones that govern tyhings like your mood.

Overtraining can also weaken the immune system, and if not treated in time, it can become chronic.This can be detrimental to long term health and fitness, even for years. That’s why it’s important to know how to modify the intensity of your training.

What are the symptoms of overtraining?

The symptoms of overtraining are numerous and can vary from athlete to athlete. However, the main ones are quite common, appearing in the vast majority of overtraining cases.

Insomnia

You may find it impossible to fall asleep when you need to. This restless feeling may be an indication that cortisone levels are too high. This so-called “stress hormone” often spikes when training is too intense.

Muscle pain that doesn’t go away

Do you feel more soreness than usual? Does your overload go beyond a few hours or a day after a demanding workout? When muscle soreness is constant, it can be a sign that your muscles have failed to repair themselves properly. This is a classic symptom of overtraining.

Performance plummets

There are times when, despite a high level of training, your fitness not only doesn’t increase, but actually gets worse. Your performance decreases and workouts don’t go according to plan. This drop in fitness is a clear sign that something’s wrong and your body is overtrained.

Chronic fatigue

If you’ve been feeling lethargic for several days, pay attention. Fatigue, both mental and physical, is one of the most obvious signs of overtraining.

Low mood or apathy

If you’re not in a good mood, or you’re feeling “down in the dumps”, overtraining may be to blame. As mentioned above, it affects the endocrine system which controls your mood.

Now that you know some of the key symptoms of overtraining, you just need to pay attention to them and be ready to adjust your training if any of them appear. Don’t hesitate to be flexible with your planning if necessary.

A light workout on BKOOL never hurts.

or not, overtraining is much easier than you think. Piling on the hours of training isn’t always beneficial, and can even lead to problems. Overtraining can become dangerous if not caught in time, often jeopardizing the performance and long term health of many amateur athletes.

We’re going to explain what it is, why it happens, and what some of its symptoms are. This will help you detect it before it’s too late.

What is overtraining?

When you take on a high volume of training, we talk about two concepts: overload and overtraining.

What are the symptoms of overtraining?

The symptoms of overtraining are numerous and can vary from athlete to athlete. However, the main ones are quite common, appearing in the vast majority of overtraining cases.

Insomnia

Muscle pain that doesn’t go away

Performance plummets

Chronic fatigue

If you’ve been feeling lethargic for several days, pay attention. Fatigue, both mental and physical, is one of the most obvious signs of overtraining.

Low mood or apathy

If you’re not in a good mood, or you’re feeling “down in the dumps”, overtraining may be to blame. As mentioned above, it affects the endocrine system which controls your mood.

A light workout on BKOOL never hurts.

Believe it or not, falling into overtraining is much easier than you think. Accumulating hours and hours of training is not always beneficial and can lead to certain problems. This syndrome, which can become very dangerous if not caught in time, often jeopardizes the performance of many amateur athletes.

So today we are going to explain what it is, why it occurs and what are some of its symptoms so that you can detect it in time.

What is overtraining?

When we face a high volume of training we can talk about two concepts: overload and overtraining.

Overload is that muscle pain that exceeds the normal and that appears when you do not recover enough between workouts. It usually appears after several consecutive days of demanding workouts and also produces a feeling of exhaustion. Fortunately, overload has a great solution: rest.

When we ignore the signs of overload and do not slow down, that is when overtraining appears. If we continue to train harder when the body shows such a weakness, all we do is harm ourselves.

Overtraining is a serious problem for our health as athletes, since we may need weeks, or even months, to recover completely and return to our level. And, beyond the sporting aspect, overtraining also affects the endocrine system, which is responsible for the hormones that govern, for example, mood.

In addition, it can also weaken the immune system and, if not treated in time, it can become chronic and detrimental to health and fitness in the long term, even for years. That’s why sometimes we need to know how to modify the intensity of our training.

What are the symptoms of overtraining?

The symptoms of overtraining are numerous and vary in each athlete, affecting each individual in one way or another. However, some of them are common in the vast majority of cases

Difficulties sleeping

Many times it is impossible to fall asleep when we get into bed. This restless feeling may be an indication that cortisone levels are too high. The so-called “stress hormone” appears when training is too intense.

Muscle pain does not stop

Do you feel more soreness than usual? Does your overload go beyond the hours or day after a demanding workout? When muscle soreness is constant it can be a sign that our muscles have failed to repair themselves properly, one of the symptoms of overtraining.

Fitness plummets

There are times when, despite being subjected to a high level of training, our fitness not only does not increase, but actually decreases. Our numbers get worse and workouts don’t go according to plan. The drop in fitness is a clear sign that we are not doing things right and our body is overtrained.

Chronic fatigue

If your body has been without energy for several days pay attention to all the indicators. Fatigue, both mental and physical, is one of the most obvious signs of overtraining.

Low mood or apathy

If you’re not in a good mood or you’re feeling “down in the dumps”, overtraining may be to blame. As mentioned above, it affects the endocrine system and, therefore, our mood.

Now that you know some of the main symptoms of overtraining, you just need to pay attention to them and, if any of them appear in your day-to-day life, be alert. Don’t hesitate to be flexible with your planning if necessary.

A light workout at BKOOL never hurts.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

We kick off the week with the iconic Arresø Rundt route, available in video and 3D. Arresø Rundt is an annual race that takes place in the beautiful nature around Denmark’s largest lake, Arresø. Joining us on this route for a special Group Ride is Jacob Skovsgaard, Denmark’s e-cycling winner who never misses the chance to join the BKOOLers whenever he can. You can join Jacob on Monday at 20:00h (CEST).

This week we set out to discover what Denmark has to offer BKOOLers from all over the world. On Tuesday we will ride through Hjoerring, a beautiful seaside town in the north of the country. This route consists of 11 kilometres and is perfect for beginners.

On Wednesday we will increase the training and propose 27 kilometres in the national park Mols Bjerge. Here you can enjoy the Danish nature in a park famous for its views. Are you ready to work up a sweat discovering this natural wonder?

On Thursday you will have a route available in the charming village of Tars. You will find that the route is only 9 kilometres long and its gentle slope makes it an easy route.

We close our tour of Denmark in style with a ride along the coast of Solrød. This route takes us around Copenhagen and is perfect for an intense workout. It is a 29 kilometre ride with a slight ascent which makes it perfect for all types of cycling enthusiasts.

We finish the week with a few laps at the London Velodrome. Saturday and Sunday we will have Group Rides scheduled so that for 20 kilometres you can enjoy the new velodrome available at BKOOL.

This week’s Group Rides will be scheduled daily at the following times: 05:00h (CEST), 06:00h (CEST), 07:00h (CEST), 11:00h (CEST), 12:00h (CEST), 13:00h (CEST), 17:00h (CEST), 19:00h (CEST), 21:00h (CEST) and 22:00h (CEST).

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

Among the features offered by the BKOOL indoor cycling simulator is that of riding in the velodrome. London track, there are now three options available: in addition to the Galapagar and Luis Puig velodrome in Valencia, there is now the one in the English capital, a new scenario to test yourself and participate in its games.

In addition to being able to ride on the very hills of Flanders or the slopes of the Tourmalet, BKOOL offers the possibility of training in the velodrome. If you want to have everything under control and worry only about pedaling, one of the easiest and fastest ways is to opt for one of the Simulator’s velodromes.

In the velodrome, you decide the intensity of your training, from loosening up your legs or warming up, to a full hour session. With up to three views available: Global, 3D and video, you can choose between two classic tests:

Kilometre test: The objective is to complete 4 laps of the velodrome as fast as possible.
Hour record: To complete as many kilometres as possible in 60 minutes.

Last week we scheduled group rides to enjoy the virtual experience with the group, but how much time should you dedicate to the velodrome per week?

How many velodrome sessions per week are adequate?

The first thing we must determine when talking about cycling training is that it should not be quantified by kilometres, but rather by hours. The appropriate relationship is: the more hours of training, the better the cycling progression. As long as the intensity and cadence are appropriate, of course. Don’t pedal beyond your capabilities.

Experts advise that minimum training times for beginner cyclists should be 2 to 4 sessions per week, with each session lasting an average of 30 to 60 minutes.

As sporting experience is gained, physical capabilities can take training to a higher level. After an evolution, the duration of training can be extended to a minimum time of 45 to 75 minutes per session. The number of workouts per week also increases: minimum 3 and maximum 5 sessions every eight days.

But does this training routine have to be done entirely on the velodrome? No. Coaches recommend allocating two days a week to interval work. Therefore, to get a complete routine, you should set up sessions on the velodrome and sessions in workouts with your own interval design.

Tips on how to set it up in BKOOL

Setting up the velodrome in BKOOL is very simple. With this virtual experience that we offer in the indoor cycling simulator you can pedal for as long as your body allows you to in the scenario you choose.

To access the Velodrome option y you just have to access the ‘Search’ section, click on ‘Velodrome’ and then ‘Create your session’. Now you can configure your session by selecting the number of laps to complete.

If you want to limit the session by time you can do so on our website in the ‘Sessions’ section, selecting the ‘Velodrome’.

Once you have started your session you can activate the ERG mode by pressing the ‘P’ key to control the watts at which you want to pedal. With the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ keys you can also increase or decrease the hardness during your training.

Join the BKOOL community to test our velodromes and access to the infinite routes and workouts we have.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

Starting from the premise that the warm-up is an indisputable part of training, it must be carried out completely in order to enjoy the benefits it guarantees. Warming up your muscles and joints is essential to start and, above all, to avoid injury. So how do I warm up on the smart trainer?

How do you warm up on the smart trainer?

The warm-up should be designed according to the type of session to be carried out: pedaling a 20-kilometre time trial is not the same as a long ride of 150 kilometres. Similarly, environmental conditions are also a factor to take into account, since the duration and intensity of this phase vary depending on whether it is winter or summer.

However, there are some general guidelines for cyclists when it comes to warming up:

First part

We start with a short warm-up of 5-10 minutes, consisting of a short chainring. The aim is to pedal fast, with little effort so that the blood begins to flow throughout the muscles.

Using a large crankset during these first minutes is counterproductive because the muscles are subjected to a sudden high tension, which is exactly what we want to avoid.

Second part

The following minutes (approximately 5-10) should be performed with the use of a larger plate to begin to increase the speed and the number of pulsations. At this point it is important to control the heart rate, since the idea is to pedal close to 75% of the maximum pulsations, with a fixed cadence (80 p/m).

To finish the warm-up phase, change posture and pedal standing up to activate all the muscles of the groin. It is also important to perform movements on the back and arms, as their warm-up is essential for the practice. Doing some mobility exercises with elastic bands is a good option.

Third part

In this final part, keep the two pedals at the same height, lower your heels and stretch your quads and calves. You can do this for 15 seconds, alternating the position of the legs.

Keeping the same posture and with your hands on the handlebars, arch your back outwards and lower your head. After a few seconds, perform the movement inward.

If you want to warm up on the smart trainer before a competition, there are many models, but we suggest this one:

5 minutes of constant effort.
5 minutes in resistance zone (zone 3).
5 minutes in threshold.
3 minutes of recovery.
3 x 10 seconds sprint with 1 minute of recovery.
5 minutes in endurance zone (zone 3).

How much time should I spend warming up on the smart trainer?

Once we are clear on the importance of “greasing” the knee, hip and ankle joints, as well as warming up the muscles, it is now time to determine the right amount of time.

Professionals can perform up to 45-minute routines, while for beginners 15-20 minutes may be sufficient, as long as the session is less than 90 minutes.

In general, the duration of the warm-up should be about 15-30 minutes, depending on the intensity of the session (the higher the intensity – the longer the duration) and the ambient temperature (the higher the temperature – the shorter the duration).

It is important to keep in mind that the warm-up should end about 3-5 minutes before the start of the training session. No more time should pass in between to avoid cooling down again.

Why is it important to warm up?

Warming up in any sporting activity has two fundamental objectives: physical, psychological and physiological preparation of the body and the prevention of muscular and joint injuries.

The warm-up phase is a tuning up phase in which the blood reaches the muscles to increase their temperature, making them more active and less tense. This preparation of the musculature implies a greater protection of the joints, which translates into a reduction of muscular injuries.

In other words, warming up properly is beneficial at the muscular, joint, circulatory, cardiac, respiratory and motor control levels. In addition, it allows you to fully enjoy your session on two wheels.

Warming up on a smart trainer with BKOOL

Among the many features of the BKOOL indoor cycling simulator is the planning of personalized workouts. Determining the intervals, cadence, intensity and heart rate, among other parameters, is certainly an advantage when it comes to establishing the type of training and its corresponding warm-up.

Now you can use the above guidelines to program your perfect warm-up. Enter our website to enjoy a realistic virtual experience from your own living room.

Triathlon cycling training is a complex matter. Cycling itself is already a sport, but when it comes to the cycling segment of a triathlon, although the discipline has obvious similarities, the training routine is very different. How does training on the smart trainer change from cycling to triathlon?

Cycling training Vs. Triathlon cycling training

First of all, in order to determine the training for the cycling segment, it is essential to define the type of triathlon you want to do. Therefore, depending on the distances of the competition, the following triathlon cycling training guidelines are established:

Sprint or less: 1-2 hours/week
Classic distance: 2-3 hours/week
Middle distance: 3-5 hours/week
Ironman: 6-8 hours/week

In addition to the distance of the triathlon, the cycling technique of each individual must also be taken into account when establishing the training. It is not the same to have little experience as to be an athlete with an advanced technical level.

Triathlon cycling training: keys to designing your plan

Each athlete has certain characteristics, strengths and particular areas to train, so it is necessary to analyse what they are in order to start training them.

Element #1: Technical development

For most athletes it is easy to do more and more kilometres and more intervals, however, it is more complicated to carry out a correct process of technical development in cycling, and the cycling segment requires skills such as:

Posture
Cadence and development
Climbing
Descents
Group technique in peloton
Pedalling
Use of cleats
Use of gears

Therefore, training all these capacities within the framework of planning the triathlon season is decisive for the final result of a race.

Therefore, training on the smart trainer is key to practising these skills and improving them. The design of the workouts included in the BKOOL indoor cycling simulator allows you to work on climbs, descents and even group technique in a peloton with drafting.

Pedalling frequency and cadence are other aspects that can also be regulated and trained in BKOOL.

Element #2: Effort dosage

As we know, triathlon is an endurance sport, so one of the objectives of training is to delay the onset of fatigue. It is easy to focus on volumes and intensities when planning triathlon cycling training, but we must not forget the dosage of effort.

Knowing how to dose the effort in any of the segments is important to finish the competition and this requires self-control, concentration and personal knowledge. In cycling one long session and a couple of shorter interval sessions (1 – 1:30h) per week are recommended to gain more body experience and personal control.

Element #3: Tactics and strategy

Although triathlon is an individual sport that does not tend to be associated with the terms tactics and strategy, the reality is that smart decision-making based on these characteristics can be critical in a competition.

Defining yourself as a smart athlete in triathlon cycling training is important and this aspect can certainly be trained on the smart trainer as well. Developing the aforementioned skills is essential in order to be able to solve the problems that arise in each competition. In other words, the more training and experience you have, the better you will be able to cope with the events.

Conclusion

The volume of training in hours per week will depend on each individual (goal, previous experience, time available, type of test, etc.). Likewise, the design of the training is influenced by the structural level you are at.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

At BKOOL, we continue to cross borders with the aim of becoming the indoor training tool of reference in an ever increasing number of countries. As a part of this strategy of growth, work and caring for our users, we have just closed an agreement to work with the Sweden Cycling Academy to become their official virtual cycling platform.

This fantastic agreement to work together covers much more than just the technical and sporting support from their professional team. From now on, all members of the Sweden Cycling Academy will be able to enjoy personalised events in BKOOL, indoor training assessment and special prices to enjoy BKOOL Premium at home. All of this, of course, with the promotion of stunning routes in Sweden recorded and registered on the platform as a guiding theme.

If you are not already familiar with it yet, the Sweden Cycling Academy has created a path for riders looking to make the leap into professional cycling, who are confronted by a multitude of barriers. Sweden Cycling Academy aims to remove obstacles where possible and help turn dreams into reality, creating this pathway is no mean feat but with clear direction, resources and a world-class performance culture, no mountain is too high.

In the upcoming weeks, BKOOL will be organizing special Group Rides with the Sweden Cycling Academy. One Group Ride per week will be organized on different routes until February and we will keep you informed on our social networks so that you can participate in as many as you want. The routes where you can ride with these cycling stars are the following ones:

05/11/2021 – Paris Roubaix
11/11/2021 – Herning GP
17/11/2021 – Fyn Rundt
25/11/2021 – Innsbruck
01/12/2021 – Milano San Remo

All these Group Rides will take place at 18:00h (CEST) and will appear as highlighted in the main section of the cycling simulator so you can join easily. You will be able to follow the experience live on the Sweden Cycling Academy Facebook page.

Join Sweden Cycling Academy and start to enjoy all of these advantages!

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

The indoor cycling season is about to start and at BKOOL we don’t want you to be left behind, do you want to know all the new features?

We are launching our new Velodrome! Pack your bags, we are travelling to London!

The London velodrome is one of the main novelties of this version. You will be able to ride this British track where Bradley Wiggins broke the hour record in 2015. From now on, you will enjoy a fantastic 3D recreation of this temple of track cycling, where no detail is missing.

Enjoy this fantastic stage for your warm-ups or get together with other BKOOLers and experience all the adrenaline of their competitions first hand.

The Giro d’Italia Virtual hosted by BKOOL is getting ever closer

Get ready for the Corsa Rosa and train hard, on 15th October this great experience begins. Access from the new events section and discover all the information. From here you will be able to enter the stages, live routes or Group Rides directly, so you won’t miss a special session.

Thanks to the new Group Rides system, you will be able to select from the different schedules available from within the simulator and sign up for the one that suits you best. If the Group Ride is not yet live, you can wait for the warm-up in our new velodrome and the simulator will notify you directly when the session starts so you can access it from there – much easier and faster!

But remember, to enjoy all the advantages of the new Events section, you need to be registered in the Giro d’Italia Virtual hosted by BKOOL. Don’t forget that you can still get a 50% discount on your subscription, but hurry, the promotion ends on October 15th.

Start your sessions to the fullest!

With this new version, you no longer need to stop pedalling after warming up to start your session. No more getting stuck at the start because you didn’t stop pedalling in time. From now on, you’ll be able to start the session at full throttle to get to the front of the pack from the very first metres. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

And what’s more…

In addition to these major new features, we continue to fix bugs, improve the app’s stability and certify new devices such as the Technogym MyCycling trainer. This update is mandatory, so we recommend you also take a look at the new minimum requirements. You can find more information in the article about the requirements of the new version.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

Do you want to ride the routes that saw cycling greats Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, Tom Boonen, Rik Van Looy and Johan Museeuw grow up? Without a doubt, to talk about Belgium is to talk about cycling. Visit this country with BKOOL from your living room and enjoy the roads where these legends rode.

7 routes in Belgium that will surprise you

There are many attributes that characterise the Belgian country, and among them is cycling. Great protagonists of the most representative and toughest competitions such as Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Spain, the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia were born and grew up in Belgium. Today we are going to list the 7 routes that you can not miss in this place.

1. Baulers – Bois – Seigneur – Isaac – Lillois

With a distance of 12.3 kilometres, this route starts in the village of Baulers and runs through the municipalities of Bois, Seigneur and Isaac, ending its journey in Lillois. In an estimated 24 minutes you can get to know the interior of this country through the HD video included. It is a comfortable and easy ride with an average gradient of 2.35%, with 153.5 metres of ascent.

belgium — Picture: BKOOL / Click on the image to access to the route

2. Nivelles – Ronquières – Val de la Sennette

In less than half an hour you can cover this 17.2 kilometre route that starts in Nivelles, crosses Ronquières and ends in Val de la Sennette. The maximum slope is higher than the previous route, with 8.32% of inclination, ascending a total of 235.9 metres. In this outing you can make use of both the HD video and watch your avatar in 3D.

3. Ride in South Belgium

By typing in the search engine the name of this route: “Ride in South Belgium” you can access a route surrounded by green meadows that starts in Les Hornais, crosses the international park of the Gomzé Golf Club, the Louveigne and Adzeux villas and ends the route in Deigné. It is a total of 14.6 kilometres that can be covered in approximately 34 minutes. As for the slope, it is an affordable one, with an ascent of 190 metres and a maximum gradient of 11.65%.

4. Ride in South Belgium

Similarly, among the BKOOL routes in the south of the country is this other option with 43.7 kilometres for all those who want to sweat for an hour and forty minutes. Roll along this route again between Les Hornais and Deigné with more kilometres than the previous option, a maximum gradient is 11.65% and 380 meters of ascent. It can be ridden at night or during the day, as the resources available will take you very realistically to the route.

Ruta en Bélgica — Picture: BKOOL / Click on the image to access to the route

5. Scheldt, Belgium

The Scheldt route is an enjoyable route with a distance of 9.3 kilometres that can be covered in 25 minutes. With the option to view the route in HD and 3D video, you can feel like you are in Belgium itself. From Kluisbergen to Oudenaarde you will climb a maximum gradient of 1.97%. Pedal your way through the Belgian countryside and get to know its villages!

Bélgica — Picture: BKOOL / Click on the image to access to the route

6. LBL Ardennen Classic

Both in HD video, as well as in 3D and 2D format, you can ride this 28.6 kilometre route in 56 minutes. With a greater difficulty than the previous routes, it involves an ascent of 780 metres and an average ascent of 5.46%. Despite the added difficulty, we encourage you to visit the municipalities of Targnon, Stoumont, Monthouet, Desnié, La Reid and Sougné-Remouchamps.

7. Schelde Peloton

From Meilegem to Horebeke, passing through Paulatem, Sint-Maria-Latem and Sint – Blasius-Boekel you will cover 15 kilometres in 23.13 minutes ascending up to 186.5 meters. An assumable difficulty to spend some time discovering the interior of Belgium. In addition, this route has both night and day images that offer greater realism and simulation.

Explore the country of Belgium from your own home with a smart trainer or a smart bike. Let yourself be carried away by the trails and routes of the Belgian hinterland to discover its green meadows – join BKOOL and cycle anywhere in the world!

Maximal oxygen uptake, or VO2Max, is the value that indicates the aerobic endurance achieved during exercise. Measuring and knowing this data is important in order to establish the limits under which to design a training session, but how can I improve VO2Max using the smart trainer?

How much VO2Max can you have in cycling?

VO2Max, which is usually expressed in millilitres per kilo per minute (mL/kg/min), allows you to know your aerobic capacity in any physical activity, whether it is an endurance test, HIIT training, cycling, etc.

When it comes to Cycling, the usual value ranges between 40 and 45. But it can go much further, even approaching 90 mL/kg/min. Cyclists of the stature of Miguel Induráin or our ambassador Chris Froome have always been characterised by high figures: while the former reached 88 mL/kg/min, the Brit, Froome, reaches 84.4mL/kg/minute, according to data published by himself. Both are still far from the 92 mL/kg/min that Greg Lemond, twice winner of the French round, reached.

Curiosity: Norwegian triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt and ultrarunner Kilian Jornet have achieved the highest VO2Max beyond the two wheels of cycling: 91 mL/kg/min.

That said, it should be noted here that VO2Max is conditioned by physical and physiological aspects such as age, weight, gender, etc. Athletes with more favourable genetics in this respect are able to obtain more energy, as their body is able to absorb more oxygen.

However, it is a value that can be trained and improved. And now we are going to tell you how to do it on the smart trainer.

How to improve VO2Max?

As we have indicated, the maximum oxygen consumption has genetic limitations imposed by the physiological characteristics of each athlete, however, up to 20% of this value is a matter of training. So how can VO2max be improved?

By increasing the intensity of the session

The first alternative to improve VO2Max is to establish a very intense workout with high paces in a session that should not exceed 10-12 minutes. It should be a short workout, as very high paces leave no room for the body to rest.

The great muscular load generated by the high effort made forces the body to work at maximum energy level. For this reason, due to this high intensity, the sessions must be short.

This type of training consists, then, of keeping the exercise at the limit of the anaerobic threshold, achieving this improvement in maximum oxygen consumption.

Increasing the time of the session

Just as you can increase the intensity of the session, which is the most effective way, you can also increase the duration of the training session. Aerobic activity at a lower intensity favours the improvement of VO2max, so you have the option of a longer session, within the capabilities of each individual.

How to improve VO2Max on the smart trainer?

After explaining the two ways that can be taken to improve VO2Max, we are going to explain how you can apply them to your training on the smart trainer. Here are three options:

Intervals with constant and high power for 6-7 minutes

Performing intervals with high power for a relatively short duration (6-7 minutes) is useful for stimulating a rapid heart rate response. This improves the volume of blood that the heart pushes into the aorta (systolic volume).

By the time you start to get used to this type of training you can add even higher power bursts (130% FTP) to continue to accelerate the increase in heart rate.

2:1 interval blocks

Intervals that use a 2:1 work-to-rest ratio, for example, 30 minutes of continuous intense work with 15 minutes of rest, or 40 minutes active, 20 minutes of rest, are also useful for increasing heart rate.

The combination of blocks of intense activity and rest bouts motivates reaching the maximum possible HR in each interval.

Intense block followed by work-recovery intervals

Another alternative to improve VO2Max is to perform a workout based on a 15-minute warm-up at a steady pace, followed by a high-paced workout for another 15 minutes. After this you can set intervals of three to five minutes with recovery periods (3-5 minutes).

It should be noted that after each type of session you need to dedicate 10 minutes to a cool down and recovery period.

How to design these workouts in BKOOL

Bringing these three workout proposals to the smart trainer is very simple with BKOOL. All you have to do is access our Workout Creator, in the session menu, and design the different session blocks that best suit your characteristics.

Even if you don’t want to design your own, you can take advantage of the thousands of predefined ones available on our platform, which we and other users have uploaded: there is bound to be one that matches the session you had in mind.

You can choose up to six work zones: recovery, aerobic zone, pace, threshold, anaerobic, and VO2Max.

So in conclusion, improving VO2Max is possible and can be achieved through specific training sessions of long duration or high intensity.

In achieving this goal, the smart trainer is your best ally, as is the BKOOL virtual simulator.

Remember: BKOOL gives you the opportunity to design workouts with the power intervals and duration you want, as well as with the necessary rest periods. Set the session that best suits your characteristics and goals and pedal to the metal! Access the free trial through our website.

BKOOL is the most complete cycling simulator on the market, try it FREE for 7 days!

Have you heard this debate about the best pedaling cadence. There is no perfect cadence for all cyclists and situations. Why? Because there is no standard cadence. There are, however, recommendations based on several variables.

The best pedaling cadence

First of all, it’s worth noting that there is no specific optimal pedaling cadence for all cyclists. There are no definitive studies, data, or information that have determined a cadence par excellence.

The ideal cadence is highly personalized, since it depends on so many physical, physiological or genetic factors.

However, it is clear that training or competing at low cadences is not the same as training or competing at high cadences. In general, professional cyclists tend to maintain very high cadences, since cycling experience is directly related to pedaling frequency. The higher the degree of training and cycling practice, the higher the cadence tends to be.

In the opposite case, when a low cadence is maintained, more force is exerted in the downstroke, with more time to rest in between. In other words, it requires more force on the down cycle, and provides more time to recover on the up cycle.

What is the best pedaling frequency for me?

Although there is no optimal cadence for all cyclists and situations (not even for the same cyclist at different times), there are recommendations that you can take into account to test and establish your pedaling cadence guidelines.

As an amateur cyclist, what cadence will work best for you? It’s up to each rider to find the frequency at which he or she rides most comfortably. However, it is true that the most common ranges are between 80-90 rpm.

One of the factors that determine the pedaling frequency is the distance covered:

– If it is a short duration, it is best to maintain a cadence equal to or greater than 100 rpm.

– If it is a long distance, the optimal cadence is around 80 rpm.

– If it is an ultra-endurance race, ride between 60-70 rpm.

Remember: these are just guidelines, so if you’re comfortable with your cadence for the distance you’re riding, then that’s perfect for you.

best pedaling frequency — Picture: BKOOL

More recommendations to keep in mind

As we’ve seen, the most reasonable cadence is usually between 60 and 110 rpm. Within this range, pedaling will be more efficient depending on multiple factors, one of them being power. It’s been proven that higher wattage output will result in a higher cadence being the most efficient.

What if I go outside this range of 60 – 110 rpm? A pedaling cadence higher than 110 rpm is usually not efficient for medium and long efforts, but it is for short sprints where your priority is maximum power generation.

On the other hand, riding at a cadence lower than 60 rpm with a high application of force can be harmful to your joints. It’s better to avoid it.

It is advisable to train at different cadences, as this improves your pedaling technique and motor efficiency. Sometimes a cadence is chosen only because no other cadence has ever been tried!

Conclusion

Listen to your body. Don’t become obsessed with riding at a cadence higher or lower than your body demands during a workout. If you want to become more comfortable with understanding cadence, try BKOOL. This realistic cycling simulator has settings that allow you to configure and personalize your training and discover what works best for you.