When it comes to following a structured training plan, many cyclists may believe this is best left to professionals alone. The truth is, structured training plans are meant for anyone working towards a goal – a race, person best on a local route, or looking to complete a century. No matter how large or...
It is obvious that there are physical differences between men and women. Men are typically taller, more muscular, and therefore usually outperform women when it comes to upper body performances (like lifting), strength, and power events. This is also true when it comes to shorter-distance events; historically, men outperform women. That being said, this...
Sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our body, and yet still 1 in 3 adults do not get enough of it. Many of us are endurance athletes, and it usually goes without saying that we care about our bodies, we care about our performance, and we want to...
The SYSTM Training App will now be able to support both indoor and outdoor workouts. What does this mean as a user? You can now select a training plan or workout from the app, add it to your calendar, and sync it with your bike computer for both indoor and outdoor training sessions. The...
There was a point when riding the trainer was viewed for times only when the weather was too treacherous to ride outside, or for rehabilitation from an injury. Wintertime was the only season when cyclists could muster up the mental strength to subject themselves to riding in a fixed position for a few hours...
High cadence can be a very subjective matter. While one may say that pedaling at 80 rpm is an extremely high cadence, a track sprinter may say that 240 rpm is a high cadence. Whatever your view of “high cadence” may be; the importance of incorporating high cadence drills into your training repertoire does...
At one point in our lives we have all heard the expression, “how hard does this feel?” Even at the doctor’s office, we are asked to rate our level of pain on a scale of 0-10. Rate of perceived exertion (RPE), has been a term used since the very beginnings of endurance exercise. Way...
We are all different, and these differences are reflected in not only the way we train, but in the way we set our goals. Whether on the roads or in the office, how we approach planning is very dependent upon the way we best operate mentally. Are we organized to a T? Or do...
We have all been there before, one minute you feel invincible, and the next you’re ready to throw in the towel. When things are going well, it is easy to do the “right” things. What about when the going gets tough? Are you able to separate how you “feel” from how you talk to...
VO2 Max has been a lab measurement discussed for decades in regards to the world’s top-performing athletes. It is synonymous in endurance sports to relate one’s athletic potential to their VO2 Max measurement. Is this metric the end all be all? If you don’t possess the aerobic capacity of Olympic cross country skiers are...
Endurance athletes can be notorious for placing too large a focus on increasing their hours of swimming, biking, and running, in the “more is better” belief. Perhaps they are missing a key element in this way of thinking, which is strength training! For a while, there was push-back from endurance athletes in regard to...
Why is there a difference between the power you can put into the pedals outdoors than the power indoors? The difference between indoor cycling power and outdoor power tends to be more pronounced with shorter, higher-intensity efforts, especially when you’re out of the saddle. The reason why comes down to a few different factors....