# Any Tips To Increase Fitness?



## Lion (16 Feb 2009)

Well as the title says, I've recently got back into cycling, and ive increased my commute by 2 miles so far (About 6 each way now) , but i feel so drained at the end of it!

I just wanted to know if anyones got any good tips on how i can increase my endurance, ie is it better to take a days rest midweek, any good diet tips or is it just a case of sticking with it?
Also has anyone had any success with creatine? I dont really like taking suppliments but I used to take it when i was weightlifting, and it worked, so i was thinking maybe it can help the lower back / leg muscles too?

Thanks


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## spandex (16 Feb 2009)

I have found that doing more Sport and eating/Drinking less is doing it for me.


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## jay clock (16 Feb 2009)

keep at it. After a few weeks it will be easy as anything. that is a nice distance to commute.

As for this supplement rubbish, what's wrong with healthy food? Eat a bit more, or stay the same and lose weight


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## col (16 Feb 2009)

Stay with the healthy food good rest and push your cycling.If I remember rightly from a long time ago, there can be issues with creatin where your strength is uneven in ligament and muscle, so you run the risk of injury as one pulls harder than the other can , if that makes sense? Dont bother with it, get your carbs into you the night before and rest properly too.


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## Ravenz (17 Feb 2009)

Lion said:


> Well as the title says, I've recently got back into cycling, and ive increased my commute by 2 miles so far (About 6 each way now) , but i feel so drained at the end of it!



From the little information that you have supplied I am assuming that your fitness levels are on the low side.. a 6 mile ride should not leave you 'drained' ... again I am assuming that you are riding at a pace that is moderate...??

ok.. bulding base levels of aerobic fitness is going to take time... a few may disagree but commuting is ,imo, not 'training' .. it is getting you to work on time ... safely.. did I mention safely? (i.e. not getting in arguments with car/bus/lorry drivers ) and if the workplace doesnt have showers etc .. not drenched in sweat.....
take a look at your diet.. does it include high fat . high Gi foods disproportion of sugary foods ... . do you skip breakfast... are you taking in enough fluids .. are you getting enough sleep.. ??? the list is endless when we are talking a lack of energy..

What are your goals .. ? eventually do more extensive riding over longer distances...? ok . . . hopefully you see that there are a myriad of questions that need to be asked before you can plan a logical fitness programme...
I am not pushing my own professional services but if you are serious then consider going to gym and taking advice .. council gyms also have qualified instructors!


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## jimboalee (17 Feb 2009)

Six miles on a bike twice each day shouldn't need any specific dietary requirements.
An overweight guy feeding on pie and chips every day will be getting enough energy for two half hour sessions.
A thin guy who eats salads and crispbreads will also be getting enough energy for the two half hour sessions.

Dehydration shouldn't be a problem either. The first cup af tea will remedy 1/2 hour's cycling fluid loss.

If half an hour now is getting you exhausted, it is just part of the process. "The longest journey starts with the first step". It will get easier.


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## palinurus (17 Feb 2009)

How long have you been riding? might just take time if you've recently started. 

If you have a tendency to really lay into the pedals every day (I do) then try and take it easy a couple of days a week at least, just get out five mins. earlier and go slower. Might be an idea to do this for a few weeks to start with if you've got back into it recently.


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## Lion (17 Feb 2009)

Thanks for all the replys so far.
Well i've been on a keep fit diet (Allthough i hate that word, its more of a lifestyle change tbh) since Jan, doing quite well, 28lbs gone so far, but i am still quite a hefty chap, id say ive got a good 70lbs to go before i reach my target.
I've been cycling for about 3 weeks now, but with the recent weather, not as much as id liked - even though it tires me out, i still enjoy it though.

Ok so I'll try to give you a bit more info  
I tend to push myself, even on a commute, i like to feel that im getting a bit of a workout, aswell as getting where im going - if that makes sence lol.

Well i tend not to get into arguments, unless its really unavoidable, but so far ive done ok.
My diet is what i would consider to be healthy, lots of wholegrain and carbs, plenty of fruit and veg, maybe not enough water though, so i can try and up that.
I usually get about 8 hours of sleep a night, i asume thats enough.

My goals are as you say - eventually do more extensive riding over longer distances, i would like to take a few cycling holidays etc


Thanks for the heads up on the suppliments, as i said ive never been that keen on them, so thats just made my mind up even more.
I will of course keep at it  Hopefully in a few weeks i can look back and laugh that i ever wrote this.


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## palinurus (18 Feb 2009)

I'd suggest three easy commutes per week and two at whatever pace you feel like (with an easy day between them). Give yourself a chance to build fitness and recover a bit in between. Throw in a few easy-mid paced rides at the weekend to get used to increasing distance.


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## andygates (18 Feb 2009)

The hardest thing you do will always be the hardest thing you do. 

You can't benchpress 400 lbs by pressing 200lbs a lot.

Do longer, harder rides and your commute will start to seem easy as you get fitter.

And be consistent! Consistency is the golden wossname (that I always forget).


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## gavintc (18 Feb 2009)

I have to agree with Andy - consistency is the key. Do a little often and you will gain more than a lot rarely. And remember, it never get easier, you just go faster.


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## jimboalee (19 Feb 2009)

To start another controversy.

"Fitness" is defined as 'the ability to transport oxygen to the muscles and vital organs".

In other words, it is related to the amount of capilarization in the circulatory system.
This is only increased by 'overloading' the muscles, either anaerobically or aerobically.

The most important muscle to be made 'fitter' is the Cardiac, all others follow. To make the Cardiac work harder, you need to use the voluntary ones harder, so the cycle is never ending.

You may not be able to measure your 'pumping volume' but the heartrate is measureable.
I don't measure it, but I would suggest an absolute beginner should.
Once a beginner can ride 12 miles in an hour, there is no need for a HRM.


I started cycling in the days before digital wristwatches ( and I don't wear one now ) and certainly before HRMs. We just pushed ourselves until it hurt.

Read my signature.


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## Stig-OT-Dump (20 Feb 2009)

...but you need top aim for a plateau of fitness, where you reach a standard with which you are happy. And I love my HRM. I use it more to rein myself in on rest days than to make me push myself harder on hard days. 

But back to the original question - if you really want to make yourself fitter, I reckon you should mix it up a bit. There is a reason why top athletes cycle more than 100km a day repeatedly, run 26 miles a day with big breaks in between, and the longest olympic swimming event is 10km. Do some brisk walking. Take the stairs. Even start jogging.

Last week's Sunday Times quoted CTC research saying that cycling at a given speed took the same effort as walking at 1/4 of that speed (3mph walk is equivalent to 12mph ride). A brisk walk for an hour may do a lot more for your fitness than a 6 mile ride.


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## jimboalee (21 Feb 2009)

+1 Stig-O.

It is well accepted cycling is 4 times as efficient as walking - over the same DISTANCE.

Foot power is roughly the same ( walk, jog or run ) over the same DISTANCE.

How wonderful are bicycles?


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## jay clock (21 Feb 2009)

> if you really want to make yourself fitter, I reckon you should mix it up a bit


agreed. Since I took up triathlon I have gone from being the lardy fat bloke to "blimey you're fit". Hard for me to cope with that change in image

Doing a 10k road race tomorrow. Two and half years ago I could not run a mile (even though I could cycle fine). I can now swim a mile in 35 mins. Three years back I could not swim 200m non stop

It is the variety that has helped my overall fitness.


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## Downward (28 Feb 2009)

I have found recently that I have come to a sort of standstill/backward step fitness wise. I have stopped being able to get up the big hill in one go but have found I have ran out of puff rather than my legs have gone.

Since thinking about where it's all going wrong I have started gearing down. My breathing is still as heavy and HR is still the same but now I am in lower gears and not pedallling as furiously as in a higher gear I am getting quicker and my legs are starting to work rather than my heart (If that all makes sense)

Still not managing to get up the hill without stopping though.

(The main hill is 10% and probably 1 mile long Uphill going to work, Downhill coming home)


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## jimboalee (28 Feb 2009)

Downward.

Is it Mucklow's?

If it is, remember the wind has been in the counter-productive direction recently.

Wind speed and direction are important. Even the pros fit larger cassettes if the wind is in the wrong direction for the mountain stages.
They are effectively 'gearing down', to avoid coming to a grinding halt.


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## Downward (28 Feb 2009)

jimboalee said:


> Downward.
> 
> Is it Mucklow's?
> 
> ...



Yes it is.


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## plank (13 Mar 2009)

Use the commute to do hiit training at starting from traffic lights, be safe though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training

I do it on my 10 mile each way commute untill I cant manage it anymore, it helps keeping a chocolate bar incase you get so wiped out you need a boost but that shouldnt happen very often.

It also makes a big difference eating properly although sometimes it dosent make sence for example after a week feeling really tired I felt really good on friday after eating junk and drinking beer the night before. I dont think supplements are bad but creatine seems a funny one to take by itself

Eating well for me on an ideal day goes like:

Oats
cycle
fruit
weights at gym
protine shake
nuts
raw salad, leafy greens brocolli pepperd, beetroot beansprouts+hemp oil
quinowa and roasted onion sweet potato galic peppers
protine shake
fruit
cycle home
flapjack
run or swim (only twice a week)
veg+quorn or beans or lentils

youl have to guess the times though but they are all spread out. Its quite a lot of effort not to give into the easy food option, normally by friday I fancy a pub lunch but without injuries I do 13+ hours training a week. Without eating like this I cant keep it up. And I do count commuting as training! Personally I dont think pasta and sandwiches cut it, at least they dont work for me. I think you should take every avaliable opputunity to avoid wheat as its the grain than appears in everything when you need a quick snack and have to buy something from the shop.

Its really important to stay hydrated too, I almost cant manage it without isotonic drinks

I also dont belive you have to do lots of long rides as I did a centry on my 3rd road ride last year (although it was a bit of a struggle on flat pedals) later on I also did 4 centurys in 4 days in a row when my previous training was only cycling to work for a max of 40 mins. My diet was strange then because I hardly ate anything but in both cases staying hydrated was really important for me as thats when I suffered and its really hard to get it hydrated again.

I find it hard to gague fitness improvements because if you try hard you always feel tired.

Phew long post, I think you can do it, its a great opputunity being able to commute if you sorted your diet and maybe joined a gym close to work and did some squats or deadlifts in the morning befor you shower you could really get somewhere with the fitness


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## Savannah (16 Mar 2009)

I've posted this somewhere else on this site but it seemed to need a mention here. Boost your nutrition with superfood recipes from Brendon Brazier's site. You need to get some of the ingredients from the health food shop but generally his recipes are easy to make and give you a real boost either before or after a ride. Have a look at www.brendanbrazier.com


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## jimboalee (18 Mar 2009)

Nah, I got this....

http://www.nigelslater.com/books_view.asp?nBook_ID={279EC3D2-5127-45CA-B5AF-D190A387A74E}


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## Lisa21 (29 Mar 2009)

The first time I cycled a straight 6 miles I vowed i could never do it again as it was too far and nearly killed me!! That was only a few weeks ago now and I find im now doing it with hardly any effort and prefer to push myself into doing longer rides as my little 6 miler now holds no fear for me!!!
It will get easier and more enjoyable if you keep at it-and sooner than you think!!


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## girv73 (30 Mar 2009)

Lion, I started from much the same position as you - bit overweight and had just got back into cycling. At the start, doing 2 miles into the village nearby nearly required medical attention, but forcing myself out 3 days a week soon saw the miles racking up. That was last summer. I'm doing a 20 mile round trip commute now 3 or 4 days a week and 40+ mile Sunday runs without too much trouble. This year I will enter my first sportives - 30, 60 and 90 milers, maybe a century.

As someone said to me: keep at it, fitness will come. Building endurance takes time and, really, 3 weeks isn't very long.

FWIW, I tend to push as hard as possible on the commute rides, doing sprints from traffic lights and so on.


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## jage56 (30 Mar 2009)

focus on your breathing - I've found using lower gears (or single) and trying to get a good deep regular breathing pattern pays dividends - and eat plenty coz after 12 miles a day your gonna be hungry - and give it time


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## Downward (2 Apr 2009)

Hows it all going ?
Now the warmer weather is here you should find it easier - esp when it's warm enough for just Shorts and a top.


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## col (2 Apr 2009)

Also what we are overlooking Lion is that 70 lbs of extra weight is like carrying nearly a sack and a half of spuds on your bike with you, any normal person would be drained after a few miles doing that. As the wieght comes of it will get better too.


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## jimboalee (2 Apr 2009)

jage56 said:


> focus on your breathing - I've found using lower gears (or single) and trying to get a good deep regular breathing pattern pays dividends - and eat plenty coz after 12 miles a day your gonna be hungry - and give it time



Nah, nah, nah.

12 miles per day is well within the duration of a 'fasted lipolysis' ride.

The hunger HAS to be ignored.


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## bigfella (2 Apr 2009)

Thanks for that, some interesting info there.

I hope my first week of commute goes well and I don't give up too easily. What I like about the commute is the commitment - once I have left you are forced to carry on. Or you get the sack for being late!!


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