how to get my fitness levels up

[Joshua Plumtree]

I also find wrestling with my inner ape helps to keep my fitness levels up.

 

[screenman]

How fit do you want to get, I swim 5 hours a week and cycle 4, there are a lot of people fitter than me.

 

[Citius]

How fit do you want to get, I swim 5 hours a week and cycle 4, there are a lot of people fitter than me.

I would guess he's talking about bike fitness (just a wild guess) - so if he is starting from a low level and wants to improve on a bike, then 'cycling' has got to be right up there as one of the best ways to get fit on a bike.

 

[mattobrien]

Push harder

 

[Dayvo]

Swimming and skipping will help. Also a sensible diet and suitable amounts of rest/sleep.

And make sure your tyres are well inflated

 

[User16625]

Swimming and skipping will help. Also a sensible diet and suitable amounts of rest/sleep.

And make sure your tyres are well inflated

If he is aiming for fitness then surely its better for his tyres to have a bit of rolling resistance? Having them well inflated is a bit like a roider buying weights made from carbon fibre.

 

[Citius]

Don't be letting tyres down for any absurd 'fitness related' reason. Just inflate them to the correct pressure and leave them alone. Let's not be discussing tyre pressures in a fitness thread. Whatever next.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Ignore the bluster about skipping,swimming and bedroom gymnastics, go ride your bike

 

[Berk on a Bike]

I also find wrestling with my inner ape helps to keep my fitness levels up.

To be fair wrestling any kind of ape will do your fitness the world of good.

 

[Dayvo]

Newbie!

As I mentioned above, use cross training as a supplement for your cycling fitness.

http://bicycling.about.com/od/trainingandfitness/a/crosstrain.htm

http://bicycling.about.com/od/trainingandfitness/a/crosstrain.htm

 

[Citius]

Newbie!

As I mentioned above, use cross training as a supplement for your cycling fitness.

http://bicycling.about.com/od/trainingandfitness/a/crosstrain.htm

http://bicycling.about.com/od/trainingandfitness/a/crosstrain.htm

The argument for cross training in a cycling context is pretty weak, to be honest. Might be useful if you want some kind of 'all-over' conditioning, but pretty darn useless if you only want to get 'cycling fit' - for which, the best type of exercise is - yep, you guessed it - cycling.

Cycling exercises the muscles and physiology which are used in, er, cycling - so suggesting an alternative if you only want to get 'cycling fit' is gonna be tricky,

 

[screenman]

Ignore the bluster about skipping,swimming and bedroom gymnastics, go ride your bike

Which is very good advice if all you want is cycling specific fitness. I also found just being a cyclist was not enough for me after 50 years of it.

 

[Citius]

Which is very good advice if all you want is cycling specific fitness. I also found just being a cyclist was not enough for me after 50 years of it.

No argument with that - except the fact that the question was (presumably) about cycling fitness.

 

[Dayvo]

The argument for cross training in a cycling context is pretty weak, to be honest. Might be useful if you want some kind of 'all-over' conditioning, but pretty darn useless if you only want to get 'cycling fit' - for which, the best type of exercise is - yep, you guessed it - cycling.

Cycling exercises the muscles and physiology which are used in, er, cycling - so suggesting an alternative if you only want to get 'cycling fit' is gonna be tricky,

Fair enough, but the OP is a newbie to cycling, not a seasoned cyclist preparing for an audax.

Of course getting on his bike will eventually give him the fitness he desires, but general fitness, breathing techniques, suppleness of joints and muscle strength (in back, shoulders, arms, glutes etc) will aid his cycling.

Once he's achieved the desired/suitable general fitness, then he can up the ante.

I'm just offering my opinion, which is what the OP is after.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Hi Im pretty new to cycling and I'm really wanting to try and get my fitness levels up.

Which is very good advice if all you want is cycling specific fitness. I also found just being a cyclist was not enough for me after 50 years of it.

Ride a bike........