Cycling World Magazine June 2017 | Page 81

June 2017| 81 suggested trying to get more out of each stroke of the pedal, as a way to improve this. Then he upped the resistance and asked me to increase my speed to around 80rpm. He continued to increase the resistance by small amounts for around 12-15 minutes. Each change in resistance was subtle, but by the end I was certainly feeling the exercise! We waited for my heart rate to steady itself before moving on to the next exercise: six-second sprints. The idea was that Rob would tell me when to start and stop, and for six seconds I would go as fast as I could. He told me that I hit 130rpm, and I felt pleased with myself. How fast do you s rint asked. “Usually around 200rpm.” Oh. The final test was what we had been leading u to. Rob used my warm-up results to set the best resistance for my fitness, and then asked me to maintain between and 85rpm for three minutes. When there was 30 seconds left to go, he told me to use up everything I had, so I cycled as fast as could. hen finished, my legs felt like lead and I could hardly talk, but there was a big smile on my face. I really enjoyed the challenge. Rob told me to keep cycling slowly to cool down, and we analysed my results. Unfortunately, my heart monitor had cut-out halfway through the main session, so we were unable to see how high my heart-rate had risen, but Rob suspected it would have been around 190! However, my recovery was excellent, with my heart rate falling quickly, and my pedal pressure was 50/50, which he said was very unusual, but that it meant I was perfectly balanced. Overall, my results were not amazing, which I fully expected, but he also said they were far from the worst. Looking at the peanut graph again while I cooled down, Rob noticed a straight section that indicated a slight hip imbalance on my left side. He recommended I do a few strengthening exercises to help improve my pedalling technique. I left the studio feeling energised and positive about cycling. I am due to return in six months’ time for a follow-up appointment, which has motivated me to really work on the points he has mentioned so that I can have truly improved when I next see Rob. This is a great exercise for anyone who wants to work on their cycling ability or who has hit a brick wall with their training, as Rob also pointed out a few mistakes that people often make without realising it. Apparently trying to go a little bit faster each time isn’t enough – there are other things you need to supplement this with to get the best out of your time on the bike. ho knew 1:1 VeloStudio Fitness and Performance Testing is available at Lee Valley VeloPark. To book your session please visit: www.visitleevalley.org.uk/velostudio