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