Are you tired of the same old cycling routine, riding the same route at the same pace day after day? Do you want to improve your cycling performance and make the most of your time on the bike? If so, it’s time to incorporate interval training into your cycling routine.

Interval training involves alternating high-intensity efforts with recovery periods. By pushing your body to work harder during intervals, you can improve your cardiovascular fitness, increase your power output, and build your endurance.

But how do you get started with interval training? And how do you make sure you’re doing it right? Here are some tips to help you incorporate interval training into your cycling routine:

1. Start with a Warm-Up

Before you begin your interval workout, make sure to warm up properly. Spend at least 10 minutes riding at an easy pace to get your blood flowing and your muscles warmed up. This will help prevent injury and prepare your body for the harder efforts to come.

2. Choose Your Intervals

There are many different types of interval workouts you can do on the bike, including:

• Tabata intervals: 20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 8 rounds.
• Hill repeats: Riding up a steep hill at a high intensity, followed by recovery riding downhill.
• Fartlek intervals: Alternating between hard efforts and recovery periods, without a set structure.
• Tempo intervals: Riding at a high intensity for a set period of time, followed by a recovery period.

Choose the type of intervals that best suits your fitness level and goals.

3. Gradually Increase Your Efforts

When you first start doing interval training, it’s important to start slowly and gradually increase your efforts over time. Begin with shorter intervals and fewer repetitions, and increase the duration and intensity as you get stronger.

4. Focus on Your Form

During interval workouts, it’s easy to lose focus on your form as you push yourself to the limit. But maintaining good form is essential for preventing injury and maximizing your performance. Make sure to keep your shoulders relaxed, your elbows bent, and your core engaged.

5. Monitor Your Heart Rate

To ensure you’re working at the right intensity during your intervals, monitor your heart rate. Aim to work at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate during high-intensity intervals, and bring it back down to 60-70% during recovery periods.

6. Incorporate Recovery Days

Interval training is demanding on your body, so it’s important to incorporate recovery days into your routine. On these days, ride at an easy pace or take a day off from cycling altogether to allow your body to rest and recover.

Incorporating interval training into your cycling routine can help you improve your performance, build your endurance, and make your workouts more challenging and interesting. With these tips, you can get started with interval training and take your cycling to the next level.