Indoor Training To Help You Crush Your Goal
DDAVE AMBROSE, A 34-YEAR-OLD venture capitalist, had a problem most of us can relate to: work got busy, and his time to ride outside evaporated, resulting in low energy and weight gain.
By the end of 2016 he was the heaviest he’d ever been, carrying 86kg on his 1.70m frame. His friends suggested he try indoor training, but he thought it seemed boring. Finally, Ambrose agreed to test Zwift on a friend’s Wahoo Kickr. “I did 45 minutes for the first ride, and thought, ‘This is amazing,’” he says. “You actually feel like you’re outside. It changed everything I thought about indoor cycling.”
Hooked, Ambrose got his own Kickr and Zwift subscription. He soon began riding 160km a week - twice as much as he ever did outdoors. He got inspired to start cooking more and eating out less. By the end of that first year, he was down 11 kilograms.
“I had a ton more energy. Now that the weight was coming off, I wanted to get even fitter and stronger. But I didn’t want to go to a
gym. I figured – like with cycling – there must be something I could do at home.”
His fiancée was into Peloton. Though he wasn’t interested in the cycling classes, he discovered the platform’s strength classes and started consistently tacking core workouts onto his Zwift routine.
He now trains indoors with the TrainerRoad app, competes in Zwift races, and does core workouts via Peloton. The subscriptions (sans equipment) add up to about R800 a month, which is more affordable than most gym memberships. Ambrose says they are totally worth it. “I feel like a new person.”
And he is. Today, Ambrose goes to bed at 10pm and gets up at 6 to do an hour-long ride to start his day. He’s landed at a healthy 67kg, down more than 20kg from less than three years ago. “It’s an incredible time for a cyclist to get fit and stay fit, no matter the season or how busy they are,” he says.
It’s true. Long gone are the mind-numbing trainer sessions, trying to will time to pass faster as you slog along. Today’s indoor cycling experience is interactive, immersive, and honestly enjoyable. Like outdoor riding, it can also serve specific goals. As Ambrose’s story shows, you just need to choose the right system (or systems) to get it done. Here are some of the most popular options.
ZWIFT
best for: Riders who want to bring all the fun of cycling inside. details: Available for iOS, Apple TV, Android, Mac, and Windows/PC; requires a trainer or a smart trainer for the best experience. how it
works: Create a personalised avatar, and zip along at speeds based on the power you’re putting out for your weight. You can join group rides, line up for a race, meet up with a friend to just ride, or do pre-programmed workouts. You can also take an in-app ▶TP test and follow a training plan to get ready for a century or other goal. But the real gold is in the game: earning new wheels, unlocking new courses, ‘chatting’ with fellow riders via the app. It’s all the trappings and socially competitive stuff you love about outdoor cycling, indoors.
TRAINERROAD
best for: Riders who want progressive, structured training – no games necessary. details: Available for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC; requires a speed sensor or a power meter and smart trainer for automatic resistance control indoors. how it works: ▲stablish your baseline ▶TP using an in-app test. Then choose from over 100 training plans (or 1 000+ indoor/outdoor workouts) to prepare for whatever races or events are on the calendar. The professionally created plans are periodised to take you from building base to honing your performance needs to reach a specific goal. The app lets you watch whatever you want while the guided workout streams on the bottom of the screen.
SUFFERFEST SMART INDOOR BIKES
best for: HIIT fanatics who are hunting for solid power-based training and complete fitness coaching. details: Available for iOS, Mac, and Windows; requires an indoor or smart trainer. how it works: With workouts called ‘Violator’ and ‘The Hunted’, the Sufferfest employs a proprietary power measure they call 4DP – short for 4 Dimensional Power. It tests your five-second, oneminute, five-minute, and 20-minute power to see how your max wattage measures up from sprinting to time trialling. Your training plans are adjusted accordingly, to target the areas you need to build on to achieve your goals. If you geek out on HIIT training, you’ll love it. It’s also one of the best apps for multisport and all-round athletes, as they have running, cycling, and triathlon videos, as well as mental training programmes, strength training, and cycling-centric yoga workouts. best for: Serious, allseason cyclists who want to simulate the outdoor riding experience indoors on a moment’s notice. how it works: New, high-tech, smart stationary bikes await, if you’re willing to invest in what is essentially a permanent inside ride. Unlike basic indoor cycling bikes commonly used in Spin classes, these specialised bikes are designed to more closely mirror your outdoor bike, from the geometry and fit to real shifting and accurate gear ratios – the Wahoo Kickr can even match your 11-speed drivetrain groupset. These smart cycles can cost as much as a second bike, but if you want to really bring the outdoor experience indoors and are tired of dragging your bike through the house and wrestling it on and off the trainer, they could be worth it.