December 11, 2019 6 min read
Cycling New Year's resolutions and goal setting may sound overrated. Defining what you want to achieve is extremely powerful to support your training. Setting fitness resolutions, and importantly sticking to them, will help you stay motivated and grow as an athlete.
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Cycling and fitness goals will help you work harder, be more focused, and overcome setbacks. Creating cycling new year’s resolutions can keep you on track to complete your fitness goals on yourindoor smart bike. If you’re still not convinced that you need to set fitness resolutions for the New Year, we explain the importance of goal setting:
You can implement fitness resolutions whether you’re looking to build on the base you successfully kept up last year, or you’re starting fresh. Here are some of the New Year’s fitness resolutions you should be making to improve your cycling performance with the help of yourindoor bike trainer.
It’s always good to have a plan. What are you training for? What do you want to improve? Maybe it’s how fast you can climb up hills, orimproving your FTP. When you look back on last season do you feel you could have benefitted from more structure? Or do you just find it hard to stay motivated?
Try one of the Wattbike training plans available on theWattbike Hub! Wattbike training plans will catapult you towards your new year’s cycling goals, whether it’s developing your base ortraining for a sportive. They’re also developed with some of the industry's best coaches.
Been eyeing up the Wattbike zone in the gym? Swap out your spin bike class for aAtom smart bike workout and get ready to get serious about your fitness. In a Wattbike class you’ll learn all about yourpedalling effectiveness and how to get the most out of your power metrics.
Whether you need to make a serious lifestyle change, or just want to swap out the chocolate for some healthy snacking, put nutrition at the top of your cycling new year’s resolution list. Prioritisewhat you need to eat after cycling to aid recovery, and how to fuel your body ahead of your ride.
Sometimes to achieve your new year’s fitness resolutions you need to train with a tangible goal in mind. Signing up for races orcycling sportives could push you to train on those days where you’d rather be sitting in front of the TV. They can even help you expand your social circle within the cycling world. Plus, you’ll feel accomplished as soon as you’ve completed it! At Wattbike, we havesportive training plans to help you structure your training and tick a sportive off your bucket list.
If you burnt out last year or started to recognisesigns of overtraining, it could benefit you to take a step back and reevaluate your attitude to training. Yes, cycling forms a big part of our lives, but the rest is equally important for both our physical and mental health. Try changing your attitude if you feel like your new year’s fitness resolutions are taking over your life, you’ll feel much better for it!
Another cycling new year’s resolution to incorporate into your fitness goals iscycling strength training and conditioning workouts. Try to make time before your ride to complete a short mobility session to improve your joint flexibility. According to a study published in theJournal of Strength and Conditioning Research, it appears that dynamic stretching, or stretching while moving through a movement, is better than static stretching as part of a warmup. There are alsostretches to do after cycling, which can help to limit injuries and aid recovery.
If you’re used to riding with a group of friends and enjoy stopping off at nice cafe spots,winter training can sometimes feel a little lonely. Make the most ofWattbike compatible indoor cycling apps to connect your cycling new year’s resolutions to real data:
With the virtual training platforms advancing the world of indoor cycling you can still ride with your buddies to help you power through big indoor sessions.
Planning your fitness new year’s resolutions correctly, and realistically, can help you achieve your goals. You need to ensure the plans you make are viable, and work within your lifestyle.
One popular method of goal-setting is ensuring every goal you set is SMART.
Ultimately, you need to ensure your goals are specific, and that they can be measured perhaps withperformance tests to track your progress. Make certain you have agreed upon the terms with anyone your training may influence or involve, to ensure everyone is aligned.
You need to set your goals in a realistic manner, to make them achievable within your ability and resources available. Finally, you need to consider the time frame available. When you are able to train, and in what length of time do you want to have reached your cycling new year’s resolutions. You’ll be able to use it as an anchor to track back and assess the time you’ll have to prepare.
The example below sets out how to create SMART goals:
Anthony, a keen cyclist who currently rides 25 miles, 2-3 times per week, has set the following goal: “I want to ride 100 miles.”
Let’s check how Anthony’s goal measures up against the SMART scale:
S - Is it specific?
No, it doesn’t mention when, where or how he is planning to ride 100 miles.
M - Is it measurable?
Yes, it states 100 miles which is measurable and proof of whether he achieved the goal or not.
A - Is it agreed?
Anthony has agreed to this goal, but has he gained buy-in from other people related to his goal? This might include his coach, family, spouse or social group. Telling people about your goals will help you stick to them.
R - Is it realistic?
Given that Anthony is already a regular cyclist, this goal seems achievable with hard work. Whether a goal is realistic for you will depend on your starting point and how fit you are.
T - Is it time appropriate?
Anthony has not created a timely goal as he hasn’t stated when he’s likely to ride his 100 miles. Setting a specific timeframe to achieve your goal is key. Use it as an anchor to track back and assess the time you’ll have to prepare.
We’ve found that Anthony’s original goal falls short on a few areas, so let’s recreate it using the SMART method: “I want to ride 100 miles in under 6 hours at the Great Notts Bike Ride on 26th June this coming year.”
At Wattbike, we’re committed to providing unparalleled cycling data to keep you on top of your cycling goals. Find Wattbike workouts to try in the gym or improve your cadence to support your cycling New Year’s resolutions.
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