cyclistjourney

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pretty much this…

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The Stelvio… it’s that steep.

Giro d’Italia by incuboy on Flickr.

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What my wall looks for running and cycling

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David Attenborough 

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French Alps.

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While I was out running today it was scorching hot and was getting exhausted. I kept saying this over and over the last 2 miles. "Muscles you gotta learn to grow, because fat you gotta go" Ran 4 miles and not my best 5k but it was all about putting in miles and suffering. I definitely suffering but no water to drink and 84 was my ultimate demise.

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Monday's Workout: 15 min Sprint workout on the spin bike 15 min weightlifting (arms and shoulders) routine 2.5K run on the treadmill (12:45)

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That’s what’s up… ‘REBLOG’ if you’ve ever experienced this while riding / training.

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Awesome video warming up for the TTT at Tour of Utah by Team Exergy

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INJURY PREVENTION 101

STRETCHING: Always, always, always do this after a run!

QUAD STRETCH 1: Stand on one foot (use a piece of furniture to balance if needed). Grab the other ankle/foot and bring your heel up towards the glutes. Pull until you feel a stretch. Be sure to keep your back straight and avoid bending forward.

QUAD STRETCH 2: Position yourself upright on your knees. Slowly lean back, with your body erect and arms to the side. Hold for 15 seconds.

SEATED HAMSTRING STRETCH: Sit with both legs straight in front of you. Reach out in front of you and grab your ankles/toes (as far as you can reach) and hold for 15-20 seconds.

GROIN STRETCH: While seated, put the soles of your feet together. With your elbows on the inside of your knees, gradually lean forward, and gently press your knees towards the ground using your elbows.

IT BAND STRETCH 1: Sit with both legs straight in front of you. Bend one knee and bring your thigh as close to your chest as possible. Cross the foot of your bent knee over the thigh of your straight leg and place your foot on the ground. Hug your knee to your chest and twist your mid-section in the direction of the bent knee.

IT BAND STRETCH 2: While standing, cross your right leg in front of your left leg. Lean your hip towards the right and hold for 30-60 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.

CALF STRETCH: Face a stationary object (wall, tree, etc.) and place your hand on the object below shoulder level. Step back with one foot, keeping the knee straight. Bend the other knee forward and push against the object until you feel a stretch. Hold for 60 seconds, switch legs, and repeat.

LOW BACK/QUAD STRETCH: Lie on your back and with your feet flat on the ground, lift your hips up until your body forms a flat plane. Repeat 10 times for 30 second intervals.

CRYOTHERAPY: Click here to read about the benefits of an ice bath.

FOAM ROLLING: Using a foam roller can provide similar benefits as deep-tissue massage. By increasing flexibility and decreasing muscle tension, it can help prevent injury and improve performance. Make the following foam-roller exercises part of your regular running routine: run, roll, and then stretch. Place your body on the roller and slowly roll up and down (for about 10-15 seconds) along the muscle group you are targeting. If you find a particularly tight area, pause on that spot. Putting pressure on a tight area can help release the tissue. Click here to read the rest of the article.

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Wanna Lose Belly Fat?

Get Stronger. Strength training builds muscle mass, prevents muscle loss and helps fat loss. The Squat and deadliftwork best to build strength.

Your lower back keeps you upright from the back. Your abs from the front. Both muscles will work hard during heavy Squats & Deadlifts at keeping you from collapsing under the weight.

Squats & Deadlifts allow you to stress your body with heavy weights, working all your muscles from head to toe. This helps getting stronger quickly and building muscle fast, including ab muscles.

Eat Healthy.As the saying goes “abs are built in the kitchen”. You can train hard & build muscular abs, but if you eat junk food all day, you won’t lose your belly fat. Stop eating processed foods. Eat whole, unprocessed foods.

Proteins. Meat, poultry, fish, whey, eggs, cottage cheese, …

Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, salad, kale, cabbage, …

Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, peers, …

Fats. Olive oil, fish oil real butter, nuts, flax seeds, …

Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, quinoa, …

No need to be perfect. Eating junk food actually helps fat loss by keeping your hormones sharp. Don’t overdo it though. Eat junk food 10% of the time max. That’s 4 junk meals/week if you eat 6 meals/day.

Limit Alcohol Consumption. To lose your belly fat, what you drink is as important as what you eat. Alcohol from time to time is OK. But forget about losing your belly fat if you drink beer & sweet alcohols daily. Also avoid fizzy drinks, they cause bloating.

Eat Less Carbs. You need carbs for energy. Problem is that most people eat way more carbs than they need. Your body will stock the carbs it doesn’t need as fat. And this is often how you get belly fat

Eat More. Eating tons of healthy foods won’t make you fat. Especially not if you exercise 2-3 times a week. Starving yourself is the number 1 nutritional mistakes. Healthy nutrition is important for 3 reasons:

Energy. Food is energy. Your body uses food for weight lifting, working, digestion, etc. Lack of food means lack of energy, in all areas of life.

Fat Loss. Eating the right foods helps fat loss: protein has the highest thermic effect and satiates, healthy fats promote fat loss, …

Maintain Muscle. If you starve yourself, your body will burn muscle for energy - NOT fat. You’ll become skinny + fat.

Hunger means you’re not eating enough. Don’t worry about calories. Just eat breakfast and eat every 3 hours from there on, including post workout. Eat healthy foods 90% of the time to lose your belly fat fast.

Eat More Protein. Protein has a higher thermic effect than other foods: your body burns more energy processing proteins than it does processing carbs and fat. That’s why high protein diets work great at burning your belly fat

9. Lower Your Body Fat. As a man, your belly is the last place where you’ll get rid of fat. If you have man boobs and a double chin, you’ll have to lower your body fat to lose your belly fat. Here’s how:

Get Stronger. Strength training builds & maintains muscle, increases fat loss, helps sticking to diet

Eat Healthier. Apply the 8 nutrition rules. Eat breakfast. Eat every 3 hours. Proteins, veggies & fruits with each meal. Carbs post workout only. 2 cups of water with each meal. Whole foods 90% of the time.

Add Cardio. 15mins post workout, build up to 3x45mins/week. If you have less than 15% body fat, just get stronger and eat healthier. That will lower your body fat and make you lose your belly fat.

Stay Motivated.Looking at your belly or in the mirror gives you inaccurate feedback. What you see is influenced by food intake, water retention, light and your own perception. Self-image issues can make the last one tricky.

Measure Body Fat. Every 2 weeks using a fat caliper. It doesn’t need to be accurate. What matters is that the trend goes down.

Measure Your Waist. Also every 2 weeks. If you get stronger and eat healthy, your waist will go down fast. Your pants will start to feel loose.

Take Pictures. Shoot pictures of yourself every 2 weeks: front, back & side. The side pictures will show the most change.

Goooodbye Belly Fat (: Follow: www.health-freeak.tumblr.com

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(via Twitter / @dzabriskie: Too cool for cleats.)

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Victoria Pendleton: Olympics, Great Britain, cycling

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The Alp!