10km cycling challenge for beginners Congratulations on committing to a 10kAnyWay cycling challenge. Setting yourself a goal is a good way to start making exercise a regular part of your life and achieving the challenge gives you a real mental boost to go with healthy eating, weight-management and toned muscles! Cycling is also a really great way to build up your fitness levels, and put your body to the test, without the impact on your joints that running can have. It could be that you loved cycling in your younger years but haven t picked up a bike in some time. Or perhaps you just want to get your fitness levels up, and think cycling sounds like a much more enjoyable way to do this than by spending hours on a treadmill (we agree!). Maybe you already spend time on your bike commuting to work, but want to step it up a notch and improve your fitness at the same time. Whatever your reasons for wanting to start cycling, our 10k beginners cycling plan has been designed to help you every step of the way. Phone: 0117 363 3078 Email: support@vavista.com 1 Vavista Ltd, Lysander House, Bristol BS10 7TQ VavistaLife 2015
Each week you will need to do at least 3 of the specified exercise sessions either in the gym or on an outdoor route, and try to include different terrains (uphill, downhill, flat etc) every week. You should ideally do at least one outdoor and one gym session per week but I know the weather can sometimes prevent that and wet-weather cycling can be risky. Make sure you have a rest day in between each session this will reduce your chance of injury and will help you to become a stronger, more skilled cyclist. You could use your rest day to do some upper-body tone up exercises instead. Incline/resistance Gym: Incline/resistance levels can be adjusted manually, or you may be able to choose a preset programme, which has these already set up. Outdoors: Work out routes with various terrains and inclines, which will test your fitness and build your experience. Outdoor training When you start training, it is advisable to stick with routes that are fairly local to you. Then, once you have a little more experience under your belt, you can start venturing further afield. Varying your cycle routes will stop routes from becoming boring, and is a great way to explore your local area too. It also gives you a chance to experience a range of different terrains each new terrain will bring with it a new set of challenges and push different muscles, so it s great for overall muscle toning. For help with kit see our tips. Bike machine Stationary cycling machines at the gym are a great way to widen your cycling experience and build up your cycling skills without having to work out specific outdoor routes. Here are a few simple tips to remember when setting up your cycling machine. Adjust the seat When the pedal is at it s lowest position, your leg should be almost straight. Your legs shouldn t feel strained and you should be able to pedal easily, without having to move your hips. Adjust the pedal straps Loosen or tighten the straps so that your feet are held in, without feeling too tight. Phone: 0117 363 3078 Email: support@vavista.com 2 Vavista Ltd, Lysander House, Bristol BS10 7TQ VavistaLife 2015
Get to grips with the display panel Most modern cycling machines will have a display panel that lets you set up your ride and adjust what see you see in the display. If you re unfamiliar with the one you re using, then ask a member of staff at the gym to show you the ropes. You should be able to set your machine at different incline/resistances and incline/resistance levels and many offer pre-set workouts that replicate riding through different terrains, sometimes even giving you the virtual images on your display panel! RPM Most bike displays will also show your RPM reps per minute which is a great way of keeping track of your progress as you go through the programme. Your RPM will vary dependant on whether you are cycling uphill, downhill or on a flat, but as you progress through the programme, try to keep aware of the RPM so that you don t end up coasting! Heart rate Another good way to ensure you are working out effectively is to invest in a heart rate monitor or use the one that may be built into the exercise bike. To roughly calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) per minute, subtract your age from 220. Now try to vary your workouts according to the zones below. A mixture of these sessions within the week (always linked to warm-up and cool-downs) will give you best results. Warm-up / recovery Endurance Strength Interval 50-65% MHR 65-75% MHR 75-85% MHR Switch between 65% MHR and max effort By the end of the 12 weeks, you should be ready to cycle 10km in 30 40 minutes, so choose a great route, enlist some friends and book a time to enjoy your newfound fitness! Remember to check with your doctor before undertaking exercise if you have any concerns. Phone: 0117 363 3078 Email: support@vavista.com 3 Vavista Ltd, Lysander House, Bristol BS10 7TQ VavistaLife 2015
Your 12-week 10kAnyWay Cycling Programme WEEK 1 1. Cycle 10 minutes, low incline/resistance, easy pace 2. Cycle 10 minutes, medium incline/resistance, easy pace 3. Cycle 15 minutes, low incline/resistance, easy pace WEEK 2 1. Cycle 10 minutes, low incline/resistance, easy pace 2. Cycle 15 minutes, low incline/resistance, medium pace 3. Cycle 15 minutes, medium incline/resistance, medium pace WEEK 3 1. Cycle 10 minutes, low incline/resistance, medium pace 2. Cycle 15 minutes, medium incline/resistance, medium pace 3. Cycle 20 minutes, low incline/resistance, quick pace WEEK 4 1. Cycle 15 minutes, medium incline/resistance, easy pace 2. Cycle 15 minutes, medium incline/resistance, medium pace 3. Cycle 20 minutes, high incline/resistance, easy pace WEEK 5 1. Cycle 15 minutes, medium incline/resistance, easy pace 2. Cycle 20 minutes, medium incline/resistance, medium pace 3. Cycle 25 minutes, low incline/resistance, quick pace Phone: 0117 363 3078 Email: support@vavista.com 4 Vavista Ltd, Lysander House, Bristol BS10 7TQ VavistaLife 2015
WEEK 6 1. Cycle 20 minutes medium incline/resistance, medium pace 2. Cycle 35 minutes, low incline/resistance, medium pace 3. Cycle 25 minutes, medium incline/resistance, quick pace WEEK 7 1. Cycle 25 minutes, medium incline/resistance, easy pace 2. Cycle 20 minutes, medium incline/resistance, quick pace 3. Cycle 30 minutes, low incline/resistance, quick pace 4. Cycle 35 minutes, medium incline/resistance, medium pace WEEK 8 1. Cycle 25 minutes, low incline/resistance, easy pace 2. Cycle 30 minutes, medium incline/resistance, easy pace 3. Cycle 20 minutes, high incline/resistance, medium pace 4. Cycle 35 minutes, medium incline/resistance, quick pace WEEK 9 1. Cycle 20 minutes, low incline/resistance, medium pace 2. Cycle 30 minutes, medium incline/resistance, medium pace 3. Cycle 15 minutes, high incline/resistance, quick pace 4. Cycle 40 minutes, medium incline/resistance, medium pace WEEK 10 1. Cycle 25 minutes, medium incline/resistance, medium pace 2. Cycle 35 minutes, low incline/resistance, quick pace 3. Cycle 20 minutes, high incline/resistance, medium pace 4. Cycle 40 minutes, medium incline/resistance, quick pace Phone: 0117 363 3078 Email: support@vavista.com 5 Vavista Ltd, Lysander House, Bristol BS10 7TQ VavistaLife 2015
WEEK 11 1. Cycle 30 minutes, medium incline/resistance, easy pace 2. Cycle 35 minutes, low incline/resistance, quick pace 3. Cycle 40 minutes, medium incline/resistance, medium pace 4. Cycle 45 minutes, high incline/resistance, medium pace WEEK 12 1. Cycle 35 minutes, medium incline/resistance, easy pace 2. Cycle 40 minutes, low incline/resistance, quick pace 3. Cycle 45 minutes, medium incline/resistance, easy pace 4. Achieve your 10kAnyWay cycling challenge it s time to tackle the 10km! Phone: 0117 363 3078 Email: support@vavista.com 6 Vavista Ltd, Lysander House, Bristol BS10 7TQ VavistaLife 2015
My 10kAnyWay training log Week Sessions completed Comments 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Congratulations! You have completed your 10kAnyWay cycling challenge for beginners. Remember to share your chosen challenge with us all your highs and lows of training, your challenge date and how you get on photos too please! We can help publicise your event to raise money for charity or link you up with others undertaking the challenge. Let us know when you have completed it and we will send you a 10kAnyWay certificate. Complete a 10k challenge in 3 different ways and win a 10kAnyWay gold medal. #10kAnyWay. Phone: 0117 363 3078 Email: support@vavista.com 7 Vavista Ltd, Lysander House, Bristol BS10 7TQ VavistaLife 2015