10 Bad Habits That Are Holding You Back

You ride your bike most of the time to improve your fitness, to complete increasingly difficult or faster courses, to progress over time, whatever your age or starting level. However, some bad habits prevent you from giving your best. Here is a list, to help you get back on track with your progress.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: depositphotos.com

Cycling is a thankless sport that requires you to learn the ropes before taking the plunge. Whether it's a neighborhood race or the Tour de FranceThe principle is always the same: we prepare our body to make efforts, we strengthen it, we accustom it to the difficulties that await it.

Fitness is fickle, it takes a long time to build up, and very little to see it fade away. You know this deep down, but you don't always know how to go about it.

Few people take full advantage of their real physical abilities, however modest they may be.. Age is a limiting factor (the famous VO2 max would decrease by about 1% every year from the age of 40). But there is a significant margin between your current limits and the full exploitation of your capacities.

You can progress on a bike until very late, or at least significantly limit the regression of your physical abilities. To do this, you must stick to a rigorous and, above all, regular training plan. What if all you had to do was sweep away one by one the bad habits that handicap you over the seasons?

1. Lack of motivation

Defining a plan and sticking to it requires a minimum of motivation to ensure regular sessions.. No matter what training method you choose, the important thing is to believe in it. There is no single way to get in shape and progress over the months. But when you choose a plan, you stick to it.

Of course, sometimes you have to kick yourself in the butt to go for a ride in the rain, get on the home trainer in the evening after work, or turn down a drink with colleagues.

Maintaining this motivation is the basis of all progress, but it also depends on the following chapters. There is no point in thinking too big if your schedule leaves you no respite. Or if you do not get the support of those around you. Any life choice is respectable, but it must be made with full knowledge of the facts.

Like any endurance sport, cycling is tough, with few real rewards in the end. But the rewards are definitely worth it, we assure you. It's up to you to find what really motivates you: getting on the podium, losing weight, improving your time on the Alpe d'Huez climb. Whatever, but that's what you need to keep in mind whenever you're going through a tough time.

2. Poor organization

If you want to progress, you absolutely must organize yourself to fit regular sessions into your schedule.. No choice, and no question of procrastinating in any of your activities. These sessions do not need to be long or too frequent.

It depends primarily on your level and that of your goal. But if you can only dedicate 4 to 5 hours per week to your sport, do it well. Don't skip sessions, anticipate problems as much as possible, and define your priorities.

Those who regularly let themselves get overwhelmed are above all those who lack motivation. Involve your family or those around you. Explain your motivations and your goals to them, ask them to respect your time slots and in exchange devote some time to them in complete serenity. Compromises are essential on both sides, and in this case, do not aim for a goal that is too far removed from your time availability.

3. Thinking too big

The best way to break your teeth and get discouraged is to see things too big. It is dand imagine taking on a challenge that is too far removed from your physical or training capabilities. Those who make you believe that you can reasonably complete the Stage of the Tour with 4 hours of training per week only want to sell you a dream.

Good training is not very complicated: regularity, progressiveness of volume and intensity, to move on to the next step. It is impossible to move from departmental level to an Elite level in a few months, let's be clear!

4. Making excuses

Behind the phrases " I can't ride, it's raining "," My session is cancelled, I have to take my daughter to the Pony »,« My bike is too heavy "," I slept badly last night ", we must see there too a lack of motivation, organization or fear of facing the reality of competition.

Failure is never a problem in itself, you just have to know how to draw the right conclusions from it. This means not having an oversized ego, not imagining yourself better than you really are, and accepting your limits.

Some prefer to live in the illusion of a supposed level, without ever confronting a race, a challenge, a course, and never questioning themselves. This is the complete opposite of someone who decides to take charge of their progress.

5. Being poorly positioned on the bike

You can't express yourself properly on the bike if you're not properly positioned on it.. Improper settings cause pain and discomfort, or simply poor performance.

Rather than investing in a second pair of carbon wheels or a state-of-the-art computer, opt for a fit well done, with a specialist who will adjust your bike, advise you on the model of saddle to adopt, or even the type of pedals, shoes or soles. Essential for riding serenely and concentrating on physical progress.

6. Always doing the same thing

Sticking to the same program every week, every month, every year is detrimental to progress.. You have to vary the pleasures, surprise the body, try other methods. The body gets used to a routine, and once adapted, it no longer progresses.

This principle, which is appropriate for the progressiveness of workloads, also applies to additional activities or the test programme.

7. Always ride alone or always in a group?

It is very difficult to assess your progress when you always ride solo, always in the same way.. Integrating intensity exercises will give you little indication of your real progress. Unless you have a power meter to compare your fitness to that of previous weeks.

Training is not a punishment, it is a way to feel better on the bike, to have sensations, and following a basic instinct, to compare yourself to others. Sometimes ride in a group and "play" with your teammates route, it is also a way to maintain and intensify motivation.

More Those who are unable to go out when they are not accompanied have a real problem of motivation and attitude towards to their own progress. They choose to be spectators rather than actors. They undergo the mood of the group, sometimes passive with long stretches where they are not solicited by remaining hidden in the wheels, sometimes with short very intense stretches that put them in the red.

Know how to alternate solo outings with group outings, and don't lose track of your program if you are accompanied.

8. Don’t step out of your comfort zone

It is not by accumulating outings of 100 km at an average of 30 km that you can ultimately improve your level.. This works for a while, when you are a beginner or possibly for winter training. But then you have to break it up, work on the energy systems linked to performance, even in small touches.

You have to accept that to improve you have to compete with yourself, or with others, who won't do you any favors on race day anyway.

But here again, keep in mind that regularity is required (it is better to maintain high intensity exercises regularly in small increments than to suffer on race day) and progression (increasingly long exercises and increasingly high intensities).

9. Driving too fast

The remark is valid for those who, due to excess motivation, train too hard, with too much ambition, or always ride too fast, without recovery periods. All this is a brake on progress, because of excess fatigue.

Too much intensity relative to the overall volume leads to overtraining, if not outright disgust.. You have to find the right balance between sufficient volume (cycling is a sport that is 95% aerobic) and small amounts of intensity.

Those who hope to fill a weekly volume deficit with too much intensity are heading straight for a brick wall. Their body is constantly overloaded with waste, and does not regenerate.

10. Not indulging yourself

As you can see, It's all about compromise. A few regular, well-targeted efforts will allow you to progress and enjoy yourself on a bike, to have feelings of strength and power. But also to be more enduring, to return less tired, and ultimately to progress. Both thanks to the efforts made and because the increase in your level will make you want to progress even more.

A few outings at regular intervals, without sensors or counters, will allow you to meet up with yourself, just for the pleasure of pedaling.

You can also allow yourself to treat yourself to good equipment. It doesn't hurt that the bike looks good to you, you'll want to get on it, ride it and progress even more.

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