Over this holiday season I have had time to review some CF products. In the past month I have encountered quite a few athletes who have had injuries that limit their running. Bike workouts would be an easy solution, since pools are hard to find open in Michigan.
In the past few weeks, my back has also tightened up quite a bit (probably from watching all the CF videos!), and finally decided to give a bike tempo workout a try. Within 20 minutes into the entire workout (warm-up included), my back tightness went away. I followed the warm-up progression Charlie and Ange go through, and then modified the RPMs to fit my fitness level. Doing 1 set of 10 was all that was needed.
As I listened to what Charlie and Ange talked about on the video, a nugget of information came out I didn’t hear in previous viewings. Charlie mentioned how bike tempo could be done as a break from traditional running tempo workouts. This made me reflect back to workouts my athletes have gone through over the past years. I think a week of bike tempo probably would have done them well as I pushed them too hard.
For those who have the thought of exercise bikes being expensive, you can get a magnetic trainer at the local bike shop for about $200, where you can attach your own bike. I also found good quality exercise bikes on Craigslist for under $200. I needed a bike for my facility and found one for $125 new at the local store in town. It’s sturdy and runs very smooth.
If you have not already purchased the bike tempo video, it is a must for any coach, because it can be used for so many people, including us older adults for general fitness.