Bike Trainer Reviews » Training Articles http://biketrainerreviews.com Fri, 05 Nov 2010 02:22:50 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Who Need’s a Gym? http://biketrainerreviews.com/who-needs-a-gym/ http://biketrainerreviews.com/who-needs-a-gym/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:38:40 +0000 Admin http://biketrainerreviews.com/?p=61 MA_pushupBuilding muscle and strength doesn't require a gym membership, or even weights, according to a new study from the University of Texas-El Paso. In a new test of manual resistance exercises, where a training partner provided the resistance, researchers found the strength training to be just as effective as using weights.

During a 14-week period, the scientists monitored 84 college students who were assigned to either a traditional program of weights-based exercises, or manual resistance workouts. Both groups were given six exercises and performed eight to 12-rep sets two to four times. By the end of the study, the two groups showed no significant differences in strength development.

And while many of us do have regular access to strength training equipment, manual resistance can be especially helpful when you're traveling or can't make it to the gym. Basic strength moves like a squat would be performed with your training partner's hand on your shoulders, pressing down. Or to add resistance to push-ups, your spotter stands over you, pressing down on your back. For bicep curls or shoulder presses, hold a towel in your hands while your partner pulls down on the ends.

Any pair of adults can perform manual strength exercises, and they don't need to be of equal strength. In each exercise the spotter can use his or her body weight for a mechanical advantage.

]]> http://biketrainerreviews.com/who-needs-a-gym/feed/ 0 Bike Training Motivational Tips http://biketrainerreviews.com/bike-training-motivational-tips/ http://biketrainerreviews.com/bike-training-motivational-tips/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:30:49 +0000 Admin http://biketrainerreviews.com/?p=54 stage1cook_sprintBetter workouts and race results could all be in your head, according to a new study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. A team of scientists from Aberystwyth University in England looked at the effects of motivational and instructional self-talk on physical exertion and found that both provided a small, but significant, effect on performance.

The researchers enlisted 12 men and 12 women for the study. After warming up, each subject performed four vertical jumps on a force plate that measured their power. For each jump, the subjects had either no instruction or one of three types of self-talk: instructional (thinking how to jump high), motivational (telling yourself you will jump high), or neutral (talking to yourself about the weather).

Results from the force plate showed that the instructional and motivational jumps registered an average 4-percent increase in force compared to the neutral talk and no-instruction control. And while four percent may not seem like a notable increase, this could easily translate to an extra 40 to 50 watts in a 1000-watt sprint. Past research also shows that positive self-talk improves athletic performance, not just jumping up and down.

To get some practice with self-talk, try talking yourself through Chris Carmichael's killer sprint workout or check out some of the legendary Spinervals DVDs below. They will help you crank out the miles and take your training to an entirely different level.

Spinervals DVDs on Ebay

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