Training When Short On Time - Get Fit When Life Gets Busy!

[@gcn]

How do you fit training around a busy lifestyle? 🚴

[@apm9507]

Bicycle commute on work days. Recreational cycling with or without my family on the road or the rocky canal trail next to our home. I'm going to pedal the rocky canal trail covered in ice and snow this afternoon, and the road on Saturday morning.

[@apm9507]

Snow shoveling a large driveway is also excellent exercise.

[@lazzaboyman8003]

Get up early, 06:00 5 days a week, 05:40 twice a week when I go to the office I use these two as rest days

[@erickjoestar1561]

Commuting to college during weekdays, half hour to reach there and half hour back home, also i do deliveries and get supplies for the family's workshop too so I'm on the saddle for quite some time in my routine

[@crbondur]

I'm lucky that I work from home. This means I can break up my activity/workouts throughout the day. Morning yoga before work, a bit of weight lifting (20-30 minutes) during my lunch break 3-4 times a week, then a ride in the evening if time allows. All of this, along with longer rides on the weekends, really helps. Moving throughout the day is the trick for me.

[@derfx89]

Elite-level editing on that intro. So smooth!

[@gcn]

The editor killed it on this one! 🙌

[@cameronwyant9015]

Give em a raise

[@belperflyer7419]

I've been retired for 25 years and I used to cycle commute throughout the year 13 miles (at least) each way - so a minimum of 1.5 hrs/day plus steady club runs/touring holidays etc at weekends. I've recently acquired a Wattbike which is the first time I've been able to measure power. What amazes me is that Neal can output 370 watts for 30 minutes with a maximum of 1.7kw - as a comparison I average about 120 watts over my 30 minutes with a maximum of 300 watts in the closing 20 second 'sprint'. I have raced but only club evening 10s and I never really enjoyed it - my love was long steady touring/Audax rides but they're mostly beyond me now. I'm just trying to keep fit enough not to need the NHS as I march on in my 80s :) AT least my 30/35 minutes each morning seems not to be a total futile waste of time so thanks for that.

[@abcdefg8134]

Keep it up 💪

[@G60syncro]

In my early thirties it was so easy!! I was single at the time, a job in town, no house, no big projects... I would just cycle everywhere... At the time I got myself in a routine as a drummer: I would do 30mins of climbing in an indoor climb wall center just a block away from my studio. Then I would do a whole 30mins of intense drumming exercices... working on particular sticking techniques, but also going for endurance. Once that was done I would hit the bike back to my place a few blocks uphill 3 days a week... and that's out of the regular band rehearsal nights. I remember at the time I was in beast mode all the time. Fast forward a bit and I got a house and trying to remodel it, a day job further away with an hour car commute and kids and it's been hard on me!! Now I'm 45 and slowly getting back into it... The kids are older now, so not so needy. New job litterally 5mins away on a bike.... more like 8 in the winter but the thing is it's much harder in the Canadian winter so I have to put in the watts. When summer hits and I end up trimming some time off the commute, it's easy for me to just do a few laps on the bike path around the lake in the middle of the city before heading back up home. I really do feel much better than I've been a few years ago and I would say even my drumming has improved in the process!!

[@ricmcgillgopro]

I had a chance to spend some time with Neal Henderson and the guy absolutely LEAKS KNOWLEDGE. Neal is such a force in his field and a great person. Great to see GCN pulling him in to share his expertise.

[@cliffy232323]

Thank you for finally realizing that most of us are busy and have to cycle on a busy schedule and having content that aligns to real life.

[@geoffreyhoney122]

Super helpful video Alex! Great points, especially RECOVERY! Phil Clavell points out that there is a danger of amateurs overtraining ,even more than the pros! Having taken to heart these points from The Midlife Cyclist and confirmed from your video, I do 3 HIIT short sessions per week and mix it up with daily walks. The latter are sooo important for osteoporosis prevention and don't jeapordise recover! Good luck with your persuit! And the training lead up to it!

[@gcn]

Glad you found it so helpful! Keep up the good work 🙌

[@AntoineGougeon]

I’m a big fan of GCN, but I have to say the current number of Zoom meeting recording is not at the level of quality we can expect. Why not asking for a dual recording to have at least good sound quality? Go GCN!

[@wayned3122]

I started riding the trainer in the early morning before I start work (I work from home) and have found it was a great kick-start to using the trainer to fill in when I cant ride outdoors. I am now riding twice daily 3-4 times a week, a combined time of 1.5 hours and I feel much better mentally and physically.

[@luciouspontorro3741]

Congrats on the new routine. Lots of research shows physical activity before mental tasks significantly improves the latters performance.

[@Shellewell]

Somehow I just love every single episode where we get to see Neal Henderson. He just seems so pleasant and friendly all the time.

[@TonyOldskool]

Cycling to work is a big bonus, if it’s doable, try it, I ditched my car during lock down, now a one car family instead of 2

[@FlatSpinMan]

I absolutely loved Neal’s first comments about the general benefits of any exercise at all.

[@billbishop2011]

I find a half hour of running is a great way to fit in a workout. I can squeeze it in after work even in the winter when daylight is scarce. It seems to help keep my weight down and improve my fitness level for my local faster group rides.

[@gcn]

Running is a great way to build that base fitness! Less kit involved than cycling to... 👀

[@bribri5458]

Same man! Quicker and easier in the winter months and more enjoyable to mix it up!

[@manuelgaertner2258]

30 min of Running is great For cycling its a bit short I prefer 30 running each second day and 1 Hour cycling the other day

[@fridooo1982]

Definitely an evening person here! I am totally unable to train in the morning. It helps me relax after my day to push hard in the evening.

[@gcn]

You do you! Great to hear you've worked out you're own system 🙌

[@inz_uzi]

Same here.

[@rogersimmons8788]

Stay fit and healthy. Live long enough to screw the pension system!

[@belperflyer7419]

Done that! Work pension 27 years - state pension 18 👍

[@rogersimmons8788]

@belperflyer7419 Well done. State pension for me in May. Hopefully, I've got a good few years to come.

[@elkellenhabla]

Pension? Laughs in American

[@miguelpereira318]

@@elkellenhabla laugh in Portuguese

[@felix-dk9tr]

@@miguelpereira318 laughs in any western gerontocracy :(

[@adamaraujo5637]

Great video. I WFH and was going out for 30-60 min rides during the summer on my break. Was super handy. Winter time and I have got a turbo trainer and have started a plan on Zwift. I have put the days I want to train in my diary and asked the wife for support in forcing me on after a hard day with work or the kids.

[@diezrosales]

I did the 30/30 on my bike on Zwift in January challenge and got truly hooked. I am still doing it now 4 months later, plus longer rides at the weekend. I've never felt better and I'm 59 years old.

[@indirannaidoo7663]

I’m a strong believer in 30 minutes training programme, cycling 🚴🏼‍♂️ or other. Quality over quantity always. Just need to figure out how to fit in my golfing 🏌🏽‍♂️ time now 💪🏽

[@PeloMR2]

This is why bike commuting is a secret weapon! No need to think about weekday workouts if you've convinced yourself there is no other way to get to work 😊

[@MattSwain1]

I’m a believer that little but often is the way to go when you’re pinched for time. It also works for me when, like at the moment, motivation is a bit low because it’s easier to convince myself to do something if it’s only a short session. At the moment I’m alternating days between the turbo trainer and treadmill. On days like today which was on the treadmill, I don’t even need 30 minutes, a warm-up, a few intervals above my 5k pace and a short cool down.

[@wcasteve1]

If that's all the time you have then its a good idea to do something rather than nothing... good idea to have the bike set up and ready to go as well as the Garmin charged and hr monitor hanging on the bars waiting for you. Our sessions often get sabotaged by bad organisation. Don't make excuses, like doing the washing up or cleaning the bog.... what's more important.... I am discussing this with the missus.... haha. good vid guys.

[@BrianMcDonald]

My work commute used to be 30 minutes each way, but after doing it consistently for the past 3 years I now do it in 20 minutes. At this point it's not so strenuous that I can't do a longer ride on the weekend. So I've found a pretty decent balance.

[@aaronpower8741]

Definitely NOT a morning person. One of the things I love about Zwift is that I can finally ride when it suits me, and still get in some good racing and riding with others. I generally hop on the bike around 9 PM, with the plan to be off the bike and cooled down by 11 PM. Early mornings are for sparrows and worms. I let them do their thing while I lie comfortably in bed :)

[@newoldsteel]

I love when someone has an excuse of not having enough time, then I ask “let me see your screen time stats specifically social media” and then they’re like O.O

[@craigschray4486]

I think any activity is going to be a benefit for the average person like myself. I've been actually hitting the weights and I'm seeing benefits during my indoor training.

[@stuartfreedman6854]

Good to see you guys are finally getting away from "how to clean your bike" type of content. Keep it coming...

[@bonzainutter]

Great questions for Neil, Alex!

[@virtualZ161]

Trainer workout: 5min warmup/20min zone 3-4 intervals/5 cooldown

[@PumpkinVillage]

I found with warm up and cool downs an hour a day is perfect. Don't have a smart trainer so I get some good music, put a bike related video on the TV usually something from Bike the World. Next thing you know I'm biking in Europe. Thanks for the video and take care, Al

[@gcn]

From the garage to the alps... that's the beauty of the turbo 🙌

[@ered_lithui]

I‘m not short on time, usually, so I go for a 60-90min run in the morning and do 30-45min Zwift and/or core workout in the evenings, but if I had to choose, I‘d go for the Zwift ride- nothing easier than getting dressed, hop on the bike and go!

[@jamesbarber6375]

I'd question doing any kind of cooldown with the sort of training being described here. You're creating signals to your body to adapt to a training stimulus. Part of that is the build up of lactic acid etc. You can reduce the amount of soreness by 'cooling down' but that will also reduce the amount of adaptation. It makes absolute sense for Primos Roglic to cool down at the top of Mont Ventoux because he needs to be recovered to do it all again tomorrow. With this minimalist approach you should be looking to maximise adaptation, rather than surviving a gruelling training regime.

[@goodcompanycoffee]

Neil's great, would recommend the Wahoo Knowledge Podcast for the science behind taking your training more seriously.

[@ricf9592]

As a former runner I saved time by running a basic session of 40 seconds brisk, 20 seconds recovery. I could warm up into this session and warm down. Just a question of pitching the intensity. Then I improved from a marathon of 2:56 to 2:46 in six months doing that twice per week and one long run.

[@trbeyond]

That’s solid! How long was this session of 40/20 and how frequently per week?

[@matteomoscheni5721]

Great video there, as usual! ❤️ Quick question in view of starting racing, any feedback is most welcome 🥺. My usual training consists of: some 1h HIIT on Tuesday and Friday (obviously GCN-branded); 2-3h of steady zone 2 on the spinning bike on Saturday; group riding or "colourful" solo riding (how best to make it "colourful"?) on Sunday. Extra: commuting for a total of 45 min per working day @zone2. Do you believe this is good enough? How to improve? Thank you, love you!

[@luciouspontorro3741]

@irfuel I agree 100%. 3 hours would kill me. I'm at 70 mins @Z2 indoor currently, and it's brutal. I think max I could handle is 1.5 hrs

[@matteomoscheni5721]

I take those 3h as a good opportunity to catch up with unwatched movies ahahah

[@DavidMackenzie]

Really interesting video Alex, and very slick presentation and editing. Great stuff.

[@luukrutten1295]

Mix it up 30 minutes can be anything. Yoga ( makes you faster ), can be a great addition to fit into two of those days.

[@mac2453]

Nice theory for me :) But can you in such videos show some basic examples of exercices that can give good results in general ? Not just one day high intensity one low but I mean somethik like - one day 1min @ 150% 1min rest and 10 repeats next day easy spin and then 3x3 of.... Just some more precise but still general examples to show the way and idea for "time crunchced" people :) Best regards.

[@DavidKasdan]

"Hoovering" glad you included the emoji so I could figure out what it is

[@b9904]

Bike commute is your friend!

[@gcn]

Great way to get the time on the bike 🙌

[@papagodzilla5465]

this is very helpful, especially in quebec's winter where i cant ride my bike outside. here i vary with elliptical sessions and outside walks when the weather is fine.

[@gcn]

We struggle with winter riding here in the uk too... maybe not to Quebec's length 👀

[@zaqmailify]

The main problem is that even for a 30 minute workout, it takes 15 minutes to prepare and something like 30 minutes to wash and clean up afterwards. + you need to cook and eat food, which is another 30 minutes. Total, finding 30 minutes a day is not a problem, but in reality you need something like 2 hours

[@philthewriter]

To be fair, you're going to do things like wash and eat food anyway, so that 2 hours is closer to 1 hour in reality. That said, I still don't have a spare 7 hours a week to dedicate to cycling.

[@billfrigo7602]

15 mins to prepare? If you’re on an indoor trainer, fill up a water bottle, strap on some bibs + shoes, and jump on. I do agree it takes time for gearing up for an outdoor ride, especially in winter. 30 mins to wash up? Shave your head, lol. 30 mins to cook food? Some eggs or oats or whatever is usually much quicker than that. Meal prep or hacks like overnight oats are a good way to cut time as well.

[@GhostTrainPhoto]

Super great video! I am currently in the dilemma of having a big weekend coming up with two big rides but I still want to keep my GCN 30/30 going, so it's good to hear that I won't be overdoing it if I just wander around Watopia on Zwift at 50W :). In terms of working out in the morning vs the evening...I absolutely prefer the evening. I used to do CrossFit in the mornings and it would just wreck me for the rest of the day and I'd have to sleep after work. Ever since I changed my routine to the evening, I find I'm way more compliant, willing to put in a good effort, use the time to unwind and unplug from the day, and squeeze out that last bit of energy before bed to aid in sleeping.

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

0:04 The guy in the background is modelling the new 2023 GCN bike packing / adventure kit prototype

[@djinthemixxX]

Stay fit, you need more exercise time to get stronger right

[@raymondgrieve5775]

Get out in the morning before family are up, yes it's dark out but nice to get home as the sun gets up. 😉

[@billmccaffrey1977]

Curious question: What should your training look like is you do 30 min in the morning and 30 mins in the evening? Trying to squeeze in more effort for an upcoming event.

[@gaza_]

thats all i do now on turbo trainer, 30 mins. Heart rate starts about 130, then sits at 170, peaks at 186.

[@foldinghomealone]

Thank you for the video. One question. What is your type of training? Sprints, intervalls, or like 20min FTP?

[@23neightdog]

I love TrainerRoad. I’ve seen great gains.

[@HarryWebster-nj6sh]

Would love to know what colour Alex' Orbea is? I'm planning to get MyO Terra this year!

[@saracen888]

Zwift crits on Downtown Dolphin. The perfect 30 minute SmashFest

[@pwoods00]

When I'm working at home and sitting in a meeting which I don't need to participate in as much, I get on the bike and Zwift.

[@thedownunderverse]

What handlebars are you running at 1:45 ?

[@matthewbaynham6286]

Is computer programming classified as moderate exercise? Because if so I'm am well over the 30 minutes threshold.

[@davidadamus177]

Can I build enough endurance to do a 90mi, 10,000 ft of climbing gravel ride by doing this? It's known as the Cohutta Death March (a gravel ride). Guessing my hill training would need to be outdoors since I have a regular wheel-on trainer?

[@MTBScotland]

@ 2:35 is that rainbow colour garmin mount there just to annoy Ollie?

[@johnlantz7278]

I’m riding my bike trainer 30 mins a day altering training from h.I.t. , If the snow an ice melt were gravel riding .until the next storm ☔️

[@gcn]

What more could you want 🙌

[@kootenayevfamily4208]

I’m curious whether would be better to do two 1-1.5 hour sessions on weekdays with nothing but a few mins of walking the other days - OR to do the same time volume over the 5 days.

[@csttd1126]

It's consider it exercice the time you get ready for a ride? Because my wife will not have time to ride anymore if I put everything in 30 min :))

[@diegoeleazar9154]

30 minutes Zone 5. No warm up, no rest, no cool down.

[@stanleyuk1]

30 min better than nothing. I do it very often in the morning , just before work. As a lorry driver don’t have much spare time.

[@jean-philippeemond7638]

Thanks a lot, i had exactly those same questions this is completly my situation!

[@gcn]

Glad we could help 🙌

[@NeilSnapePhotography]

Call me crazy but I find riding on the trainer (simple Elite not connected friction wheel), I can barely survive 20 minutes whereas outdoors I ride for 3-4 hours at the same itnensity? So for me 30 minutes is my goal for 4 times a week.

[@edwardquick1032]

get a 10 hour plus ride In to make up for when you're busy😉

[@ds6914]

How much does Alex weigh, roughly? Just to put his power numbers in context

[@Showmetheevidence-]

At the end of the day, some training is always gonna be better than none… Real question is how to maximise effectiveness on limited time.

[@tombola4046]

Here for the “arm chair pro” cyclist comments about how 30 mins isn’t enough for their needs 😅 this video is obviously aimed at people who are trying to get/keep for during busy work/life time. We all know some of you need more but this isn’t about you and your gains and Strava prestige 😅

[@gcn]

This is about keeping moving and staying fit rather than becoming the next world tour pro 🙌

[@tombola4046]

@@gcn indeed great content and very helpful to someone like me who works shifts and has a newborn and a 2 year old 😬

[@denisegan4934]

Alex vs blender video, please please please!!!! 2:23

[@lukkevin]

#askgcn Hi guys, for hard training sessions first thing in the morning before the family gets up, any recommendations on whether to eat or to go on empty stomach with energy gel? I often get a stitch in the stomach when exercise too soon after a meal, but hesitate to do hard efforts on empty tank.

[@reedyswfc]

Can you create a GCN 30 min workout on zwift 👍

[@mystrokerehab2615]

Will doing 30 minutes every other day help?

[@kevin._.farren]

I was wondering if training in the evening and going to bed not too long after allows for better recovery as opposed to training in the morning and still having to go through an entire day before sleeping?

[@luukrutten1295]

Hi intensity work just before sleep actually ruins the sleep. You will be all hyped up.

[@luukslutter6393]

The main part is 30 minutes, but getting ready, and the shower afterwards. Your looking at at least 1 hour.

[@fenbops]

Doing GCN’s 30/30 challenge, what’s a rest day?

[@perro0076]

For me 30 minutes are only good enough for speed work and HIITs. But having said that, my Tri cycle distance is only 20km, which I should do in 30 minutes or less. I think it would be better to do weights every other day though, as opposed to 30 minutes every day on the bike. If you're a couch potato, any intensity will help!! 😂😂😂

[@Skaughtto]

Time to exhaustion (tte) is something I've been looking into to help determine the length of a workout that would be most beneficial. 30min could be enough for some people but not others. Nothing < Something

[@rule3036]

Intensity v time....if you can only fit in 30mins go hard better than 2 hours slow. I do 20 mins hard indoor rowing on those days I cant cycle (10 mile) to work due to realy bad weather or time , seems to work.

[@gcn]

Great effort! 🙌

[@baryo7]

Looking for 30 minutes free in order to train Need to stop watching GCN for it Giving up

[@leewilliams3153]

I’m a painter and decorator. I do 8 hours a day. That’s without my cycling commute. Am I doing too much painting? 😂. If so, could you please email my boss to explain? 😉

[@militaryminedid2011]

BLUF: 30 minutes is better than nothing, but it won't make you a top competitor....interesting.

[@MrIanD1]

How often does Neil hit the gym?

[@04andyh]

he was on a group ride last night 😁

[@TheAesculap]

Alex reveals his secret strength: that interview was awesome and your questioning an moderating near fantastic. I'm looking forward to your hour of power. Your videos grew in quality the last year. get an electric camera vehicle - maybe an Fiat 500E Cab? Greetings from Germany.

[@talonlan]

30 mins of cycling means I need at least 1 hour, to get the rollers out, get dressed, get bike out, do the ride and then pack everything away and have a shower.

[@bribri5458]

30mins x3 a week is enough if done right 😁

[@ArnageLM]

This gives me hope with a newborn 😂

[@rogersimmons8788]

Yes, only another 25 years, and you may get your life back!

[@abedfo88]

My baby is one year old next week. Just don't expect to do any cycling yet ! When you get a routine down it's easier. Just make sure you give your partner time also to do their thing.

[@ArnageLM]

Thanks for the advice. Already have a 3 yr old, but it feels like 1 + 1 = 3 🤣

[@abedfo88]

I try and find a hour here and there to do sweetspot training. Seems to keep me ticking over.

[@gcn]

Do you do this alongside other riding? 👀

[@abedfo88]

@Global Cycling Network yeah I have club rides on sat and then try and get in a 45min gravel/cx sort of smash when working from home (don't tell my boss 🤫)

[@galenkehler]

30min better be enough, cause that's all I'm going to do 😄

[@davidadamus177]

How about 31 minutes? Push it a little 😂

[@AmieWea]

30 minutes in the morning before sunrise and then 10 minutes after sunrise.

[@keyboardcowboy666]

How about a „how to get fit with two small children“ 😢

[@in8727]

add another children. Children eat all the chocolate cakes and non left to eat. That's how to get fit 🤪

[@jonathanweatherill1029]

Sounds good but hard to accept that 30 minutes is enough

[@ZratP]

I can assure you that a 15 minutes HIIT (be it bodyweight, CrossFit or even on a bike) with the 15 other minutes for warmup and cool down everyday can make you more fit than 90% of the people. When you have short time, do intensive stuff with proper intervals. That kind of exercise makes the body burn calories even after the effort.

[@gcn]

Give it a try, See if you feel a difference 🙌

[@fergusdenoon1255]

I get the feeling that scene in Conan the Barbarian where he's pushing the wheel wasn't realistic at all...

[@xtrailz]

Conan made the wheel go round with his legs, just like cyclists. He didn't have a rest day though.

[@Penri1215]

#askGCN If you were doing 30min on a turbo trainer to kick you new year fitness into gear. How long of a warm up time would you do, so that the 30min is actually working hard. PS, I'm not fit.

[@gcn]

If you are currently not at your fittest, why not include the warm up and warm down in the 30 mins and don't push yourself too much. You've got lot's of time to push the intensity, it's best to start steady. 🙌

[@Penri1215]

@@gcn Thanks for getting back. I will do that. But what sort of time would it take for muscle's to warm up, not to worried in the cardio side of it quite yet 🤣 Just don't want to go pull things 😩

[@Ezeekey]

When I was running last fall, I personally found about five minutes of active stretching before starting worked fine for me. That may apply for you, but at the same time, I'm a bit impatient when it comes to this stuff.

[@luciouspontorro3741]

Best of luck with your new years fitness resolution. You can do it!

[@notwkrail]

An Apple a day keeps most shareholders on an upward curve.

[@larrylem3582]

Someday, the GCN presenters will get older and find that one day off after a hard day is insufficient for adequate recovery.

[@vernefits1953]

30mn better than nothing

[@chrisotc6832]

Why is half of your moustache missing?🧐

[@timvanmonero2720]

350W FTP with 2.5 hours training a week. hmm

[@abedfo88]

Ex pro, different gravy

[@timvanmonero2720]

@@irfuel yes, i'm aware. just wanted to highlight this, as some people might think "hey cool, he can do, so that's enough". he has an insane base from all the years.

[@chucklesm2391]

I did a winter program of riding 10 miles (16 km)/day (down from 16 miles) and lost ground. I need 1 hour to 1:15 to maintain.

[@joowwwllllll666]

Emily’s short mix

[@mordenwomble]

Did someone shave off half your tash on nye?