A warm-up includes general and specific elements. Depending on the weather, the general warm-up usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes (longer, if it’s colder). You should cycle with your hands on the handlebars without getting out of breath.
The aim is to get your heart, circulation and muscles working harder. In the specific section, you exercise the muscle groups and energy systems that you will be using during training, the competition or the recreational cycling. This increases muscle tension and prepares the body for the exertion to follow.
Warm-up example
- General: 10 minutes gentle riding in low gears
- Specific:
- 5 minutes gradually speeding up at higher gears
- At the end of this 5 minutes, you must ride at your maximum output very briefly
