- 1). Determine your MHR by engaging in moderately paced warm-up cycling for 15 minutes on a fairly level incline. Change to a slight incline and steadily increase effort every minute for 5 minutes. At the end of the 5 minutes you should not be able to cycle any faster. Sprint for 15 seconds, standing if you need to, then stop. Check your heart rate immediately by counting the number of beats for 30 seconds, and double that number for your MHR.
- 2). Engage in a longer cycling session at 65% of your MHR on the first day of your cycling training week. Cycling at 65 percent of your MHR is known as a recovery ride.
- 3). Cycle closer to your MHR for a longer session on the second training day of the week. Aim for a heart rate which best matches the type of cycling event you're training for. For clarification, endurance-oriented cycling events would require a lower heart rate target than a speed-oriented event, though either type of event will require working at no less than 70 percent of your MHR on this day.
- 4). Cycle at high intensity, 73-80 percent of your MHR, for a shorter period of time on three of the five remaining days. These three high intensity days should be alternating, with a day between each.
- 5). Cycle at different rates for different intervals on one of the days in between your three high intensity days.
Start by cycling at 65 percent of your MHR to warm up. Increase to anywhere from 73-80 percent of your MHR for 20 minutes, followed by 5 minutes at 84-90 percent of your MHR. Next, alternate between three brief intervals at 90 percent of your MHR and three brief cool-down periods at 60-65 percent of your MHR.
Cycle at 84-90 percent of your MHR for 5 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of cycling at 73-80 percent of your MHR, then ending with a long cool-down at 65 percent of your MHR. - 6). Choose one day of the week to rest and/or stretch your leg muscles.
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