Admittedly, the change can be difficult. A moment ago, clear autumn air was flowing through your lungs, now it's a mixture of sweat, cheap deodorant and clearly not enough oxygen. Instead of birdsong and the quiet whirring of the chain, you can hear the clanking of dumbbells, and Lady Gaga blaring from all the speakers over the general babble of voices. For those who are used to training in the silence of lonely country roads, this may indeed seem a little gaga. Nevertheless, the gym is worth more than just a visit for road cyclists in winter: fitness training makes you faster on the bike, prevents injuries and the change from bike training can provide additional motivation. Your immune system will also be grateful if you don't train outside in all weathers.
Fitness training is a sensible addition to often one-sided bike training for amateur athletes and even a necessary addition for competitive athletes. Strength training allows you to specifically strengthen weaker muscle groups and correct an imbalance in muscle development that has developed during the season. And: thanks to spinning bikes, treadmills and cross trainers, endurance training can also be continued in the studio when there is snow outside. It also makes sense to supplement this with gymnastics to mobilise the shortened muscles - typical of cyclists - through stretching and to strengthen the usually neglected core muscles. And the thought of starting the season without back pain makes the switch from the road to the gym that much easier.
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