NCBC meeting notes - July '98

recorded by David Cole

The July meeting was held at Kirk of Kildaire in Cary. 26 people attended. Club president Henri Bohl presided.

Dwight Stevens speaks on fitness training

Dwight Stevens, a personal trainer with considerable cycling experience, spoke on fitness training. These are the notes I jotted during his talk.

  1. Everybody's "in shape" for what they do - the body achieves a level of fitness suited for the stresses applied.

  2. Dwight's idea of training starts with the metaphysical - everything's composed of waves. Healthy individuals follow a sine curve of sorts, and fitness training should follow this natural cycle, a pattern of stress and recovery. Many cyclists emphasize the stress side of the curve but ignore the recovery end of the cycle, resulting in stagnation and breakdown. The only "real" way to train is to supplement intervals of stress with intervals of recovery.

  3. "fractured physiology" the muscles say, "Whoa - that was awful, we better get ready in case that happens again" and the result is a rebound effect.

  4. So how long's the rest period? We tend to operate in days, but you need to find your own rhythm. If you don't recover, then you're diminished for the next ride.

  5. Does age effect recovery? Well, recovery is related to stress.

  6. Dwight believes in contrasts. Riding in a group can be tantamount to letting a committee govern your training.

  7. Specificity is also important, meaning that the body has multiple mechanisms brought to bear in an event. The systems for a short sprint are different than those of a long, flat stage. You need to understand your goal; to know what you're training for!

  8. Training when you're injured is tough. You should be in as good a shape as you can be before you start training. Most conditions can be improved upon, however.

  9. Some women experience knee pain, due sometimes because of muscular imbalance and wider hip bones, causing the kneecap to track improperly. Strengthening the knee with leg extensions have helped in many cases.

  10. So how do you fit a training schedule into a work schedule? Map a "wave" to the days of a week, giving two days off between high-stress events.

  11. Muscular activity is so sports specific that Dwight suggests weight training only in the off season, except for upper body training to get improved overall balance. This also helps prevent injuries, particularly in falls.

  12. Performance is both 100% physical and 100% mental (Yogi Berra). We're much more than we think we are, but we perform as we think we are. How do you get past the "little cyclist in the head?" You take a giant leap and abandon your self-imposed limitations. (A book is forthcoming on this very subject.)

  13. it takes about 10 days for de-training to take effect, so don't worry about missing a day or two. There's a lot of difference between sharpening an axe and grinding it into filings.

  14. Dwight has his clients keep a journal and note arrows (up or down) for good or bad days. He expects folks to have a good day at least once every 10 days - if not they're overtraining.

  15. "Active recovery" - if it's easy enough - is probably preferable to complete inaction.

  16. Folks just starting weight training can do well with just 2 reps, but more experienced weight trainers should do 3, 4, or even more reps per exercise.

  17. Cramps have lots of different causes. You need to consider dehydration, salt deficiency, potassium or calcium deficiencies. Don't overlook fatigue - the muscle "freaks out." You need to analyze your own situation.

  18. A heart rate monitor is good for reminding you to go easy on easy days, but you don't really need a monitor to tell you that.

  19. What cross training you do, again, depends on your own goals. Cross training is a myth, because muscular activity is so sports specific. Cross training can be helpful for overall balance. It does offer a good alternative in the off season or in bad weather.

  20. We get old because we're inactive. We don't become inactive because we become old. Muscles atrophy by lack of use. Studies with 80- and 90-year olds can still gain strength with training.

  21. Aerobic exercise does not build muscle tissue. Resistance training does.

  22. Another myth in the industry is that a half hour walk will help you loose fat. Fat is not metabolized in the first 30 minutes of exercise. Extend the workout to at least an hour if you want to burn fat.

  23. tencarat@aol.com is Dwight's email address

  24. Dwight's morning routine:
    1. put on coffee
    2. throw on some music
    3. lie on floor
    4. roll around and stretch out
    5. lower back stretches (knee to chest)
    6. abdominal work (crunches, obliques)
    7. finish with lower back stretches

  25. Can't emphasize enough lower back stretches for cyclists - lower back pain can be eliminated (in many cases) in a week with proper training and stretching. To exercise the lower back, use back extension exercise.

  26. So.. put together a wave, put contrasts in the wave, and make it specific for what you want to accomplish.

    Summer Rally

    Alan Egge, director for the Summer Rally summarized who'll be doing what for the upcoming event:

Treasurer's report

Katherine O'Mally, the NCBC treasurer, reported the club has $2000 in its accounts.

Page maintained by David L. Cole and last revised on Tuesday, August 18, 1998.
[NCBC home page] [June '98 meeting notes]