Training tips of Tom Steels

The Bushido is the perfect ergotrainer to train at home in a focused and efficient way. But how do you do that exactly? As coach of the Quick Step Cycling Team, former cycling champion Tom Steels works with the Bushido daily. He gives tips for a successful training.

The Bushido has two major advantages. Riding on the ergotrainer approximates the natural feel of the road. You can warm ride with high capacities. And also very important: you can pre-program your warm-up on the handlebar computer. Our riders always get on the Bushido free of troubles: the start up their training program and they take off. Everyone can benefit from this. For people who have little time and still want to train appropriately, the Bushido is a solution."

Set programs
"A good warm-up for a time trial lasts approximately 30 minutes. The body is fully taxed and ready for serious exertion. With a warm-up always use a heart rate meter as reference so that you don't exceed your limits. And always adjust power to ride to your conditions. That is why it is important to ride with set programs. If you can complete a training once, generally speaking, you know that you won't have any problems the next time. For example, make programs for specific sessions such as sprint training and strength training."

"For a professional the length of the training it important. For someone who is on the bicycle less frequently, training three times a week for 30 minutes is in itself enough to improve someone's condition. As long as you respect the maximum heart rate at all times. If you don't have so much time, then you can warm-up on the Bushido for five minutes, then train intensely for 20 minutes, and finish up by cooling down for the last five minutes. This might seem like it's a bit brief, but the main point is the intensity and the quality of the training. It this is satisfactory, then it has been a good training session."

"What is the golden tip for a successful training session? Never ride the heaviest unit in the last minute of your training session. You must use the last five minutes to gradually cool down so that your heart rate returns to its normal level."