Quantcast

UPDATED April 5, 2013

BY Henry Gold

IN Company

1 comment

UPDATED April 5, 2013

BY Henry Gold

IN Company

1 comment

Can 3 minutes of exercise a week make you fit for the 7 Epics?

One of the questions that we at the office are often asked is; what kind of a shape do I need to be in to undertake one of the epic cycling tours and how do I train for them?

As a friend of mine once told me you have to be careful how you choose your parents.

There are gazillions of training blogs and general advice out there so I will not add to it – especially as my training consists of getting on a bike and going nice and easy for a few hours, followed the next day by getting on a bike and cycle nice and easy for a few more hours, followed the next day by a long sitz bath. Don’t knock it, it works for me. This approach was good enough to get me through Tour d’Afrique, Orient Express, Silk Route, South American Epic and a few others.

But recently I came across some new research that stopped me in my tracks or rather told me that maybe I have been wasting a lot of my time on unnecessary training – that is if I have the right genes. In a recent article on the BBC titled “Can three minutes a week help to make you fit” Jamie Timmons, professor of aging biology at Birmingham University claims that a few relatively short bursts of intense exercise, amounting to only a few minutes a week, can deliver many of the health and fitness benefits of hours of conventional exercise.

_MG_3249According to Professor Timmins all I have to do is “get on an exercise bike, warm up by doing gentle cycling for a couple of minutes, then go flat out for 20 seconds. A couple of minutes to catch my breath, then another 20 seconds at full throttle. Another couple of minutes gentle cycling, then a final 20 seconds going all out.  Repeat three times a week”.

Results? Well here it gets a little convoluted. If my mom and dad gave me the right genes, I will be a “super-responder” and belong to 15% of the population. If my good old dad and mom did not give me good genes I will belong to the 20% of “non responders”. Or I could end up somewhere in between and that means I better get back on the bike.

So what does all this mean for getting in shape for the 7 Epics? As a friend of mine once told me you have to be careful how you choose your parents.

Thinking about the 7 Epics? or have no idea what it is? Find out more here.

1 Comment for "Can 3 minutes of exercise a week make you fit for the 7 Epics?"

When I asked about what I should do to prepare for TdA 2010 the office told be there was nothing I could do that would prepare me for what was to come. I thought that was great and that no training was necessary…… That was not what they meant 🙂
I had ridden a total of 40 kms in 3 rides spread out over 6 weeks to prep for the trip. The first 2-3 weeks of the TdA were hard (and sometime beyond that), but after that I just got better and better ending up as the most improved male rider!
I really think anyone can do it, and everyone will arrive in Cape Town a better person for it! It is as easy as riding a bike!

Leave a Comment for "Can 3 minutes of exercise a week make you fit for the 7 Epics?"

Your Email address will not published. Required fields are marked

REGISTER NOW!

SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER AND

GET FREE ACCESS TO 101 TIPS


101 Tips for First Time Cycle Tourists