Wolf's Training

by Anonymous

bicycle chain

Editor's Note: Inspired by Lance Armstrong's training plan (see below), one of our local cyclists has divulged (some of) his own training secrets. The author's name has been withheld, upon request.

Wolf's vital statistics:

Wolf's Diet Plan

  1. Weekly weight loss:  Piece of cake!  I got three months to get down to a “fighting” weight of 179.  This will give me the elusive BMI of 25 that I had once back in 1996.

  2. Eat Smart:  Cut back to 2 one pound bags of Skittles per week.  Remember to skip the usual side order of risotto that usually accompanies my pork chops.  Substitute a small bag of Dorito’s for the fried hog rinds.

  3. Ride more: Yeah, yeah.  I need to start doing those 125 mile training rides NOW so that I can be in Tour shape by July 2000.

  4. Watch the weight as it comes off:  SECRET WEAPON - I bought one of them battery powered “Trainer in your pocket” thingies that burns calories off me while I’m laying on the couch watching Jerry Springer or sorting my collection of Mariah Carey trading cards.

  5. Keep going: Them batteries for #4 (above) ARE made by that bunny company aren’t they?

Wolf’s  Daily Training

May 5-6-7, 2000:   NRRD Asheville Team Camp

Lance Armstrong’s Jan 00 Training Log:

http://www.lancearmstrong.com/training/index.html

The holidays have come and gone. Lance did well maintaining a strict diet and training program. Lance has gained ten to twelve pounds since winning the Tour de France. This is normal and to be expected, but further weight gain beyond 10-12 pounds could create lingering problems. The New Year begins the slow but steady push for weight loss. The objective for Lance is to regain his optimum power-to-weight ratio by July 1, 2000.

The National Institute of Health has a similar measure they call the body mass index (BMI). It is used to gauge weight-related risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The BMI formula is the multiplication of weight in pounds by 705. This is then divided by height in inches then once again by height. For example, during the Tour de France Lance weighed 158 pounds and he stands five feet ten inches, or seventy inches. So the math is: 705 X 158 = 11,1390 divided by 70 = 1,591.3 divided by 70 = 22.7. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have determined that a BMI under twenty-five is considered very low risk, twenty-five to twenty-nine is low risk, thirty to thirty-nine is moderate to high risk, and forty or above is a very high risk for heart related problems.

Most people gain weight over the winter, and Lance is no exception-he normally gains ten to twelve pounds during the winter months. In the months leading up to the Tour de France he will use a digital scale and every day he will weigh all of his food - cereal, bread, pasta, chicken - everything.

We schedule his daily workouts to leave late in the morning, so that he can ride six hours and right through the lunch hour. He returns home about five or six o’clock in time for a quick dinner. Upon arrival he drinks a protein smoothie, a little pasta and then it is time for bed. This begins in May, only two meals are consumed daily enabling him to reach his optimal power to weight ratio. This regimen is very extreme and only recommended for top professionals and even the pros can only maintain this type of lifestyle for a few weeks at a time.

Although the regimen is extreme, Lance was following established steps to safe weight loss. It is all about caloric intake versus calories expended.

A plan that Carmichael Training Systems recommends is:

Pick a level of caloric intake that is right for you and stick with it.

  1. Focus on weekly weight loss. To lose one pound of fat, you need to burn an extra 3,500 calories. Losing that much a day is impossible because most people only eat 1,500 to 2,000 calories daily.

  2. Eat smart. Your goal is to burn or lose an extra 500 calories per day. You can eliminate the first 250 calories by eating smart. Pass up that candy bar or small bag of potato chips and a soda. Don’t think that because food is fat-free you can have unlimited amounts-it can still be loaded with calories.

  3. Ride more. To eliminate the other 250 calories, up your physical activity. Nothing drastic. Cycling burns up 250 calories by pedaling eight to ten miles per hour. So ride an extra half-hour.

  4. Watch the weight as it comes off. It’s that simple. Cut or burn 500 calories a day, and in only two months you will have lost nearly ten pounds.

  5. Keep going. This method of weight loss may seem slow, but it’s the safest way to shed pounds without gaining them back. By making small changes, you will gradually shift to a healthier lifestyle. Through changes you can live with and stick with, you can keep the weight off forever.

Lance’s Daily Training

Weeks 1-2

  Week 3-4 US Postal Cycling Team Camp

Page maintained by Tom Sheffield and last revised on Friday, January 14, 2000
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