Quality Vs Quantity - How to train and have a life

Posted at 17:15 on Aug 31, 2010 by Muscle Blog

Quality Vs Quantity - How to train and still have a life
by Henry Furniss, elite cyclist & Maximuscle Ambassador

If you’re like me, there are never enough hours in the day. If you’re lucky enough to be a full time pro then pounding out mega long miles is part of your job, but for us mere mortals, trying to squeeze training in between work and family commitments can seem like a constant battle.

If you have very little time to train, it’s essential to make sure that the training you do is purely targeted at increasing your efficiency (VO2 Max) and strength. Interval sessions are better at quickly improving your VO2 Max than continuous steady training and as a bonus; these can be squeezed into an hour session. Full body weight training using large muscle groups like squats, dead lifts etc will increase your strength and burn more calories after training than simply riding.

But when am I supposed to fit all this in I hear you cry? Get it done early; an hour of training in the morning will wake you up for the rest of the day. The secret is making the most of your riding that you’re doing already. Instead of just riding to work, turn it into an interval session by going hard for 4 minutes and easy for 2. Ride to the gym so you’re warmed up and ready to go when you get there.

There are also loads of secret training opportunities hiding here and there. On the tube, release that death grip on the pole to train your balance and core muscles. I know it’s a cliché but take the stairs, you’ll think of them as your friend when they’ve made you fighting fit. By doing an hour of quality hard work in the morning, it leaves your evenings free for the other important things in your life.

The last key is diet. If you have a sensible diet then you can get away with the odd night out with the guys/girls or treating your other half to a posh night out meal. A hectic work life also takes a lot out of your body, so you’re going to need to fuel your body properly with the correct supplementation if you’re going to add additional stress to the mix.

Using Viper Boost during your morning sessions will get you going when you’re feeling sluggish. Following the effort, it’s important to fuel a quick recovery so that you’re able to function through the rest of the day. Having a Recovermax ready to go is therefore essential. Finally, the extra load will run down your immune system. When you have limited time to train, losing one of those precious training days due to illness is a catastrophe. So keep your immune system in top notch shape with Immune Support.

NB: If you try to go for pure quantity training as part of a busy lifestyle, you run the risk of becoming de-motivated, slow or even ill – quality rules.

Read more about Henry Furniss here and understand more about what it takes to be an elite athlete.

See all Maximuscle Blog Posts here

Maximuscle is Europe's Number 1 sports nutrition company and offer a complete range of products that are tested and safe, incredibly effective, and designed to work and get results fast. With the UK's best selling and research proven all in one muscle-growth range in Cyclone, and the UK's Number 1 selling Protein range in Promax, Maximuscle offers many award winning products, as well as expert information and advice on everything from training tips to dietary advice and how to get the very best out of your training.