Training for a criterium bike race should prepare cyclists for the specific aspects of the race, including pack riding, cornering and sprinting. In order to properly prepare for a criterium, plan a training regimen that starts with building muscle and aerobic capacity, moves to improving muscular endurance and aerobic stamina and finishes with race-specific workouts.
Step 1
Research the course to be raced and do a practice ride to determine the type of riding required, such as straightaway sprinting, cornering or hill climbing. Check the dates to anticipate weather conditions and train in those conditions.
Step 2
Purchase a road bike to improve your time. Using a heavy mountain bike, for example, can slow you down. Purchase a helmet, as well and consider purchasing a cycle training stand to practice on the bike indoors.
Step 3
Build muscular strength with weight exercises such as lunges, squats, deadlifts and leg presses. Build muscles on a bike with a higher resistance or lower gear setting, riding hills or standing while pedaling.
Step 4
Don't do these types of exercises too close to the race, because you'll want to train the high-twitch muscle fibers used during a race, rather than the low-twitch fibers used in heavy resistance training.
Step 5
Build cardiovascular strength if you do not have an aerobic base that lets you train at 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 30 minutes. Use any of the various target heart rate calculators available on the Internet to help find your target heart rate for aerobic exercise.
Step 6
Switch from muscle-building exercises to muscular endurance exercises by using lighter weights and performing more repetitions. Use weights that let perform 10 to 15 repetitions per set. Begin this type of training less than a month before the race.
Step 7
Switch from building cardiovascular capacity to building cardiovascular endurance by training at the higher end of your aerobic target heart rate for a longer period of time. To do this with cycling exercise, use a higher gear on a bike or lower resistance setting on an exercise bike to decrease muscle use, letting you work longer.
Step 8
Build in rest days at least once per weak to allow the muscles to repair, recover and regenerate.
Step 9
Begin practice races to get used to the course, including the hills and turns. Practice cornering, working up to full-speed cornering to learn this skill to prevent a wipeout during the race. Work on accelerating, needed to do to get out of a pack or dash to the finish line. Work on sprinting, too.
Step 10
Plan and stick to a diet that decreases fat and protein and emphasizes complex carbohydrates as the race draws near. Hydrate adequately during training and non-training days.
Things You'll Need
- Road bike
- Helmet
- Exercise bike or bicycle training stand
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