By: TGB

Heyoo! The sun is shinning and the temps are edging slightly higher. Spring is in here and it is time to dust the cobwebs off those legs if you haven’t already. Time to get them moving.

One of the most common complaints I hear from athletes returning from time off is that they feel like their speed is lost. They feel slow. Luckily there is an easy remedy for that. Move faster!

“Use is or lose it” is a simple, and frustrating, phenomenon of life that governs training strategy.

YOU WANT TO FEEL FASTER?

Well lets keep it simple and get you moving faster. Pick Ups, or Cadence Play, are a great way to spruce up any indoor trainer workout. No I am not talking about Ford and Chevy extended cabs. These Pick-Ups smooth out your pedaling mechanics and get those legs turning over quickly.

Get this. They don’t even have to be high intensity sessions! In fact shorter intervals, using easy gearing and long recoveries, are best to start with.

WHAT IS A PICK-UP?

These are a 20-30 second increase in cadence using an easy gear and taking 1.5-2 minutes MINIMUM recovery. Recovery can be cycling at your normal cadence in a comfortable gear.

Pick-Ups should not be all out, but about 85% of max effort. If you are bouncing up and down on the saddle you are spinning a bit too fast.

Their purpose is to make you more coordinated and efficient at pedaling faster. This allows the body to maintain good form, timing, and efficient muscle use during the drills. They are great for adding variety to a workout anytime of the year without overdoing the intensity.

TWO FOR

Everyone loves a two-for-one, so hit up this workout for faster turnover on the bike and get it on the  run as well!

Cadence gains on the bike often translate well to running.

How's that for efficient use of your time?

Want more challenge than Pick-Ups? Try the cadence focused workout below once a week for a month.

Cadence based bike workout

This workout can easily be done on the road or indoor trainer. When riding outside always stay aware of your surroundings.

How did you use this workout?

Let us know with a Comment below!