As noted earlier, I've also used a small number (two!) of the bazillions of different hydration/fuel drinks for cyclists (and triathletes, and runners, and ... and ... and ...), both during and before activity. As with the gels from earlier, I have some more different drink mixes coming from various online stores, and shall have a more comprehensive review of these products in a month or two. For now, the ones I've used recently.
First up is the PowerBar Endurance Fruit Punch, which I have used sporadically since ... I think 2000? I used to buy this back when I first got into cycling for health, and have found it to be SUPER easy to drink. It's tasty, sweet without being too sweet, and in fact makes hydrating so awesome that I've had to stop myself from using it for all my hydration, even when just sitting around the house surfing the internet or reading. Yes, it's so easy to drink, I found myself contemplating just putting a scoop in a glass with water for no reason other than because it was around. That's probably as high a praise as I can give any hydration product: I'd drink it just because.
As for how well it does during extended activity ... I haven't really done any activity so long that I'd be able to tell, at least not in long enough that I feel I have any baseline for comparison, but I can tell you that I will indeed include this in my future plans for actual on-road riding and racing. Probably as part of a two-bottle back-and-forth system. I have used it as pre-ride fuel, and never had any problems with bonking or getting dizzy, or cramping. From that perspective, it works very well.
Second, I have been using the Hammer HEED product as well (specifically, the Mandarin Orange flavor). I have one complaint about the HEED: it doesn't seem to completely dissolve, even when I mix it at the lower end (1 scoop in 16 oz of water), and so I'm not sure if it's really all getting into my stomach, or how much/what is left in the sediment. Maybe this is normal for most dry mix fuel drinks, but I'm concerned about it.
Again, not really much in the way of extended activity to report yet, though I have a planned 1.5 hour ride tomorrow and intend to have a bottle of this for during-fuel, so I can give a better assessment then. I have used it pre-ride, and have never had a bonk or cramp problem after, so it works as expected in that regard. The flavor is very light, which means it is also easy to drink.
Tomorrow, I will be starting day 1 of a week-long ramp-up to the Time-Crunched Training System I talked a little bit about yesterday, beginning with a 90 minute EM ride with a 40 minute Tempo stretch.
Short version of the next three weeks:
Tuesday—90' EM with 40' T
Wednesday—Rest (shift)
Thursday—90' EM with 40' T
Friday—Rest (shift)
Saturday—Rest
Sunday—90' EM with 40' T
Monday—50' EM
which segues nicely into the TCTP (New Century, if you're curious):
Tu—90' EM with 4x6' SS (5' RBI)
We—Rest (shift)
Th—90' EM with 4x6' SS (5' RBI)
Fr—Rest (shift)
Sa—90'–120' EM
Su—90'–120' EM
Mo—Rest
Tu—90' EM with 3x8' SS (4' RBI)
We—Rest (shift)
Th—90' EM with 3x8' SS (4' RBI)
Fr—Rest (shift)
Sa—90'–120' EM or group ride
Su—90'–120' EM
Mo—Rest
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
30 August 2010
Nutrition review
Today's blog is a review of several different nutrition products that I've been training with/using during this process so far.
As for the theory ... there are three basic parts to the theory of nutrition while doing endurance exercise or activity: before, during, and after activity. In short, before the activity, an athlete should be full up on muscle and liver glycogen (if possible, but absolutely full up on muscle glycogen), and have some carbohydrates in their bloodstream; after the activity, it is important to take advantage of a glycogen replenishment window (more important if the athlete has depleted glycogen stores and will be doing another workout within about 24-28 hours).
During-activity nutrition is dependent on how long the activity will take. For any activity, hydration is critically important. Outside of that, plain water is fine rehydration as long as the activity is less than about an hour, though adding electrolytes (without carbohydrates) is not a bad idea if the activity is 30-60 minutes long, especially if you know you are a "white-streak" sweat-er, or if the environment tends toward very hot or very humid (both of which tend to result in higher losses of fluid or electrolytes). For any activity lasting one to three hours, carb replenishment is a necessity; anything longer than that really requires "real food" ... watch the Tour de France riders, or go volunteer at the el Tour de Tucson or similar races in the feed zone, and you'll see what I mean (cantaloupe, banana, pb&j sammys, etc.).
Since most of my spins have been < 1 hour, I haven't done a whole lot of in-ride nutrition, so I'll leave that for another time. What I have been doing is a pretty high percentage of spins (and runs) early in the morning, before breakfast. Since having been asleep (and, not eating) for seven to eight hours, my muscle glycogen stores should be totally full, while my liver glycogen is pretty well depleted (from glycolysis all night). So, I've tried a few different ways to pre-fuel: PowerBar Gel (two different flavors) and PowerBar Endurance (a drink mix) from PowerBar, Clif Shots by Clif Bar, and Hammer Gel and HEED by Hammer Nutrition. I'll review each flavor/item separately; the gels in this entry, then the drinks in the next.
Quick note: all the gels are designed to be eaten but followed by 8 oz. of water, which (of course) I always did. In theory, you could eat the gel by itself but it's pretty concentrated and would take a lot longer to empty from the stomach that way.
My initial choice for pre-fuel for early morning workouts was Green Apple PowerBar Gel. This flavor is caffeinated (has "1x" caffeine ... which is 25 g according to their website), which is great for people like me who are caffeine addicts and can't really function that early in the morning without some.
The taste is really good, it's super-easy to down, and I never had any problems with it sitting in my stomach during the subsequent workout.
I can't forsee using this flavor during activity (since I already drink a lot of caffeine daily), but it makes a really good pre-activitiy fuel early in the morning.
The PowerBar Gel gets their fuel from a proprietary blend called C2 Max, which is basically a 2:1 glucose:fructose mix.
Later, I went and picked up a case of Tangerine PowerBar Gel, which is also caffeinated ("2x", or 50 g according to PowerBar's website). The flavor is again very agreeable, and it seemed to clear the stomach quite readily. I did, however, feel like the extra caffeine in this product brought my heart rate up more than I'd have preferred. I intend to perform a more controlled test of that theory in the next couple of weeks, and will post the results of that.
Tangerine, like all PowerBar Gels, uses the C2 Max blend for fuel.
I also picked up a case of Clif Shot Razz Energy Gel from Clif Bar. This flavor is not caffeinated, and because of that I've used it primarly as a pre-fuel for workouts later in the day, after I've had my daily coffee or Monster.
The Razz is raspberry flavored, and is quite tasty. The base fuel for the Clif Shot products is Brown Rice Syrup, which is thicker than the C2 Max from PowerBar. However, I actually prefer the slightly more viscous Clif Shot; it's easier to hold in my mouth while grabbing the water bottle.
Additionally, the packaging is superior to the PowerGel (or Gu, or just about any other I've come across). It comes with a LitterLeash® (Registered by Clif Bar). This is really an ingenious solution to the problem of "what the heck do I do with the top of the package?" after opening a serving of the gel. The package is cut so that when you rip open the top of the package, the top is still attached to the base. It's hard to describe, but I'd suggest going to your local outdoor, biking, or sports store and looking at the tops of the Clif Shot as opposed to just about any other gel out there. It means less litter on the trail/road/whatever.
In addition, I found myself in a local bike store recently (BikeMasters, up in Oro Valley), and picked up a bottle of Hammer Nutrition's Hammer Gel (Montana Huckleberry flavor). These multi-serving bottles are intended to be used along with a flask, most of which are graduated with markings to show how many servings are in the flask (the one I picked up is a Hammer-specific flask, and holds up to six servings when completely full).
The flavor of this product is awesome, kind of like a tart blueberry (to which the Huckleberry is related). The thing I don't like about this product is how thin it is; it is really hard to keep in the mouth while getting the water bottle out to swig from. If you like to eat your gel immediately, and then swig from the water bottle separately, then this gel is probably perfect for you. Another thing I dislike about this style (the multi-serving bottle with a flask) is, actually, the convenience! It's weird (I'm weird, so this should not surprise anyone), but having multiple servings available in the flask is a down-side to me. It would take a lot of trial and error to determine exactly how long to squeeze the flask for exactly one serving to come out, either that or I'd have to sit there and take a squeeze, pull back, see how much of the serving was left in the bottle, re-sqeeze, re-check, etc. all while trying to either not crash into the peleton or the curb (or, in my case, trying not to fall off the stationary trainer). However; I can see the utility of the flask-style for longer events. Since each serving is about 21 g of carbs, and at my current weight it is recommended to get 40-60 g per hour of activity, putting 6 servings in the flask, and eating about half of a flask every hour after the first, would be easier than having to decant two gel packets back to back. Some judicious planning, and a well-instructed team in the feed zone, could easily make the flask a preferred in-race solution.
So, what do I recommend? So far, what I'd suggest is that if you are a person who likes and can handle the caffeine, try the Tangerine PowerBar Gel as a pre-ride fuel, especially for competition (though, check with your coach, trainer, or local organization about the current limits for caffeine if you're competing in USA Cycling events. I seem to recall that it's not a banned substance, but does have limits). During the ride, check out either the Clif Shot (if you prefer the individual packets) or the Hammer Gel (for the flask oriented). On a cursory look at the Clif Bar website, they do not offer a multi-serving bottle of their gels, so if you like the flask method you will have to get something else.
Later today, I will post a review of the drinks I've used so far. Also, I have Gu and Accel gel products coming soon, which I will try out and review at a later date.
During-activity nutrition is dependent on how long the activity will take. For any activity, hydration is critically important. Outside of that, plain water is fine rehydration as long as the activity is less than about an hour, though adding electrolytes (without carbohydrates) is not a bad idea if the activity is 30-60 minutes long, especially if you know you are a "white-streak" sweat-er, or if the environment tends toward very hot or very humid (both of which tend to result in higher losses of fluid or electrolytes). For any activity lasting one to three hours, carb replenishment is a necessity; anything longer than that really requires "real food" ... watch the Tour de France riders, or go volunteer at the el Tour de Tucson or similar races in the feed zone, and you'll see what I mean (cantaloupe, banana, pb&j sammys, etc.).
Since most of my spins have been < 1 hour, I haven't done a whole lot of in-ride nutrition, so I'll leave that for another time. What I have been doing is a pretty high percentage of spins (and runs) early in the morning, before breakfast. Since having been asleep (and, not eating) for seven to eight hours, my muscle glycogen stores should be totally full, while my liver glycogen is pretty well depleted (from glycolysis all night). So, I've tried a few different ways to pre-fuel: PowerBar Gel (two different flavors) and PowerBar Endurance (a drink mix) from PowerBar, Clif Shots by Clif Bar, and Hammer Gel and HEED by Hammer Nutrition. I'll review each flavor/item separately; the gels in this entry, then the drinks in the next.
Quick note: all the gels are designed to be eaten but followed by 8 oz. of water, which (of course) I always did. In theory, you could eat the gel by itself but it's pretty concentrated and would take a lot longer to empty from the stomach that way.
My initial choice for pre-fuel for early morning workouts was Green Apple PowerBar Gel. This flavor is caffeinated (has "1x" caffeine ... which is 25 g according to their website), which is great for people like me who are caffeine addicts and can't really function that early in the morning without some.
The taste is really good, it's super-easy to down, and I never had any problems with it sitting in my stomach during the subsequent workout.
I can't forsee using this flavor during activity (since I already drink a lot of caffeine daily), but it makes a really good pre-activitiy fuel early in the morning.
The PowerBar Gel gets their fuel from a proprietary blend called C2 Max, which is basically a 2:1 glucose:fructose mix.
Later, I went and picked up a case of Tangerine PowerBar Gel, which is also caffeinated ("2x", or 50 g according to PowerBar's website). The flavor is again very agreeable, and it seemed to clear the stomach quite readily. I did, however, feel like the extra caffeine in this product brought my heart rate up more than I'd have preferred. I intend to perform a more controlled test of that theory in the next couple of weeks, and will post the results of that.
Tangerine, like all PowerBar Gels, uses the C2 Max blend for fuel.
I also picked up a case of Clif Shot Razz Energy Gel from Clif Bar. This flavor is not caffeinated, and because of that I've used it primarly as a pre-fuel for workouts later in the day, after I've had my daily coffee or Monster.
The Razz is raspberry flavored, and is quite tasty. The base fuel for the Clif Shot products is Brown Rice Syrup, which is thicker than the C2 Max from PowerBar. However, I actually prefer the slightly more viscous Clif Shot; it's easier to hold in my mouth while grabbing the water bottle.
Additionally, the packaging is superior to the PowerGel (or Gu, or just about any other I've come across). It comes with a LitterLeash® (Registered by Clif Bar). This is really an ingenious solution to the problem of "what the heck do I do with the top of the package?" after opening a serving of the gel. The package is cut so that when you rip open the top of the package, the top is still attached to the base. It's hard to describe, but I'd suggest going to your local outdoor, biking, or sports store and looking at the tops of the Clif Shot as opposed to just about any other gel out there. It means less litter on the trail/road/whatever.
In addition, I found myself in a local bike store recently (BikeMasters, up in Oro Valley), and picked up a bottle of Hammer Nutrition's Hammer Gel (Montana Huckleberry flavor). These multi-serving bottles are intended to be used along with a flask, most of which are graduated with markings to show how many servings are in the flask (the one I picked up is a Hammer-specific flask, and holds up to six servings when completely full).
The flavor of this product is awesome, kind of like a tart blueberry (to which the Huckleberry is related). The thing I don't like about this product is how thin it is; it is really hard to keep in the mouth while getting the water bottle out to swig from. If you like to eat your gel immediately, and then swig from the water bottle separately, then this gel is probably perfect for you. Another thing I dislike about this style (the multi-serving bottle with a flask) is, actually, the convenience! It's weird (I'm weird, so this should not surprise anyone), but having multiple servings available in the flask is a down-side to me. It would take a lot of trial and error to determine exactly how long to squeeze the flask for exactly one serving to come out, either that or I'd have to sit there and take a squeeze, pull back, see how much of the serving was left in the bottle, re-sqeeze, re-check, etc. all while trying to either not crash into the peleton or the curb (or, in my case, trying not to fall off the stationary trainer). However; I can see the utility of the flask-style for longer events. Since each serving is about 21 g of carbs, and at my current weight it is recommended to get 40-60 g per hour of activity, putting 6 servings in the flask, and eating about half of a flask every hour after the first, would be easier than having to decant two gel packets back to back. Some judicious planning, and a well-instructed team in the feed zone, could easily make the flask a preferred in-race solution.
So, what do I recommend? So far, what I'd suggest is that if you are a person who likes and can handle the caffeine, try the Tangerine PowerBar Gel as a pre-ride fuel, especially for competition (though, check with your coach, trainer, or local organization about the current limits for caffeine if you're competing in USA Cycling events. I seem to recall that it's not a banned substance, but does have limits). During the ride, check out either the Clif Shot (if you prefer the individual packets) or the Hammer Gel (for the flask oriented). On a cursory look at the Clif Bar website, they do not offer a multi-serving bottle of their gels, so if you like the flask method you will have to get something else.
Later today, I will post a review of the drinks I've used so far. Also, I have Gu and Accel gel products coming soon, which I will try out and review at a later date.
08 August 2010
08 Aug 2010 workout, review of new wardrobe items
Today's workout was a zone 4/5a/5b/5c walk/run.
Warmup: 10 minutes on Wii Fit.
Workout: 32'40" walk/run (estimated 408 Cal, Min HR 145, Max HR 179, Avg HR 157.)
Cooldown: 5 min walk.
Estimated Total Calories: 470
Busted out with a good hard walk/run, essentially interval training (see the run graph). Felt great starting, had a good run throughout, and finished with a pretty good nearly full-effort sprint toward the end (recovery HR: 175->1' 151-> 2' 143->3' 138 (-24, -32, -35)).
Got new workout clothes and running shoes! I went and spent some money to upgrade the wardrobe, and I'm ecstatic about the results.
The shirt is a loose-fit Under Armour Ringer Tech Tee
, which was really comfortable. No places where it bunches up, squeezes, or felt too loose. In addition to the shirt, I got a pair of Under Armour Compression Heatgear Compression
shorts (really, just tight boxers meant to keep everything secure), and a pair of Under Armour Men's Blitz Microshort
s, the combination of which worked really well. The pockets in the shorts are very deep, which I like, but they're only attached at the opening, and so if you put anything heavy (like, keys), the pockets sway really badly. Outside of that, they're excellent.
, which was really comfortable. No places where it bunches up, squeezes, or felt too loose. In addition to the shirt, I got a pair of Under Armour Compression Heatgear Compression shorts (really, just tight boxers meant to keep everything secure), and a pair of Under Armour Men's Blitz Microshorts, the combination of which worked really well. The pockets in the shorts are very deep, which I like, but they're only attached at the opening, and so if you put anything heavy (like, keys), the pockets sway really badly. Outside of that, they're excellent.The pinnacle, though, is the shoes: Under Armour Prophet II running shoes. I freaking LOVE these shoes. They don't roll, they compress properly, the shock absorption is excellent, and they have great rebound. These aren't the top end of running shoe, but they're quite excellent for a guy like me, just re-starting his exercise activity.
Sleep: 9/10 (Excellent sleep)
Fatigue: 2/10 (hardly any fatigue)
Stress: 1/10 (little work stress)
Soreness: 1/10 (slight R hamstring soreness)
Resting HR (@wakeup): 67.
20 July 2010
Book Review #2
Today's book is The Time-Crunched Cyclist
, by Chris Carmichael. For those who may not know, Coach Carmichael is Lance Armstrong's personal coach and has coached many hundreds of others from professional to more casual cyclists over the years.
, by Chris Carmichael. For those who may not know, Coach Carmichael is Lance Armstrong's personal coach and has coached many hundreds of others from professional to more casual cyclists over the years.This book focuses on getting the most workout possible in the shortest amount of time, and is (as the title clearly suggests) aimed at the cyclist with family, work, and other obligations and a limited amount of hours weekly in which to train.
Basically, the program is a condensed version of the basic periodization training programs many coaches and cyclists are using today. The major difference is that Coach Carmichael's system uses short, very intense workouts at or even over Lactate Threshold so that both improved Lactate clearance and muscle endurance occur rapidly. The first few chapters describe the program's philosophy, goes over the basic science underneath the program, and nutritional considerations.
The workouts are brief, but well-explained, and are highly customizable. Coach Carmichael covers a wide range of potential scenarios, and also gives great tactical advice in the latter part of the book. The last two chapters cover additional workouts for adding endurance and strength training in limited time.
Overall, I believe this is a good read for all cyclists, of any level, as the information Coach Carmichael covers is important and useful. A cyclist who has the time to undergo a more traditional periodization training program may not use the training program itself, but the Coach's coverage of nutrition and training tools is worth going over. This is not the only book that covers this material, but it is covered in a pretty down-to-earth manner.
My ratings (out of five stars):
Overall: ****
Cycling Specificity: *****
Ease of reading: **** (Some of the training tools coverage can be somewhat technical).
Final analysis: Recommended for cyclists who have a limited time to train but really want to be at their best. Cyclists with more time may benefit from reading it to gain understanding, but it is not essential.
Basically, the program is a condensed version of the basic periodization training programs many coaches and cyclists are using today. The major difference is that Coach Carmichael's system uses short, very intense workouts at or even over Lactate Threshold so that both improved Lactate clearance and muscle endurance occur rapidly. The first few chapters describe the program's philosophy, goes over the basic science underneath the program, and nutritional considerations.
The workouts are brief, but well-explained, and are highly customizable. Coach Carmichael covers a wide range of potential scenarios, and also gives great tactical advice in the latter part of the book. The last two chapters cover additional workouts for adding endurance and strength training in limited time.
Overall, I believe this is a good read for all cyclists, of any level, as the information Coach Carmichael covers is important and useful. A cyclist who has the time to undergo a more traditional periodization training program may not use the training program itself, but the Coach's coverage of nutrition and training tools is worth going over. This is not the only book that covers this material, but it is covered in a pretty down-to-earth manner.
My ratings (out of five stars):
Overall: ****
Cycling Specificity: *****
Ease of reading: **** (Some of the training tools coverage can be somewhat technical).
Final analysis: Recommended for cyclists who have a limited time to train but really want to be at their best. Cyclists with more time may benefit from reading it to gain understanding, but it is not essential.
19 July 2010
19 JUL 2010
Today's workout was eliminated due to a need to attend to a friend's child's hospital visit. What I've elected to do instead is to switch tomorrow's workout to very early in the morning, and do an outdoor run as the largest portion of the workout. Nay harm doon, as they say, and it may even work out better that way.
Instead, I'll start my reviews section by reviewing a couple of books I've recently purchased; one today and one tomorrow.
Today: Weight Training for Cyclists: A Total Body Program for Power & Endurance
. As clearly stated by the title, it's a book intended to help cyclists incorporate weight training into their training program, structured around the same basic periodization concept that seems to be all the rage (and, IMO, rightly so) in training circles.
Although the book itself is not separated specifically this way, I see it as being in three basic sections: Chapters 1, 2, and 3 are essentially an introduction to basic weight training and gym etiquette, equipment selection, nutrition, and pitfalls to avoid. It covers a pretty good amount of ground, all of which are useful for those who haven't ever trained with weights, or who have never done so in a structured way.
Chapters 4 and 5 introduce the program, explaining the philosophy and physiology behind it, and then covering the general periods for road, mountain bike, and track racing schedules, as well as covering the basic flow of the system.
The rest of the book covers specifics. Chapters 6-9 cover individual exercises, starting with stretching for essentially every muscle group in the body, followed by Legs, Upper body, and Core exercises designed to work the groups in those parts of the body. Chapter 10 covers exercises specifically designed to increase power, which in the case of the cyclist is the ability to quickly produce as much force as possible to the cranks, as frequently as possible, for as long as possible. It's the difference between being able to launch a sprint attack at the end of a race and finish in first, or having to try to catch up after the leaders have dusted off their bubbly and toasted to a win. Chapter 11 offers a sample training program. In the appendices are references for further reading and some example blank logs for those who would like a starting point for documenting their efforts.
Overall, I think the book does a pretty good job of covering the basics of weight training, and does a very good job of offering specific advice for different types of riders, from the casual rider looking to improve their riding for joy all the way to the serious competitor looking to move up to Category 2. I do not believe this book will be useful for those who believe they are ready for Category 1 racing, as those riders likely have teams or coaches already helping them develop to that level; that's okay, though, because I don't believe it is aimed at that group.
Overall, any cyclist who is looking for a good starting point for self-coaching their own weight-training program and integrating it into their regular cycling routine will benefit from this book. I strongly recommend that any cyclist looking to compete and win races at least read this book, even if they ultimately decide on a different program for themselves, as the information in the book is quite well researched and will be a good launching pad for further research.
My ratings (out of five stars):
Overall: ****
Cycling Specificity: *****
Ease of reading: **** (may be too easy for people who have a past history with weights; these people can probably skip to chapter 4 without much hassle).
Final analysis: Recommended for all cyclists.
Instead, I'll start my reviews section by reviewing a couple of books I've recently purchased; one today and one tomorrow.
Today: Weight Training for Cyclists: A Total Body Program for Power & Endurance
. As clearly stated by the title, it's a book intended to help cyclists incorporate weight training into their training program, structured around the same basic periodization concept that seems to be all the rage (and, IMO, rightly so) in training circles.Although the book itself is not separated specifically this way, I see it as being in three basic sections: Chapters 1, 2, and 3 are essentially an introduction to basic weight training and gym etiquette, equipment selection, nutrition, and pitfalls to avoid. It covers a pretty good amount of ground, all of which are useful for those who haven't ever trained with weights, or who have never done so in a structured way.
Chapters 4 and 5 introduce the program, explaining the philosophy and physiology behind it, and then covering the general periods for road, mountain bike, and track racing schedules, as well as covering the basic flow of the system.
The rest of the book covers specifics. Chapters 6-9 cover individual exercises, starting with stretching for essentially every muscle group in the body, followed by Legs, Upper body, and Core exercises designed to work the groups in those parts of the body. Chapter 10 covers exercises specifically designed to increase power, which in the case of the cyclist is the ability to quickly produce as much force as possible to the cranks, as frequently as possible, for as long as possible. It's the difference between being able to launch a sprint attack at the end of a race and finish in first, or having to try to catch up after the leaders have dusted off their bubbly and toasted to a win. Chapter 11 offers a sample training program. In the appendices are references for further reading and some example blank logs for those who would like a starting point for documenting their efforts.
Overall, I think the book does a pretty good job of covering the basics of weight training, and does a very good job of offering specific advice for different types of riders, from the casual rider looking to improve their riding for joy all the way to the serious competitor looking to move up to Category 2. I do not believe this book will be useful for those who believe they are ready for Category 1 racing, as those riders likely have teams or coaches already helping them develop to that level; that's okay, though, because I don't believe it is aimed at that group.
Overall, any cyclist who is looking for a good starting point for self-coaching their own weight-training program and integrating it into their regular cycling routine will benefit from this book. I strongly recommend that any cyclist looking to compete and win races at least read this book, even if they ultimately decide on a different program for themselves, as the information in the book is quite well researched and will be a good launching pad for further research.
My ratings (out of five stars):
Overall: ****
Cycling Specificity: *****
Ease of reading: **** (may be too easy for people who have a past history with weights; these people can probably skip to chapter 4 without much hassle).
Final analysis: Recommended for all cyclists.
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