# been off the bike for 6 months and looking to get back into biking shape



## ajcjr (Sep 4, 2007)

45 male, been of the bike for 6 months but i have been a little active and worked out, lost a few pounds. Past 6-8 weeks had a little pneumonia and sinus infections but over it and want to get back on the horse for the new year. I have an indoor trainer i use with zwift (or if anyone has another recommendation).

So my plan was to try and ride for the first few weeks 3-5 miles a day on the trainer and keep bumping it up every week along with weights. Does this sound like a plan that would work or am i better off getting on the trainer less days a week and going as long as i could?

Any recommendations or help is appreciated.

Thank you


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

3 to 5 miles isn't much time on a trainer - I would think in terms of time at intensity on the trainer not distance. My opinion, an hour is a good starting point for time pedaling on the trainer, at an endurance pace for your current level of fitness. Maybe alternate days between trainer and weights with one day off a week doing nothing (assuming the weights are not targeting leg muscles).


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## ajcjr (Sep 4, 2007)

Srode said:


> 3 to 5 miles isn't much time on a trainer - I would think in terms of time at intensity on the trainer not distance. My opinion, an hour is a good starting point for time pedaling on the trainer, at an endurance pace for your current level of fitness. Maybe alternate days between trainer and weights with one day off a week doing nothing (assuming the weights are not targeting leg muscles).


thank you for the reply! i guess you are right in regards to time, im assuming when most train they look at time and not miles?


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

I think most people riding on a trainer think of time - on the road they may think of both, but time at intensity is what training plans are built on.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

ajcjr said:


> thank you for the reply! i guess you are right in regards to time, im assuming when most train they look at time and not miles?


I use miles simply to play mind games with myself because watching a clock is torture while clicking off miles seems a bit more bearable. I know about how long it will take me to do x miles so I'm essentially going for time just measuring miles to take my mind of the torture of watching time.
But miles is close to a useless measurement. Time isn't any better really. Both need to be looked at in conjunction with effort.


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