This is the time of year when a lot of athletes ask about strength training. Should they? Shouldn’t they? Should they lift heavy or light? Free weights or machines? And what about Crossfit? Coaches have been debating the effectiveness and necessity of strength training for endurance athletes for many years, and even my own view …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Intermittent fasting (IF) is a popular dietary and lifestyle choice for a lot of people, for a variety of reasons and in pursuit of a range of different goals. It can be effective for accomplishing some goals, and ineffective or detrimental in other areas, meaning …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Sometimes it takes an actual finish line to remind you what “going hard” really means. I’ve been riding a lot this year, partly due to the “stay at home” orders earlier this season, and more recently due to renewed interest in cycling camps. I even …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Interest in fitness, health, and performance is greater than ever, and people want information and instruction they can trust. I have dedicated my life’s work to helping people achieve their goals and reach their full potential, and one of the biggest lessons I have learned is …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS When the bombs started falling, the 7-Eleven Pro Cycling Team was on the Spanish island of Mallorca, getting ready to start the Vuelta a España. On April 15, 1986, on the other side of the Mediterranean, United States forces launched an air strike against Libya …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS The 2020 Tour de France peloton slams headfirst into the high mountains on Stage 8, with an hors categorie climb sandwiched between two Category 1 ascents and a screaming descent to the finish line in Loudenville. This is the terrain the climbing specialists and overall …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Stage 5 of the 2020 Tour de France was one of the rare instances of a road stage without a breakaway, something we typically don’t see unless the peloton is riding in protest or mourning. Thankfully, it wasn’t for either of those reasons. But that …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Ever since the early 2000s, when live Tour de France coverage debuted in the United States, my daily routine for July included listening to or watching the Tour each morning. Sometimes it was just playing in the background, other times I was glued to the …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS Up until the 2020 season, cycling events, bike races, and group rides provided athletes with hard-to-miss feedback about their fitness and performance. When you had good legs, you rode at the front. When you were tired or not fit, you hung on at the back. People …
By Chris Carmichael CEO/Head Coach of CTS The summer of 2020 has been unusual, to say the least. For cyclists, the widespread cancellation of events has led to increased weekly and monthly riding volume, both in terms of time and mileage. This may sound counterintuitive, but in the absence of events, riders are training more …