By Scott Mercier, US Olympian, Retired pro cyclist Scott Mercier competed in the 1992 Olympic Games for Team USA and raced professionally for the Saturn, US Postal Service, and Navigators cycling teams. He will be contributing a monthly column for CTS, featuring stories from his cycling career and the triumphs and challenges of staying fit …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS In a year that’s been like no other, the month of December will probably be like no other as well. Historically, we find that athletes miss more workouts in December than any other month, and this year athletes are facing more obstacles to staying fit than …
By Chris Carmichael, CEO/Head Coach of CTS Weak gluteal muscles cause a bunch of problems for cyclists, including lower power output, knee and hip pain, and overworked quadriceps. Thankfully, there are great and simple exercises that get your glutes fired up and ready to rock. Why Cyclists have weak glutes You would think that a …
By Chris Carmichael, with data from Coach Adam Pulford Athletes often specialize in disciplines that favor their strengths. In cycling, some beginners recognize they have an aptitude for sprinting, or climbing, or time trialing, and that’s the aspect of the sport they focus on intently. They become “sprinters”, “climbers”, and “time trial specialists”. It makes …
By CTS Senior Coach Maddison Russell Cycling interval training can be a powerful tool to increase speed, power, and endurance on the bike. Unfortunately, many cyclists view interval training as a complicated and downright scary concept. As a result, they steer clear of interval workouts in their training plan entirely. Often, cyclists assume that interval …
Despite the fact athletes didn’t have a lot of events to participate in during the 2020 summer season, the rapid approach of cooler weather and shorter days means there’s a change coming to training for most of us. Staying closer to home and not interupting training with races and events has ironically led many masters …
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 …