News

  • Mar 03, 2014

    Too many days of high intensity decreases fitness, the right dose improves endurance by 11 percent

    Often I'm asked my opinion on the popular high-intensity interval training (HIIT) programs offered in various forms. In general, I'm not a fan. I believe that daily doses of high-intensity training is risky for injury and has limited positive benefits. Turns out, a recent study supports my opinion of "limited positive benefits" and takes it further. Daily HIIT sessions blunts or decreases fitness. One of my cyclists sent me a link to a recent column from the New York Times "How to Get Fit in a Few Minutes a Week." The column examined results of a couple of studies. In...

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  • Feb 27, 2014

    Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Training Plan Success

    Comments from a mountain biker that successfully completed the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race:     Gale is a great coach!  She took time to get to know me, the goals that I had and the time that I had to commit based on all of the other areas of my life.  She built plans that worked with my schedule and pushed me to new levels of fitness.  She was always there if I had questions about my training and about strategies for events. Gale offered the right amount of encouragement to keep me on track and make it across...

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  • Feb 24, 2014

    Triathlon Training Plans Will Push Your Body In Several Ways!

    It’s the new year and it’s the time for making changes, which means it’s time for taking your body and transforming it into the powerfully mobile body you’ve always wanted. Stop salivating over ads that show people with “rock-hard bods,” not when you can dive into a triathlon and turn your body into the very thing you desire. Triathlons typically encompass several different stages in a competition that’s composed of hundreds of people. It is one of the most prolific things you can do for your body and mind, as it often gives people an entirely different perspective on life....

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  • Feb 21, 2014

    Uphill cycling decreases efficiency. What you can do about it when riding indoors.

    Any cyclist that has been riding on the flats can tell you heading to the hills makes cycling much more difficult. Most riders think of strength-to-weight ratio as the cause for increased effort. Certainly carrying excess lard on your frame is one cause. Something that most cyclists don't consider is that riding uphill changes gross efficiency, pedaling technique and muscle recruitment. One study1 compared cycling at 0-percent, 4-percent and 8-percent grades and found that efficiency was significantly decreased at the 8-percent grade. As hill grade increased, there was an earlier onset of muscle activity in the pedal stroke for vastus...

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  • Jan 31, 2014

    Gale Bernhardt Training Plans: Mountain Biking To The Max!

    It's really hard to try and shoot for a 100-Mile mountain bike race, but we greatly respect the men and women that want to pursue this hefty mission. That's why we have devised the perfect training program, which has been proven to work, time and time again! This particular Gale Bernhardt training plan is setup to benefit the most avid of riders, and potentially help you reach the 100 mile mark in under 10 hours. We'll start off shooting for under the 12 mile mark, but shoot for achieving the advanced rider mark of under 10 hours. This specific Gale...

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  • Jan 28, 2014

    70.3 Triathlon Training Plan Advice

    Hi Gale: A friend and I used your Training Plans for Multisport Athletes (2nd ed.) to complete our first 70.3 a few years ago (Timberman).I've read a few tri books and really liked the layout and clarity in yours. We used table 16.2 (27 wk half tri plan) and took it pretty seriously sticking to zones and didn't miss too many workouts. We are signed up for #2 and will begin a 6 month plan in March. I went on your website for the first time to see if there was much new since 2007. My question is: Should we...

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  • Jan 14, 2014

    Questions on intensity, workout order and a new bike

    Hi Gale - I have a few questions for you. I recently purchase your online program but I have so many questions. On the plan it says to swim 1 hour and run 30 minutes, but do I have to run immediately after the swim or later on the day? What do you mean when biking in zones 1 and 2? What is the best bike I should get if this is my first year with triathlons? M.K. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hey M.K. ~ Welcome to the sport of triathlon! You have some good questions. Let me see if I can help....

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  • Dec 05, 2013

    Cycling Training Programs Bring Maximum Benefits

    Helping endurance cyclists succeed is one of Gale Bernhardt’s primary business goals. She reaches this mission through books, ready-to-use online training plans, consulting and one-on-one personal coaching. She has helped thousands of cyclists reach their fitness and race goals. She can help you achieve your goals if you buy and work hard with one of her online cycling training programs. She offers a package with a 16-week training plan that is designed for the rider looking to average around 16 to 18 miles per hour. Additionally, a strength training program is included which involves eight weeks of the plan where strength...

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  • Dec 05, 2013

    After I overeat, how long before I gain weight?

    Several athletes (and non-athletes) I know have mentioned that it seems they have a two-week rule. That is, they seem to be able to overeat for a period of time and then after roughly two weeks – boom! The scale says weight gain. The opposite seems to be true for these people as well. That is, when they begin the New Year’s resolutions of weight loss it take two weeks of vigilance before the scale shows a stable weight loss. What is going on? There are many factors that influence whether you gain weight or lose weight. Let’s begin with...

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  • Nov 30, 2013

    How much time do you think you spend sitting each day? One study says you’re wrong.

    An interesting study looked at quantifying the amount of time people sit in three situations including during work hours, leisure time during a work day and during leisure days. Scientists were looking to validate self-reported measures against objective measures. To get impartial measures, they outfitted 26 office workers with accelerometers and customized software to obtain accurate, objective, measures of movement over a seven-day period. After the seven-day period scientists had the workers fill out a questionnaire to self-report sitting time, retrospectively. Scientists were looking for total sitting time and longest continuous time with uninterrupted sitting during the three situations. What...

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