Whether you're cycling or running, whether you're looking to push your limits, boost your performance, or get back in shape, following a training program is often the first step to take.
But did you know that to be effective, it has to go far beyond just planning your workouts? Improving your technique, increasing your strength, but also preparing your body, mind, and even your skin: we’ll tell you everything you need to know about training programs!
What's the point of a training program?
A training program takes place over a specific period of time, ranging from several weeks to several months, during which various types of physical training sessions are organized. These sessions are structured progressively, based on the goals you’re aiming to achieve and the sports you play. An optimal training plan also includes a nutritional component, provides mental support, and prepares the body.
Whether you want to finish a marathon, try trail running, or complete your first bike ride with over 1,000 meters of elevation gain—whatever your goal, there’s a training program for you.
By structuring your fitness routine, you’ll set aside dedicated time for your workouts. When we’re overwhelmed by the combined mental demands of our professional and personal lives, being able to plan ahead really helps!
By strategically alternating between endurance and strength training sessions, as well as sessions focused on technique, you’ll start to see progress fairly quickly. You’ll find yourself able to keep going longer, and you’ll feel your strength growing. You’ll enjoy the workout more, and you’ll feel more in tune with your body.
It’s rewarding, and that, too, helps get you in the right mindset to tackle the challenges you’ve set for yourself!
Creating a Training Plan: The Basics
To develop the most effective training program, the first step is to set goals. These goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound).
In short: it’s okay to be ambitious, but stay realistic. If you’re just getting started with running, aim for a 10K before tackling a half marathon or marathon. You can set a distance goal (riding over 100 km on a bike) or a time goal (running a marathon in under 4 hours and 30 minutes), for example. Signing up for a race or joining a group ride is a great way to set a deadline for yourself. Your training plan should take into account your overall fitness level, as well as your daily commitments. If you need to schedule long runs, they must fit with the rest of your schedule, even if that means reevaluating certain priorities. Your program must include recovery periods. Don’t skip them! You risk burning out or even getting injured.
You can also take your menstrual cycle into account. While exercise and menstruation aren’t incompatible (quite the opposite, in fact), it may be helpful to adjust your workouts. During the follicular phase (from the first day of your period until ovulation), focus on strength training. And during the luteal phase, prioritize endurance. And if there are times, such as PMS, when you just aren’t feeling it: take the opportunity to rest!
Nothing can replace the guidance of certified coaches, but you can also use one of the many fitness apps available on your smartphones and smartwatches to design your own workout plan, or read Émilie Rimbert’s book: Train Like a Woman—Not Like a Man
Workout plan: It’s not just about exercise!
A basic endurance session, a cardio session, and a little yoga: is your plan ready? Not quite: to be comprehensive—and to help you push yourself—it needs to go far beyond just physical workouts.
In fact, proper preparation should take into account sleep and nutrition, and get your body and mind in shape.
Getting a good night's sleep improves your ability to concentrate, as well as your coordination and precision. Deep, slow-wave sleep promotes recovery, builds endurance, and optimizes how you manage your energy during physical activity.
When it comes to nutrition, it too must align with your goals. You need not only to adjust your calorie intake based on your training volume, but also to ensure a balanced diet.
Finally, starting a training program often involves a number of changes that your body will need to adjust to. Increased physical exertion, as well as new ways of moving, brand-new equipment, and different training conditions can all have an impact. To avoid pain, discomfort, and injuries on the big day, you need to be prepared for this, too!
Your skin's workout plan.
After spending several weeks or even months training, it would be a shame to have it all go to waste because of what we sometimes—and often wrongly—call a “minor, insignificant injury.” Blisters, skin abrasions, and other burns can really hinder your performance. Did you know, for example, that in 1989, an ingrown hair may have cost Laurent Fignon his yellow jersey?
Fortunately, by incorporating a skincare routine that fits your workout plan, you can prevent these kinds of problems!
Toughen up your feet to prevent blisters
Hardening the plantar pad makes it more durable and helps you avoid a lot of discomfort, especially if you're training for a marathon or an ultratrail.
A few weeks before the race, start by gently buffing away any dead skin, calluses, or blister residue. Over the next few days, apply lemon juice to the soles of your feet every morning. In the evening, moisturize them with a lightweight hyaluronic acid-based cream. RGENtec's Ritual After Sport Serum is ideal: in addition to being highly moisturizing, its light, fragrance-free texture doesn't leave a greasy residue. And because it's enriched with RGTA, A patented innovation, it actively helps strengthen your skin.
A few days before the race, you can stop using lemon, but make sure your feet stay well-moisturized.
Tone your thighs to say goodbye to stretch marks
Cyclists, runners: who hasn’t suffered from thigh injuries? Fortunately, there are solutions for that, too:
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Before going outside, apply a generous amount of sunscreen to the affected areas as a preventive measure.
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After the treatment, on clean, dry skin, massage the sensitive areas with a rich, healing, and regenerating treatment. The creamy texture of RGENTec’s Bye Bye Burn provides immediate relief. But that’s not all: by combining RGTA and hyaluronic acid, this unique balm promotes the natural production of type 1 procollagen. Thanks to it, the skin becomes more supple and elastic. It is less prone to tearing and heals better.
Pamper the skin on your buttocks and intimate areas
Wearing cycling shorts, repeated chafing, and sweat create the perfect conditions for irritation, chafing, and other discomfort in the crotch area for cyclists. Taking a few simple steps can help prevent these issues:
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Gently exfoliate the skin on your buttocks and in the groin area on a regular basis. Use mild products that are suitable for these sensitive areas.
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After showering, be sure to moisturize your clean, dry skin. The goal here is to minimize the risk of ingrown hairs, which can develop into cysts.
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If you plan to shave, try not to do it on the day of a ride! Don’t wear underwear under your cycling shorts, and choose a pair that fits your body type.
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Before getting on your bike, generously apply anti-chafing cream to the pad of your cycling shorts.
After your outing, massage a regenerating balm into clean, dry skin to help it recover: here too, Bye Bye Burn can work wonders!
Recovery in the skin
As we’ve said, recovery is part of training. The same goes for your skin! After every run, and especially if you feel any stiffness in your joints, take the time to massage yourself.
It feels good and is relaxing. But above all, it stimulates microcirculation and helps oxygenate cells. This is essential for the skin’s regeneration and healing process. With its roll-on applicator, Shock and Roll provides relief to sore joints while promoting the healing process.
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