sessions in and around your other daily commitments and they can be especially

useful when it's cold, wet or dark outside. However some people struggle

with motivation. So here are our top 5 turbo trainer mistakes to avoid in order

to get the most out of your indoor training sessions

Make it count... don't just jump on the turbo without a plan. Structure your workouts and plan

them in advance either by using a specific training video or training

resource or plan on doing some specific intervals that will work towards your

end goal whatever it may be. A smart trainer such as this BKool can be

really useful in helping you structure your workouts because you can put in a

pre-designed session and then the trainer will adjust the resistance

automatically depending on the interval that you have

Number 2: Don't upset the neighbours. Now turbo trainers can be noisy and chances

are the people in the flat downstairs aren't getting as much out of the

session as you are. Well, they might be if they're weird, but anyway…

Older trainers tend to be noisier but there are plenty of quieter options available such as

this BKool Smart Pro 2 which only creates 68 decibels at 35kph

making it pretty quiet. To put that into context the typical conversation is

around 40 to 80 decibels. And having a quieter trainer also means that you can

hear music and other entertainment more easily too

Number 3, getting bored… Don't dismiss turbo training as boring. It kind of used to be but now it really

isn't and needn't not be. The invention of smart trainers has made indoor

training far more stimulating, sociable and competitive. Now smart trainers work

by connecting to either your computer, smartphone or tablet and enable you to

do interactive workouts. You can do things like transfer your club

chain-gang indoors or race in genuinely exciting competitive races or simply

just find other people to ride with. If you're in the market for a new turbo

then we would thoroughly recommend that you go for a smart one. They need not

break the bank, they are more expensive than a basic turbo and top-spec units

can be around a £1000 but this BKool Smart Pro 2 is £499 and the

BKool Go is £349 and both of these will allow you to access BKool's

own simulator app and create your own routes in a virtual world as well as apps like Zwift

Number 4: Don't go eyeballs out all the time. Turbo training by its very nature is short and sharp and the

temptation is always there to jump on and make every single session an hour of

pure pain as you wind the affort up to maximum and hold it there. However a

couple of high-intensity sessions is all that's needed to improve most cyclists

and if you're planning on doing four or five turbo sessions a week then a good

rule of thumb is to make half of them easier zone two efforts, which equates to

roughly three or four on a scale of one to ten or 65% of your max heart rate.

And finally, number 5: Not using a fan. Now in kitting out your indoor pain

cave a fan like this is an essential piece of equipment because when you're

inside you don't have the airflow you experience on the road constantly

cooling you down and as a result indoor training can get very hot and sweaty and

overheating is often the reason why FTP test results are lower indoors than they

are outdoors. A fan will help keep you cool and help stop your heart rate

drifting. And while you're at it also make sure that you've got a towel and a

water bottle too as these will all enhance your indoor training experience

So there you have it, there are top 5 turbo training mistakes but let us know what

yours are in the comment section below and to see more videos like this simply

subscribe to the Cycling Weekly channel.