New and need advice

#1

I’m brand new to Sufferfest and not sure where to start. I’m in my 50s and was making progress at getting in shape through spin class when Covid hit and - the spin gym closed. I got a indoor bike for Christmas and have been using Zwift. It’s been going well and I’ve been getting stronger, albeit still slow and pathetic. My FTP is 148. I like the free rides in Zwift but I joined Sufferfest for more structured workouts. I have no clue where to start. What would you recommend for a extra fluffy, older mom? I find that I start to max out around 1 hour if that is a consideration. Hopefully there are some options in that time frame.

Thanks for the help

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#2

@hgunraj Welcome! Maybe try the 14 day trial plan to start (that is how I started). It is a good intro to how the platform works and include some testing. Alternatively perhaps look at the fitness kickstarter plans - there are 6 and 10 week options. In general selection of plans depends on your goals. From there maybe try the all purpose road plan and see how it goes from there. You can always delete a plan and select another if you feel that the fit isn’t right. There are also options to add yoga and some basic strength if they are not included in the plans. Finally the mental toughness plan is great and helpful to riders of all abilities. It includes several videos on setting goals, focusing, relaxing and positive chatter. Good luck with your journey!

Mental Toughness Workbook

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#3

Great advice. You’ll need to do one of the fitness tests in app, preferably Full Frontal, to get the most out of your workouts. Most work outs are up to an hour in length and most plans will have those workouts on week days with longer rides at weekends. A lot of the plans have an option for ‘Level’, this is more to do with you available time to train. You can preview the plan and see if it’s a good fit for you.

Hope that helps and good luck!

#4

WELCOME @hgunraj!
Training plans are definitely the way forward when it comes to structured workouts and @JSampson has highlighted all the best ones for you to start with. As you are new to the platform, the 14 day trial should give you a good overview of the different content and workout categories we have available.

Happy suffering and feel free to reach out if you have any questions :slight_smile:

#5

Just repeating what others have said basically - 14 day trial is a good taster and will give you some numbers to base subsequent efforts on - I’m 60 & female and started there.
I didn’t feel I was ready for a plan but I’ve carried on by doing sessions aimed at improving my weakness, some endurance sessions and added some of the yoga sessions (just trying a few out) which I’ve found to be really helpful getting more comfy on the bike. Good luck!

#6

If you do a 4dp early on don’t worry if your numbers seem a bit whacky. You have to learn how to pace each section (mac wrote an article about that somewhere). I would focus on doing a mix of rides to get a feel for it. There’s a lot of light hearted humour and banter in most of them. Don’t bother with gcn rides unless you’re targeting a specific workout structure.

Make sure you have a cheer squad around to encourage you to grovel in a pool of lactic acid. My family love trying to eke out that last bit of suffering when I’m being destroyed by that last hammer…

#7

Thanks everyone! Such great advice. I’m going to start with the 14 day plan and go from there

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