How to Train Like Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong, a household name among bicycling enthusiasts, didn't become the greatest Tour de France rider in the world by ho-hum, slap-happy training. His training methods are adaptable to any sport. He and his coach, Chris Carmichael, spent years developing these techniques.

Instructions

1. Train like Lance Armstrong by getting motivated. Motivation starts in your mind. Coach Chris Carmichael says, "Lance Armstrong can be beaten at the Tour de France, but only by an athlete who is better prepared than he is. An athlete would have to be more motivated than Armstrong. . .very few people can understand, let alone match [his motivation]. His commitment to excellence in training. . .have elevated him above everyone else."

2. Treat your training for any sport as if it's a job. That's the advice Lance gives to riders on his team. You don't slack on the job if you want to stay employed. Don't slack on training if you want to train like Lance Armstrong and gain his level of success.

3. Define your training goal for the day. To train like Lance Armstrong, set specific goals for each day, such as how many miles to ride or run and how many hours you practice or exercise. When you reach that goal for the day, stop. Coach Carmichael says, "Extra time. . .isn't necessary and just leads to more fatigue and longer recovery periods."

4. Take a day off once a week and give your body time to recover. Recovery is important during a training session, too. In bike riding, for example, ride rough terrain for awhile. Then, ride "recovery" by riding easy paths on flat terrain.