When it comes to fitness, I have done it all. Be it running through the wild, climbing on treacherous hills or skiing through white blankets of snow, I have been involved in most adventure sports. While enjoying these various activities, I not only stay close to nature, but also improve my strength, speed, and endurance. Out of all the disciplines I have mastered, I take the most pleasure in the simple joys of riding my bike on different terrains. It may seem easy, but riding on different surfaces comes with a lot of challenges, especially when the distance is long and time is short. To get better at riding a bike, a cyclist should perform specific exercises to get stronger, in order to overcome the challenges presented by nature.

Interval training methods are known to increase various attributes of the cyclist. Riding the bike in a certain way at a specified speed can go a long way in making you a better cyclist. Below are four different interval training methods that have turned me into the formidable cyclist that I am today:

Build Speed

Generally you do a sprint for a very short burst, and you should have more than double that amount of time to recover afterwards. Sprints increase your cadence efficiency and allow you to get faster.

Workout: After a 5-10 minute warm up, sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds, and then slow down for the next 60 seconds. Complete 8-12 sprints, and then cool down.

Recover More Quickly

Power intervals are done at a lesser intensity than sprints, but feel tougher for most people because the recovery time is lower. It is good for maximizing your recovery efficiency as well as increasing your lactate threshold.

Workout: This workout requires you to follow Tabata protocol. After a 5-10 minute warm up, complete the following Tabata protocol, sprint for 20 seconds, then coast, and recover for 10 seconds. Do this 8 times for a total of 4 minutes.

Build Up Your Endurance

To get your endurance rising, why not try a tempo threshold. This is longer than a sprint or a power interval, but it is done at a lower intensity. Typically lasting 10-20 minutes, they're done just under the lactate threshold.

Workout: Warm up for 10 to 20 minutes, and then cycle at a speed that you know you can keep up for 30 minutes. If you want, you can break into a sprint for the last 60 seconds for a grand finale!

Get Stronger

When you are riding the bicycle on hills, you will increase the strength in your lower body muscles and also strengthen your heart. Charge up on a hill in or out of the saddle for 30 seconds as fast as you can, and then slowly go back to your starting point for recovery.

Workout: Increase the resistance on an indoor cycling bike, or find a steep hill. Stand up out of the saddle and go for it on the hill, and then coast back down. On your next time up the hill, take it sitting down, and then coast back down. Alternate between the two cycling routines 10-15 times. When you are done with the workout, it is time to cool down.

It does not matter which format of cycling intervals you are doing, what is important is that you focus on good form and increase the level of difficulty as you progress. With the increase in level, your overall output while riding a bike will improve greatly, turning you into a master bike rider, just like yours truly.