December Challenge: 12 Days of Fitness

Ready to sparkle like a diamond as you tackle April’s Challenge? As a nod to this month’s birthstone, we have workouts sure to make you feel shiny and bright while you sweat! Complete the workouts from your selected Challenge level by April 30, 2025 and earn a digital reward viewable in your Trophy Case. Here are this month’s Challenges: Treadmill and elliptical workouts Walking: From the Dominican Republic to Zimbabwe and Canada, there’s so much to explore this month. You’re sure to shine as you walk and hike with iFIT Trainers Phil Catudal, Mick Davie, and John Peel. Running: Start your running adventure in French Polynesia, the Balkans, and New Zealand. You’ll sparkle alongside iFIT Trainers Hannah Eden, Paulo Barreto, Kelsey Sheahan, and Zac Marion. Bike workouts Casual Riding: Embark on an exploration in Chile, Maui, and French Polynesia. Chase your shine with iFIT Trainers John Peel, Ashley McIvor, and Ashley Davis with beginner-level cycling workouts. Amped Cycling: Take it to the next level with iFIT Trainers Richard Biglia, Travis McCabe, and Casey Zaugg! Feel bright and shiny as you tackle advanced cycling workouts in Thailand, Japan, and Norway. Rower workouts Rowing: Row your way across Hawaii, Montana, and the iFIT Studio! Sparkle and shine in each of these workouts with iFIT Trainers Kai Wilding, Susan Francia, and Alex Silver-Fagan. Strength workouts Strength: From Pilates and yoga to traditional strength training, there’s so much to explore this month. Head to the Bahamas, Chile, and Jamaica for workouts with iFIT Trainers Kelsey Sheahan, Faith Hunter, and John Peel. Disclaimer: The primary purpose of this blog post is to inform and entertain. Nothing on the post constitutes or is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Reliance on any information provided on the blog is solely at your own risk. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, and please consult your doctor or other health care provider before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information available on this blog. iFIT assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment.

If you’re familiar with the cycling world and follow European racing, you may have come across both myself and the team I coach, the UAE Team Emirates. I’m Kevin Poulton and have coached for nearly 25 years, specializing in Spring Classics riders and sprinters. In that time, I’ve been fortunate to coach elite World Tour professionals and work with some of the best teams in the sport. My athletes have secured victories in Paris-Roubaix, Tour de France stage wins, World Championship Road Race podiums, and multiple Spring Classics podiums. And now, you’re my next athlete! The Series Structure I designed the Train for a Tour Series much like the programs I use at UAE Team Emirates’ training camps. Over six weeks, your iFIT Trainers (all of which are pro cyclists themselves) will run you through an immersive World Tour pre-season experience. You’ll train in Mallorca, Spain, as it is the ultimate training destination for professionals. Every winter, World Tour teams flock to the island for their pre-season camps, and for good reason. The terrain is incredibly diverse, offering long, steady climbs, rolling hills, and flat coastal roads—exactly what’s needed to develop all aspects of cycling fitness. The Train for a Tour Series gradually builds in intensity, taking you from controlled endurance efforts to high-powered, race-specific efforts. The workouts follow a carefully structured progression: Early Weeks: Lower-intensity, steady-state efforts with proper recovery, laying the foundation for improved aerobic endurance and efficiency.Mid-Series: More focused interval work, targeting different energy systems, including fast-twitch muscle activation, anaerobic power, and high-intensity efforts.Final Weeks: Race-like sessions, including VO2 max intervals, lactate tolerance efforts, and short recoveries, mimicking the demands of competition. If you follow my training program as I’ve laid out (and you ensure that the SmartAdjust™ feature on your bike is on), you can expect to see improvements in your cycling performance, endurance, and ability to sustain high-intensity efforts. Check out more articles on training like the pros:Part 2: leveraging data Part 3: how to avoid beginner mistakes Good luck and enjoy the ride, Kevin Poulton Shop NordicTrack bikes Disclaimer: The primary purpose of this blog post is to inform and entertain. Nothing on the post constitutes or is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Reliance on any information provided on the blog is solely at your own risk. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, and please consult your doctor or other health care provider before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information available on this blog. NordicTrack assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment.