pushingthelimits.com

Handcycling is a great way to help wheelchair users to improve overall health and fitness, loose weight and generally enjoy getting a sense of freedom from hitting the road again. It’s also pretty addictive, once you get your own handcycle and get into the habit of regular exercise it’s almost inevitable that you’re going to start thinking about racing or attempting a marathon.  

Top handcyclists are some of the best athletes in the world. Paralympians train 15-20 hours per week during peak season, and can sustain 20+ mph speeds in races longer than 25 miles. Handcycling is also a low-impact, long distance sport and athletes in tours, centuries, and ultra marathons can log as much as 100 miles per day.

If you’re looking at starting out and want to build up your fitness to take part in a race or charity event then it’s important to train properly, building up your stamina and fitness over time instead of over-reaching and potentially injuring yourself.

With 12 weeks of daily training, almost anyone with a handcycle can achieve the level of fitness required to complete a marathon. Check out our 12 week training schedule to help you get ready:

Download a printable PDF of the 12 Week Handcycle Marathon Training Guide.

As with any fitness training, always check with your doctor if you have any concerns about your fitness, ensure you warm-up and cool-down correctly and stop if you feel pain. We want you to get fit and enjoy the road, not die!

If you dont have a handcycle yet, check out our wishlist of the top 5 handcycles, then get training (maybe on the biggest hills climbs in the USA) and you can take part in the worlds toughest handcycle race. Good Luck!