Description
Cycling: Level II Cyclist, Base (Winter, Off-Season) Training Plan, 4.25-10.5 hrs/wk
Author: Gale Bernhardt
19 weeks - $84.95 (There is a 10% discount when ordering from Gale Bernhardt’s website.)
Total Hours: 139
This plan is written for an experienced cyclist that had a great summer season of riding, or currently has solid fitness, and is looking to maintain strong off-season fitness. The purpose of this off-season is to enjoy improved performance next season – a step up. This plan can be used by cyclists that intend to race or those that want to improve group ride speed.
While the plan is written as an off-season training guide, it can be used to build foundation fitness at any time of the year. At less than $1 per day, this plan offers excellent value.
You can find a preview of the supporting documents you need to help you with this plan on the Supporting Documents link at the bottom of the web page. You will also receive a download of the documents after purchase.
PROFILE
The plan is designed for a Level II cyclist that is riding three or four times per week before beginning the plan. You are currently capable of comfortably completing a two-and-a-half hour ride. Your current long ride is mostly aerobic, but may include a small amount of intensity.
You are looking to build strength, endurance and increase your riding speed for next season. You want a weight training program included in your plan that will deliver on-the-bike speed later.
Your schedule allows you to train six or seven days per week.
GOAL
Your goal is to have an off-season training plan that gives you a jump on your summer fitness. Your main goal is to complete some 80 to 90 percent of the training hours given each week, ranging from 4.25 to 9.5 or 10.5 hours per week.
Two measures of improvement include improved speed for an aerobic time trial and improved speed for an all-out time trial. A third measure is your improvements during regular group rides. This might mean riding with a faster group or riding with less effort than in the past. Less effort can be measured by average heart rate values for a given distance or average heart rate for a given power output.
THE PLAN OVERVIEW
Take a look at the plan preview below. The first week should be very manageable to you, before beginning the plan.
The overall structure is two weeks of training to build training volume and intensity, followed by one week of recovery. This is a three-week cycle format. While some riders can do well on a four-week cycle, I have found a three-week cycle works well for athletes utilizing higher training levels because riders can keep the quality of workouts high and avoid deep fatigue.
For the overall structure of the plan, Monday and Wednesday are strength training days. Friday is shown as an optional day off on the plan; however, depending on your personal needs, Friday can be an additional strength training day or an optional easy ride day. This is where the plan training time can increase by an hour each week. (Ranging on the top side from 9.5 to 10.5 hours per week.)
If you decide to strength train on Fridays, keep the AA Phase of training on this day throughout the entire plan. If you decide to ride for an hour on Fridays, keep the intensity of the ride mostly in Zones 1 to 2. You can use this day to work on cycling skills as well. The plan includes several days of skills, use any one of these workouts.
Tuesday and Thursday workouts vary throughout the plan, but the time stays around an hour on each day. If you have the time and energy to increase these workouts up to 30 minutes each, that is another option. Remember that more volume does not necessarily make you a faster rider. More volume or intensity is only good if your body can use it for positive adaptations. Chose wisely.
Saturday rides on the plan are the longer and more intense rides of the weekend. These can be group rides. If you do participate in group rides, try to keep the intentions of the workout shown on the plan within your group ride. Be smart.
Q – What do I get with a training plan?
A – After purchase, you will receive an email with instructions on how to download and access your training plan. Your plan will be available in your own private online training log account. You will enjoy the following benefits and more:
- Daily e-mails with your next workout keep you on track
- Create your own routes or search the library of routes for tracking your workouts
- Map, graph and share workouts with your friends by e-mail, Facebook and view in Google Maps or Google Earth
- Upload workouts from one of more than 80 training devices (Garmin, Suunto, Timex, Polar, more) or easily record your workouts manually
- Track your fitness and gain confidence
- Complete nutrition tracking to monitor your diet
- Get support and answers on a message board specific to your plan and access to more message boards
Q – What if I don’t like the plan once I’ve seen it?
A – Because discounted plans are offered through this site and a coding system, no refunds are allowed. If you are worried about wanting or needing a refund, you can forgo the discount and purchase the plan directly from the TrainingPeaks website. Refunds for training plans are offered for a limited time after purchase. You can find this training plan on that site by following this link.
Sample workouts:
Workout #1 : Strength
AA
Planned Time: 1:15:00
Warm up aerobically, running or cycling for 10-20 minutes, then complete 2-3 sets x 15-20 repetitions (reps) of the designated exercises using a light to moderate weight.
Workout #2 : Bike
Aerobic Time Trial (ATT)
Planned Time: 1:00:00
This is best done on a power-equipped trainer, on a regular trainer with a power meter on your rear wheel or on a trainer with a rear-wheel computer pick-up. It can also be done on a flat section of road, but know that weather conditions will affect the results. After a warm-up, ride the designated number of miles with your heart rate 9 to 11 beats below lactate threshold heart rate. Record the gears used, conditions, time, average power output (if you have a powermeter) and how you felt in your training journal. Each time you repeat the test, try to make testing conditions the same. As aerobic fitness improves, the time should decrease.
Workout #3 : Strength
AA
Planned Time: 1:15:00
Warm up aerobically, running or cycling for 10-20 minutes, then complete 2-3 sets x 15-20 repetitions (reps) of the designated exercises using a light to moderate weight.
Workout #4 : Bike
Isolated Leg
Planned Time: 0:45:00
This workout helps work the dead spot out of pedal stroke. After a warm-up, with light resistance on an indoor trainer, do 100 percent of the work with one leg while the other leg is or resting on a stool. The bottom of the stroke is similar to the motion of scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe. The top of the stroke can be improved by driving toes forward. In all positions, keep the toes relaxed. Do not allow them to curl-up and clinch the bottom of your shoe. (This can be done outdoors by relaxing one leg while the other leg does most of the work.) After doing a work segment with each leg (start with 20-60 seconds per leg), spin easy with both legs for 1-3 minutes and then go back to single legwork. Begin with a cumulative time of 3 to 5 minutes on each leg and build time, as you become stronger.
Workout #5 : Bike
Endurance - Z3
Planned Time: 2:30:00
This workout is used for endurance training and the beginning of lactate threshold training. Ride a rolling course in Zones 1 to 3. Stay seated on the hills to build/maintain hip power. Ride a course and use gearing that allows work intensity into 3 zone, but not so hard you dip into Zones 4 and 5.
Workout #6 : Strength
AA
Planned Time: 1:15:00
Warm up aerobically, running or cycling for 10-20 minutes, then complete 2-3 sets x 15-20 repetitions (reps) of the designated exercises using a light to moderate weight.
Workout #7 : Strength
AA
Planned Time: 1:15:00
Warm up aerobically, running or cycling for 10-20 minutes, then complete 2-3 sets x 15-20 repetitions (reps) of the designated exercises using a light to moderate weight.
Workout #8 : Other
Tips
Although they seem “too easy” form rides contribute to your success.
Workout #9 : Bike
Recovery - 90rpm
Planned Time: 1:00:00
Ride in the small chain ring at 90 rpm on a flat course, keeping heart rate in Zone 1. If you are unable to maintain 90 rpm, coast and rest until you can resume 90 rpm.
Hard copy of this training plan is available in the book Training Plans for Cyclists.
