 In a world where we can follow icons of the sport on Strava, see real-time numbers during a World Tour race, and track ourselves while we sleep …where do we draw the line when it comes to data? The accessibility of power meters, heart rate monitors, CGMs, etc. is a great evolvement for the sport, but it makes stepping away from the numbers even harder to do. There’s something to be said for being able to turn off the noise and focus in on our bodies, the task at hand, and how we “feel”. Furthermore, there’s nothing you can do about Van der Poel’s power up the Poggio or what Nino Schurter’s FTP is – it’s about you and your situation.
Data’s Role in Training This is the bread and butter of our data, gadgets and gizmos. Training can be the most benefited from having a power meter or heart rate monitor at the least. I’d even say Strava – where you could use segments or portions of trail and road to see how you are progressing. As discussed in my Zones article, structure and diligence with our training through the year is important (aka knowing when certain efforts are to be trained). Additionally, with the bleeding of Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) from the diabetic/medical world into the endurance world, we can use insights from this as to how we respond to food and fine-tune our fueling. Additionally, using those HRV measurements, readiness scores, and fatigue estimations (Whoop, Garmin, Oura Ring…) are great for keeping tabs on how you are responding to training over time. If we pair it with how we actually feel, this can give us an indication of when to push and maybe when to “feel things out”. Although, you can’t let a “bad score” keep you from lacing up and giving it a go – this is where you need to be open to learning how you feel. This, is where I want to move onto the topic of racing… Data During Racing Where things get tricky is when to rely on the numbers during events. When it’s a road race, gravel race, or some sort of “durability” type of event then it can be really helpful to supplement our pacing with this info. It’s helpful to gauge your efforts and “save matches” with HR or Power by keeping within yourself (and your threshold). On the flip side, data can be a leash to us. I’ve seen it too many times, especially in shorter events like XC, where numbers really don’t mean all that much but we can allow them to impact our perception, pace, or expectations. This is the “paralysis by analysis” situation. When it comes to race day, we need to learn to go off of feel, be confident in our prep, and turn down the noise from these inputs. Don’t let your data talk you down from giving things a shot – it’s a race and a chance to try. Take a look at those numbers retroactively and then draw some conclusions, break down the race, and learn. Aside: Power v HR Power and HR both have usefulness in training in different ways. Power is often the “golden metric” for cyclists (as pace is to runners) because it is constant, fixed metric. It represents direct workload being produced. Heart rate (HR) is the response to work that your body produces. HR can be affected by a variety of factors though, such as fatigue, temperature, caffeine, etc. I use power when it comes to nailing intervals and pushing limits on intensity. However, during the base phase, I often rely on HR more because I want to accumulate time in and/or below certain zones to stay aerobic.-taken from previous article on Zones Know when to turn things off, not rely on numbers, or go off feel. Know when to change the page and just settle into your task fueled by intuition and feeling.
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Building your Race CalendarThe season is winding up and it’s due time to take a look at your race + event plans. Here are 5 of the most important factors to consider when building your calendar to capitalize on your goals!  Prioritize, Plan, and Peak When laying out your calendar, it’s natural to want to fill it full of events. However, it’s important to emphasize certain ones over others in line with your goals. I break races down into the A, B, and even C categories based on their value + role in an athlete’s calendar. As = peak events. Bs = important but not the main focus. Cs = performance not critical. Note: if your focus is on consistently racing for fun and don’t want to optimize one event, then this layout is not so important! Realistically, most athletes looking for a big Peak (or highly optimized period of performance) can only do this about three times. This is because a true peak requires each mesocycle of training from the Base, Build, and Preparatory phases…or at the least Build and Preparatory. Essentially an athlete needs a couple months minimum to get towards a Peak. That being said, step one is to lay out a handful of your biggest, most important goals. Now, take about 3 of those that you can highlight as “A” events. " Be confident in the strength and speed you are building by including such highly effective “training” sessions in the midst of a challenging fitness building block..." If your “A” events are really close to each other (say 2-3 weeks) it is possible to hold peak form for a little while BUT you’re in a limited state of form and you’ll need to be mindful of that. Don’t fret it if you have two big goals within a couple weeks. The others will have to become B –or even C– events that aid in the process of preparing for an event, are training races, or are simply fun to mix in. This is where mindset comes into play: you have to realize not every event is the World Championships and come into them with clear goals. This brings me to training through races…  Training Through Races This phrase is one you may have heard tossed around and can be helpful for taking things up a notch. It essentially means to take a preplanned and suboptimal amount of fatigue and training into an event. Now, you are not supposed to be feeling 100% and that’s okay. We utilize this with our C events specifically and occasionally B events. If it’s an early season C event or one leading up to your main goals, it can be a good chance to stack some extra training on top of your plan. When followed up with adequate recovery, these experiences often produce a big compensation or “fitness bump” as I call it. Now, you are not supposed to be feeling 100% and that’s okay. Cross-discipline Opportunities Depending on your focus or “type” of racing and the demands that come with it, you can also leverage other disciplines to assist your training plan. For example, as a XCO mountain biker, gravel races and endurance events can be great springboards for stacking up some preseason fitness for me. They’re typically longer and more aerobic in nature but really challenge that aerobic threshold. Likewise, you can use local mtb races to fine tune some skills, work on repeatability and power, and get some speed work in for your gravel/road/endurance events. Leave Room for Rest
After a big peak or block of racing, rest must follow. Even midseason or in the summer when events are going off left, right, and center you have to be mindful of building in rest periods. These don’t have to be full “off-seasons” but a week to 10 days of both rest days and light riding to hit the reset button. Most people train diligently until the spring and race all the way through to the fall…then wonder why they may feel so fried. Additionally, if and when injuries, illness, or complications throw a wrench in your plan just accept these moments of pause. This is one of the biggest struggles I have. I’ve learned that longterm growth and progression is not harmed (and even benefited) from leaning into these breaks in training and not fighting the complication. Then, you can come back healthy, rested, and mentally ready to go. Bonus: maintaining strength As you approach these events and when the season gets going, it can get difficult to keep your strength in the routine. Sometimes you may have two, three, four weekends in a row of racing. This is not the time to try to build strength – and I’m speaking from experience. This is when you should scale back the strength to “maintenance” work. Let the ego go and take weight off the bar, focus on form, and address functional movements that keep you healthy. I back off and advocate for band work, TRX movement, and body weight exercises to keep from adding fatigue to heavy weeks already.  Heat: “If you can’t handle the heat, stay outta the kitchen.” Or, just get stuck in the kitchen more often. Heat is a tricky thing to tackle when it comes to endurance events. It’s an uncontrollable, inescapable part of competing certain times of the year and in certain locations. Excessive heat (or more specifically the inability to handle it) can lead to an increase in overall core temperature and just a few °F can make things go downhill quickly. The brain starts to realize that there are more important things than you pushing hard on the pedals and will try to put a stop to that. Overall, heat stress will reduce the ability to achieve maximal metabolic rates during exercise. to a Cardiac drift is common term for the increase or “drift” of your heart rate upwards over the duration of an effort/event and is expedited with dehydration or heat. Often, this dance with the discomfort of heat is manageable over the duration of a training session or short XC style event. However, if gone unaccounted for it can lead to a drastic drop in performance. Things may start with discomfort and an annoyingly hot feeling…typically if you are equipped to handle it then it will stay that way. If you can’t, then some dizziness, nausea, and/or waning ability to really focus on the task at hand can follow. Below, I’ll dive into ways to manage the heat from an micro (small) perspective around racing or training + from a more macro (big picture) perspective.  Source: CNN Managing The Heat
There are Manny things we can do to mitigate the effect of heat. In the lead up to the big event/workout/race, it’s important to think about your prep 2,3,4 days prior. Firstly, hydration cannot be neglected during these days and a greater importance should be placed on electrolytes. The idea behind this is to increase the essential minerals we need and that especially being sodium; as sodium levels in the body rise, water will follow. Thus, if we slowly increase these minerals we will “hold onto” more fluid in our cells over time. Yes, you will gain a little water weight but SO WHAT if it means mitigating the effect of heat. On race day, keep all your bottles, fuel, etc as cool as you can and try to buffer heat through cooling vests, shade, and less aggressive warm ups. PRO TIP: fill pantyhose with ice and stick them in your jersey collar while getting ready. Acclimatizing [“uh-kli-muh-tizing”) From a bigger picture, and longer timeline, you can prep for key events by acclimatizing to the heat. If it’s during the warmer months or you are in a warmer climate, try moving some of those moderate workouts towards the warmer part of the day….gradually. If it’s the winter months (as my Puerto Rican race trip was) you can leverage sitting in a sauna to get acclimated. This looks like: 7+ days of 20-30min sauna sessions around 180°f if possible and ideally immediately following training. (Check this article out for a scientific review…) Here’s What’s Happening Heat acclimation typically takes around 10-14 days depending on variables. During this time, your body will be learning how to send more blood to the skin quicker, in greater amounts, and more efficiently. One big reason for this is due to the increase in plasma volume in your blood (the fluid part). These processes lead to more liquid coming to the skin which cools you through convection. As you begin to get more acclimated, this typically induces more sweating but less mineral/sodium loss. Additionally, your body’s entire cardiovascular system becomes more responsive and efficient when it encounters this heat stress and the hormonal system is becoming more adapted to this “new normal”. For a detailed interview with someone that has a lot of experience on this subject, see the Trainerroad Podcast with Dr. Minson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8edDmyhHes Laying the Foundation The notorious “base season” is a staple of endurance athletes’ training. It may not always come during the winter, depending on your sport and/or goals, but typically does for the average cyclist. This period can be neglected by many due to a variety of reasons including weather, daylight, and motivation relative to your season. However, this is one of the, if not most, crucial times for developing year over year as an athlete. An analogy to tie it all together is to think of your training year as a pyramid: the broader and stronger the ‘base’, the higher and better the peak.  Goals of Winter Training The main focus of the base phase of training can almost be summarized into one goal: to improve aerobic fitness and efficiency. In layman’s terms, this means making your body better at using oxygen + fat to fuel you and improving your ability to accomplish work in an aerobic state. If you can stay in an aerobic state for longer and harder effort, you push that anaerobic line higher. To get a little more nerdy, this comes in many improvements to your body; namely:
Main Focuses of Base Training Aerobic Training This is the lynchpin of base training. It is usually defined by slogging through lots of hours on the bike at a Zone 1-2 effort level and can be monotonous. Your gaol is to keep the body in an aerobic state and avoid excessive effort/volume in an anaerobic (without oxygen, aka. hard) state. IF you have the time, then building volume over a 12 week period is ideal. However, many do not and have to accommodate jobs during the course of the week in addition to waning daylight. In that common case, utilize your week days for time-efficient structured rides and strength training and then open up the weekend days for big adventure days! Strength Training I’m a huge advocate of strength training for all athletes, disciplines, and ages (especially masters level). I wrote an article focused solely on this topic earlier in the year and you can see that here. Contrary to belief, strength training actually serves both the endurance and strength aspects of our training. Not only does a proper strength plan make a stronger muscle, it makes a more “durable” one. Don’t think of the two (endurance and strength) as separable. Additionally, as you rack up miles, get into race season, or are aging, your body will thank you for the “insulation you have packed in the walls” to avoid injury and deterioration. Neuromuscular/Power Work An unsung hero of the base phase is the neuromuscular + power development work on the bike. This comes predominantly in the form of pedaling efficiency drills and PCr sprint work. I use both of these in the early season phase to help prepare athlete’s for the work to come. The cadence drills (both high and low) help to train your efficiency and “cleanliness” in the pedal stroke. The short, neuromuscular level sprints improve the body’s reaction + response to the call for effort (quite literally the brain-to-legs connection). The base phase can be daunting to look at, but work within your means and keep it simple. This is one of the most beneficial periods of your year and can set you up for success. Ride “long and slow” when you can, keep strength training in the plan, and add in some specific intervals along with it all. A little structure goes a long way – contact me for coaching services or more information! Sources: Hughes, D. C., Ellefsen, S., & Baar, K. (2017). Adaptations to endurance and strength training. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 8(6). https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a029769 Stone, Michael H., et al. "Maximum Strength and Strength Training-A Relationship to Endurance?" Strength and Conditioning Journal, vol. 28, no. 3, 2006, pp. 44-53. ProQuest, https://login.proxy020.nclive.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/maximum-strength-training-relationship-endurance/docview/212586439/se-2?accountid=9715. Zones |
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The two charts above show my recovery score {left) and my daily strain (right) for the week of training. We pulled the plug on Sunday, as the 12"+ of snow came in so that marks the first day off the bike. As you can see, I had a slow trickle down in overall recovery and a little boost after that Sunday off. Here was that 4 days files and what our relative goal of each was:
However, then the sickness started trickling in. I was doing mostly fasted, morning trainer rides just because it was a recovery week, we were snowed in, and I'm a nerd when it comes to metabolic flexibility. Covid hit me on Friday...so now we take a deep dive there:
Respiratory Rate (the number of breaths taken per minute) rose substantially from around ~14 to just sub 18 breaths. That's about 4 more breaths a minute, multiplied x 60 = ~240 more an hour. Definitely an interesting marker, indicating I was both requiring more O2 while omitting more Co2 and potentially not absorbing/accepting O2 like normal. Also, resting heart rate (RHR) tracked equally.
This is my recovery starting the Friday I got ill; Saturday seemed un-phased and then the wheels came off starting Sunday.
All of this is just to provide a little insight and share my experience with it. I'm now on the mend and watching the metrics climb back up. Again, I just utilize the WHOOP to reinforce where I feel I'm at with training and recovery, but in this case it was interesting to follow the indicators instead.
I'll link a podcast below from WHOOP themselves on what they discovered through user input and a big database.
I'll link a podcast below from WHOOP themselves on what they discovered through user input and a big database.
Since, I have eased back into training with a delicate approach the first handful of days. Essentially a neighborhood spin day 5 or 6 to 3hrs on the 8th day back. Let me know what you think and if you've had a similar experience in the comments below!
TOP TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH TRAINING
As the winter training kicks into gear and many of us are finding our stride, it’s important to keep a finger on the pulse of your relationship with training.
BALANCE: there is often pressure to hone in on a single objective without compromise. It’s important to be flexible and keep variety in your plan to develop a good foundation. Try different routes, terrain, and workouts. Then mix in events, fun group rides, and use cross-training/strength training to keep things dynamic.
SKILLS: getting *physiologically* faster is pretty cut and dry and tends to be a relatively responsive experience. Skills, on the other hand, are what allow you to capitalize on that fitness and are all-too-often overlooked. Dedicate some time to them this season and be intentional with it; it may not feel like a training day, but the benefits can be instrumental in your ability to go fast.
RECOVERY: “train hard, recover harder”. Don’t be afraid to take it easy, spin, or just not ride! Recovery is what enables you to gain from all those days of work you put in. In fact, these are the days where those "blocks" get stacked up to build your fitness. Additionally, build in a time (2+ weeks ideally) where you can take your foot off the gas completely and reset.
NUTRITION: fuel your workouts accordingly so that you can maximize the benefits from them. Don’t skimp on food/fuel when it you have a key workout, event, or etc. When off the bike, focus on really quality, balanced meals and eating to your needs: ie. don’t fall for stereotypes around what an athlete “should look like” or “can eat like”. Bottom line: STRONG IS FAST.
SKILLS: getting *physiologically* faster is pretty cut and dry and tends to be a relatively responsive experience. Skills, on the other hand, are what allow you to capitalize on that fitness and are all-too-often overlooked. Dedicate some time to them this season and be intentional with it; it may not feel like a training day, but the benefits can be instrumental in your ability to go fast.
RECOVERY: “train hard, recover harder”. Don’t be afraid to take it easy, spin, or just not ride! Recovery is what enables you to gain from all those days of work you put in. In fact, these are the days where those "blocks" get stacked up to build your fitness. Additionally, build in a time (2+ weeks ideally) where you can take your foot off the gas completely and reset.
NUTRITION: fuel your workouts accordingly so that you can maximize the benefits from them. Don’t skimp on food/fuel when it you have a key workout, event, or etc. When off the bike, focus on really quality, balanced meals and eating to your needs: ie. don’t fall for stereotypes around what an athlete “should look like” or “can eat like”. Bottom line: STRONG IS FAST.
PROCESS: embrace the process of developing this season. It is easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing (or say you should be doing) and lose your own “north star”. Lean into the notion that you’re building yourself up for competition and that it takes time and patience practicing the right things consistently. Highlight your calendar with important events but don’t be afraid to venture out and expand your abilities. Pick races and events that you truly enjoy, plan weekend MTB getaways with friends or family, and keep it fun so that you keep the pilot light lit for a season of training.
RACING: as the spring nears, you’ll likely begin to fill the calendar with events (exciting times!). However, not all of these are realistically going to be “peak events” – in fact only about 2-3 peaks are feasible in a season. Thus, I have athletes start with their “A Goals” that are most important. Then we layer in “B Events” and even “C Events” to help guide the training process and help athletes to understand that we’ll use some of these as “training races”. It’s important to have these low-pressure events to practice your nutrition plan, play with equipment, and get your legs underneath you.
RACING: as the spring nears, you’ll likely begin to fill the calendar with events (exciting times!). However, not all of these are realistically going to be “peak events” – in fact only about 2-3 peaks are feasible in a season. Thus, I have athletes start with their “A Goals” that are most important. Then we layer in “B Events” and even “C Events” to help guide the training process and help athletes to understand that we’ll use some of these as “training races”. It’s important to have these low-pressure events to practice your nutrition plan, play with equipment, and get your legs underneath you.
Altering and Accommodating Your Winter Riding Setup Training in the winter can be a bit of a gamble and lead to compromised rides, lost motivation, or unfortunate situations. However, when prepared for, the winter can be an exciting time to get to chase your health and performance goals. The following article is a rundown of key areas that can be changed to make your winter successful.
Clothing Layering
Layers are the trick of winter riding…too many or too thick and you sweat (no bueno) but too thin and you quickly become frozen. The general idea is to have the ability to ventilate or shed them if needed and still have protection. Starting from the outside in, you can ensure a comfortable ride: wind/water resistance, insulation, base layer(s). The same goes for gloves, too thick and you can’t feel the bars or sweat and too thin and you also can’t feel the bars…but because you’re numb!
Pockets and Bags
This is the perfect segway for storage spaces. As you accumulate layers and food and gear and…well you’ll need somewhere to store all that if it comes to it. Bar bags and frame bags can be helpful here, but also clothing that has pockets is huge. I utilize The Black Bibs “cargo” bibs because the thigh pockets are really accessible and they’re one of THE most affordable brands.
Bike Tires
One of the most important alterations to your set up during the winter can be tires. Depending on where you are located, things can be wet, icy, and often covered in rubble. Not only that, you’re probably doing some long rides and that means comfort is more important. This is where higher volume (which = lower pressure), traction, and protection are paramount. I’ve always switched to a tire like the Maxxis ReFuse in 32cc and ride all winter long on them without a single issue.
Fenders
Whether you’re a “hater” or not, fenders work. When it’s often wet or cruddy during the winter, staying dry is a “must” for staying warm. Some fenders can assist in that and take the edge off of what could be a compromised ride by getting wet. They can be EASY to install + use and two brands that I recommend are here: SKS and AssSavers.
Components
This can be the time of year to “down grade” your components or parts that you want to save. For example, you can swap a SRAM XX1 cassette with a GX one for a more durable and element-surviving system.
Nutrition
As the season changes, so should your nutrition plan around training. As my previous article dives into, the base season is a time (for most) where the focus is on aerobic fitness and efficiency on the bike. While it is important to make sure you have the glucose on board for high intensity sessions, you should be reaching for more “real food” or complex energy during the endurance rides. For example, I typically keep things like homemade bars, dates, and bananas in my pockets for LSD (long-slow-distance) rides. Additionally, you’ll want to be mindful of what’s in your bottles. Although you may feel like you aren’t sweating/losing fluid near as much, you certainly are. Your body is not only trying to keep you warm but is also evaporating into all those layers you have on in addition to breaking down the more complex food you’re eating. I stray from my “rocket fuel”, high calorie drink mixes but still opt for hydration-focused mixes…as water just doesn’t cut it.
Indoor Riding
When in doubt, indoor training can be time efficient, effective, and controllable. Not only that, it can be quite nice to break a good sweat while in the middle of the winter season as you spend weeks bundled up (this is not an objective, science-backed statement… just my subjective one). I’m not one to jump on the trainer if given the choice, but riding inside does offer a very dependable environment for knocking out your training. Now, between smart trainers and online social platforms, indoor training can be quite entertaining as well. Leverage these opportunities to keep your stoke alive and check off important workouts that may be harder to control by going outside. Also, if it’s rough outside, I will sometime either warm up or “warm down” on the rollers; I’m all toasty and can throw on my gear as I head out or thaw out as I come back in.
Quick note: don’t forget about Vitamin D this winter! If you are inside, or more bundled up, it is going to be harder to keep optimal levels of Vit D due to lack of sun exposure. This is a key aspect of health AND performance in athletic folk, especially during this time of heightened immune threat.
Strength
As colors change, temps drop, and many of us transition into the infamous “base" season, it’s easy to feel a bit lost. Fellow athletes, friends, and foes on STRAVA are rolling out the miles and boasting huge days in the saddle while social media pours out content of people "on the grind". Post-season anxiety can build when you feel like you're going back to the drawing board or losing fitness gains from the year, but let’s clear that up: you are NOT. I’m even subject of this myself and find worry creeping in…however diligence, balance, and having a curated approach to training can do wonders for you.
Long, monotonous days on the bike certainly have their place, but there are a few key aspects of training and everything else off-the-bike that are crucial in preparing for the coming season. The first piece of that puzzle? REST. Then, as we make the shift this winter, don't neglect how a basic strength training routine can impact your experience. Let’s explore that.
Strength Training
The benefits of strength training are growing more and more apparent. Whether it be 90min World Cup races or all day gravel expeditions, athletes are steering away from body-typing and the science is reaching the public. We are seeing a push towards time in the gym. Aerobically, everyone can "get fit" fast. However, strength training can dramatically improve overall raw power, repeatability, injury prevention, and (wait for it) even aerobic fitness! Strength training is actually quite variable in and of itself and is also super time efficient. Going into the gym and lifting heavy is actually great, but it’s something that has to be built up to. A lot can be done in your home with simple, basic moves while hallenging your body with dynamic and varying exercises, building core strength, and touching up on your upper body. This full body experience is what enables your body to work properly. Supplementing some dynamic work in like this does loads for activating important muscles throughout your body AND improving imbalances. However, lifting heavy things is where the magic happens for us non-weight-bearing endurance athletes. Guess what? This becomes especially important with aging.
My Go-To
Some key aspects of my strength routine are to include those that are targeting stabilization muscles and/or isolating a body part to prime my body + core work – like including a balance pad and doing single leg activities (these are usually a variation of Split Squats, Pistols, Single Leg Dead Lift, or others). Then, I dial in those traditional workouts like front and/or regular squats and deadlifts mostly. I usually make circuits that include an upper, lower, and core exercise to get solid rest between. Tossing in core exercises in between sets is super easy to do and helps add that little bit of attention to the full core. As far as upper body, it is often neglected by cyclists because they feel they “don’t need the weight”. Mountain bike racing and gravel demands a lot from your upper body…and if you can’t answer that demand then the riding becomes sloppy. This can ruin your recovery throughout the race, leave you trailside picking yourself up, or just wasting energy making up time.
Progression
You want to start LIGHT – and if you’ve never done strength training, then body weight may be all you need. The general plan is to work from sets of ~3 x 15 with light weight to 3-4 x 10-15 with moderate weight to the magic range of 4-6 x <10 reps. This is the power-building phase.
CONTACT ME PLEASE if you would like a bit more info or want to get an idea of a good routine to follow – I'd be happy to help!
*For a bit more on strength in the gym and the science behind it, I highly suggest this podcast by Mark Sisson and Jacques Devore.
player.fm/series/primal-endurance-podcast/126-jacques-devore
As colors change, temps drop, and many of us transition into the infamous “base" season, it’s easy to feel a bit lost. Fellow athletes, friends, and foes on STRAVA are rolling out the miles and boasting huge days in the saddle while social media pours out content of people "on the grind". Post-season anxiety can build when you feel like you're going back to the drawing board or losing fitness gains from the year, but let’s clear that up: you are NOT. I’m even subject of this myself and find worry creeping in…however diligence, balance, and having a curated approach to training can do wonders for you.
Long, monotonous days on the bike certainly have their place, but there are a few key aspects of training and everything else off-the-bike that are crucial in preparing for the coming season. The first piece of that puzzle? REST. Then, as we make the shift this winter, don't neglect how a basic strength training routine can impact your experience. Let’s explore that.
Strength Training
The benefits of strength training are growing more and more apparent. Whether it be 90min World Cup races or all day gravel expeditions, athletes are steering away from body-typing and the science is reaching the public. We are seeing a push towards time in the gym. Aerobically, everyone can "get fit" fast. However, strength training can dramatically improve overall raw power, repeatability, injury prevention, and (wait for it) even aerobic fitness! Strength training is actually quite variable in and of itself and is also super time efficient. Going into the gym and lifting heavy is actually great, but it’s something that has to be built up to. A lot can be done in your home with simple, basic moves while hallenging your body with dynamic and varying exercises, building core strength, and touching up on your upper body. This full body experience is what enables your body to work properly. Supplementing some dynamic work in like this does loads for activating important muscles throughout your body AND improving imbalances. However, lifting heavy things is where the magic happens for us non-weight-bearing endurance athletes. Guess what? This becomes especially important with aging.
My Go-To
Some key aspects of my strength routine are to include those that are targeting stabilization muscles and/or isolating a body part to prime my body + core work – like including a balance pad and doing single leg activities (these are usually a variation of Split Squats, Pistols, Single Leg Dead Lift, or others). Then, I dial in those traditional workouts like front and/or regular squats and deadlifts mostly. I usually make circuits that include an upper, lower, and core exercise to get solid rest between. Tossing in core exercises in between sets is super easy to do and helps add that little bit of attention to the full core. As far as upper body, it is often neglected by cyclists because they feel they “don’t need the weight”. Mountain bike racing and gravel demands a lot from your upper body…and if you can’t answer that demand then the riding becomes sloppy. This can ruin your recovery throughout the race, leave you trailside picking yourself up, or just wasting energy making up time.
Progression
You want to start LIGHT – and if you’ve never done strength training, then body weight may be all you need. The general plan is to work from sets of ~3 x 15 with light weight to 3-4 x 10-15 with moderate weight to the magic range of 4-6 x <10 reps. This is the power-building phase.
CONTACT ME PLEASE if you would like a bit more info or want to get an idea of a good routine to follow – I'd be happy to help!
*For a bit more on strength in the gym and the science behind it, I highly suggest this podcast by Mark Sisson and Jacques Devore.
player.fm/series/primal-endurance-podcast/126-jacques-devore
Author
Carson Beckett, 22 // UCI MTB Racer // Coach // // Student // Outdoor Enthusiast
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