Strength and Conditioning/PT

2017 Strength and Conditioning/PT

Strength Plan

PT Exercises

2016 and Before

Adaption Phase 10/7/14 – 10/30/14

Anatomical Adaptation

“The anatomical adaptation phase starts after you have transitioned from your season and usually after a break from formal training and racing. It takes place 1-2 months prior to the start of your off-season base training on the bike. The goal of this phase is to prepare the muscles for more loads and repetitions in the upcoming phases.”

Reff. Training Peaks – http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/year-round-strength-training-for-cyclists

From everything I’ve read it is best to do high reps during this phase “20-30 reps per set using 40-60%” however I kept this number a little lower 10-15 instead. I intend to drop the reps to half of that during the next Max Strength Phase. The goal of this off-season period for me was to regain strength lost during the race season. I was able to make quick gains not only from cycling through groups twice per week but by resting the legs with a break from running and limiting biking. I’ve never gone so long without running but I am hopeful it will help me through the start of training as I build gently back into it with the strength I’ve picked up so far and intend to work on throughout 2015.

You can see I did some core exercises during this period however I will emphasize this component as I reduce strength sessions moving forward going from 4 key strength days to 2 with 3 core sessions per week. The core exercises will focus on secondary muscle groups (stabilizers), particularly my back, glutes and hamstrings. They will also have stretching components to address my piriformus issues on the bike.

Core Routine (Version 2)

Added Exercises (version 2) as prescribed by physical therapist (PT Exercises for Lower Back) intended to address my lower back issues coming out of the water and onto the bike

Strength Phase 11/3/14 – 12/18/14

Max Strength

The intention of my “Max Strenght Phase” was to add the most muscle to help carry strength through the season with the heaviest weight/least rep sets, durring a time with small volume/less intensity workouts. Unfortunately this didn’t go quite according to plan. I was nervous from the start about maintaining form with low reps, 5 or so versus my typical 10+. I listened to a friend about low squats and ended up tweaking something in my back which was very painful and prohibitive for almost a week. In addition I was out sick for a week so my numbers were inconsistent to say the least. On a positive note the core routine I have been using and adapting over the last few months has proven to be very beneficial, reducing back pain and making me feel stronger. I have been stretching and rolling after major workouts and look to incorporate a yoga class at least once a week as well. In addition I have switched my diet to be more protein intensive and will see how it effects weight/strength gains.

Muscle Endurance 1/5/15 – 4/12/15

Muscular Endurance

The purpose of this phase will be maintenance as I transition into race season. I hope to hold onto strength, maintaining weight with each exercise, not necessarily building. For instance, I’d like to be able to squat 3×10 of 135lbs without feeling sore. I don’t need to be up to a more typical 185 however I don’t want to be in the place I was at the end of last year, struggling with 95lbs after a long break.

My performance is difficult to gauge because in January I was coming back from an extended Christmas break of 2 weeks. The 3rd week was Martin Luther King Jr Day so I wasn’t able to get in the gym. I hope to be more disciplined and consistent with this moving forward. Also, on the 4th week of every build phase I will drop weight to 75% in order to be fresh for each race/fitness test.