Endurance & Strength
Author: James Scott
Length: 12 Weeks
Tags: cycling, mountain biking, beginner, intermediate, masters, power based, hr based, tss based, strength, base period
Typical Week: 3 Day Off, 3 Bike, 2 Strength
Longest Workout:
4:20 hrs
Author: James Scott
Length: 12 Weeks
Tags: cycling, mountain biking, beginner, intermediate, masters, power based, hr based, tss based, strength, base period
Typical Week: 3 Day Off, 3 Bike, 2 Strength
Longest Workout:
4:20 hrs
Endurance & Strength
This twelve-week block of training is structured around building a solid endurance and strength base. The programme is a combination of bike and gym sessions. All sessions are clearly laid out and the gym programme comes with a full break down of exercises and technique photos.
What is the focus of this programme?
The programme focuses on two of the main components of fitness; endurance and strength. Endurance training helps improve cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular endurance, it will also help build a buffer against fatigue. it's integral for any rider regardless of their discipline.
The gym sessions are based around improving your overall strength, using two of the major compound lifts; the bench press and back squat to focus the training. The other exercises are designed to increase strength in the major muscle groups that you use for cycling. Both gym sessions have 6 exercises per session and a core workout to end on. Having a solid foundation of strength will help prevent injury, allow you to work more economical and ride and attack harder.
Is this programme for me?
This programme is aim at intermediate riders and those with some experience in the gym. You should already be capable of comfortably completing a 100 km (60 mile) ride and regularly logging five-to-six hours of riding time per week.
Is this programme based around any zones?
The programme is based around your aerobic and tempo zones. This training develops aerobic power and endurance with medium-volume work, primarily through increased cardiovascular efficiency. There are some on bike strength sessions that will also complement the endurance training, when you build your strength in ways that complement cycling, you can reduce the likelihood of injury and improve your racing and riding.
If you want to feel strong on and off the bike and prepare for more intense training, such as power and speed, this plan is for you.
This test will allow us to calculate your training zones with a lot more accuracy and truly tailor all heart rate training to you.
This is basically the highest physical intensity that you can sustain for 20 min. When done correctly this test is extremely hard work, you should be in RPE 8 - 9. Ensure you are in the right frame of mind before doing it.
Although the test is termed a 20 min test, it is actually performed over 30 min, with the last 20 min being where the functional threshold figures are established. However It is essential you complete the full 30 min.
You can complete the test on a static bike or outside up a hill. If doing it outside you have to make sure the hill takes 20mins to climb, this will make sure you put all your energy evenly into the test without interruption.
Over time with the correct training and heart rate zones your pace at threshold will increase, so you will be able to ride harder (i.e produce more power), for the same heart rate. But first we need to see where you are.
Once the test is done please email me with your average heart rate for the 20min. We will use this to calculate your HR zones.
Email: james@highrisecoaching.co.uk
Active Recovery has been shown to help aid recovery, doing exercise at a low intensity gets the blood flowing and helps reduce residual fatigue in the muscle.
For this session you want to be exercising at HR zone 2. This zone gets the blood moving in order to help reduce residual fatigue in the muscles to repair and prepare for the intense activity to follow the next day.
Stay in zone 2 for the whloe of this session.
Optimal recovery includes both complete rest and active recovery.
This is a simple steady state session based around zone 3 HR or REP 5.
These sessions are endurance based, this will help with boosting muscular endurance. This session can be done on the turbo or out on the rd/xc bike. Just be sure stay in zone 3. Stay seated when riding up hills.
Muscel endurance is the ability to maintain a relatively high intensity for a long time. These steady state sessions are great as a training tool for events lasting between 3 - 8hrs.
This is a simple steady state session based around zone 3 HR or REP 5.
These sessions are endurance based, this will help with boosting muscular endurance. This session can be done on the turbo or out on the rd/xc bike. Just be sure stay in zone 3. Stay seated when riding up hills.
Muscel endurance is the ability to maintain a relatively high intensity for a long time. These steady state sessions are great as a training tool for events lasting between 3 - 8hrs.
Active Recovery has been shown to help aid recovery, doing exercise at a low intensity gets the blood flowing and helps reduce residual fatigue in the muscle.
For this session you want to be exercising at HR zone 2. This zone gets the blood moving in order to help reduce residual fatigue in the muscles to repair and prepare for the intense activity to follow the next day.
Stay in zone 2 for the whloe of this session.
Optimal recovery includes both complete rest and active recovery.
Active Recovery has been shown to help aid recovery, doing exercise at a low intensity gets the blood flowing and helps reduce residual fatigue in the muscle.
For this session you want to be exercising at HR zone 2. This zone gets the blood moving in order to help reduce residual fatigue in the muscles to repair and prepare for the intense activity to follow the next day.
Stay in zone 2 for the whloe of this session.
Optimal recovery includes both complete rest and active recovery.
Zone 3 efforts are especially effective when used on long endurance rides.
Interval sessions of 10 to 30 minutes allows you to place a large amount of stress on the muscles aerobically. Once you and your body are used to this session challenge yourself to work in upper zone 3.
This session can be done on a turbo or XC/RD bike, if doing it outside try and keep the session on the flat.
James is an experienced MTB coach and is one of only a few coaches to achieve the UCI Coaching Diploma. He has worked with all level of riders from complete beginners to World Cup riders. James is also a MTB expert tutor for the UCI, this sees him delivering their coach education courses all over the world to aspiring MTB coaches.