Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the ULTREMI Road Wattage Training Plan.

This wattage training programme is aimed at cyclists who wish to improve their performance on the bike. It has been specifically designed to increase the cyclist’s power output over a time period of 8 weeks. This programme is the first in a series of 3 eight week plans making a total of 24 weeks of power based training. By the end of the 24 week period you will have been taken through scientifically designed training systems that will enable you to peak for your main road race or sportive event of the year.

As with any exercise programme any cyclist who wishes to undertake this programme should consult with their doctor/physiotherapist prior to starting. With the go ahead of your doctor/physiotherapist, you should find that there are improvements to power output, sprinting speed, and climbing ability on the bike just at those important points on your ride.

In addition to this plan for increased power on the bike it is recommended that the cyclists also complete the ‘Core Workout for Cycling’ training plan and the ‘Cyclists Winter Weight Training Programme’ to maximise their strength gains with this plan. The ‘Core Workout for Cyclists’ and ‘Cyclists Winter Weight Training Plan’ is available at www.progressivecyclecoaching.co.uk

When to start the plan.
This Ultremi plan should be started 24 weeks before your goal race or sportive. You should count backwards 24 week from your main race and start the plan on the week that corresponds with week 1. Before week 1 you should have completed the functional threshold power test (FTP test) to work out which wattage plan you require. Your choice of plan is based upon your FTP and is vital for the optimal adaptation whilst training. Before each purchase of the next training plan you should complete another FTP test to see if your FTP has increased from the last test. If your FTP has increased then you should go up a wattage level for your next training block.

Functional Threshold Power is defined by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan in their book ‘Training and Racing with a Power Meter’ as

‘The highest power that a rider can maintain in a quasi-steady state without fatiguing for approximately one hour’ (Allen and Coggan, 2006)

Weekly Layout

Your Ultremi power based training plan is broken down into different phases with regular training and reduced training weeks. These different phases have different rolls and should be carried out in order, initially to allow your body to get used to the training and increase the efficiency of your muscles and overall power output.

The reduced training weeks allow your body to recover and adapt to the training you have put it through in the last training block. In this reduced training block you will find that you will recover from training both mentally and physically. During some of the reduced training weeks you will be asked to carryout an FTP test to reassess your functional threshold power.

What is this plan designed to do?

This plan is designed to improve your riding ability specifically your Functional Threshold Power (FTP), power to weight ratio, peak power at 5 seconds, 60 seconds 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and endurance capabilities. Basically all the physiological variables required for road racing and sportives.

Who should be using this plan?

If you have 5 to 10 hours a week to train then this plan is for you. If you have more time then I suggest you use the 10 to 15 hours per week and if you have a different FTP then you should be increasing or decreasing your FTP accordingly.