This is a more advanced version of my 9 week plan and is aimed at those who have been riding consistently for 5+ years and are also competing but have taken an end of season break so are looking to establish a solid foundation before the really hard work starts.
This plan leads in nicely to a typical build phase, where we look to increase intensity and specificity of the sessions in preparation for early season races.
The plan is split into 3 phases each with 4 weeks with the 4th week of each phase being a lower volume week to help with recovery. We also throw in a sub threshold test so we can see how the progression is going. We want to see how the lower aerobic threshold is increasing which should translate to an increase in power at the higher end of the aerobic threshold.
The key focus is primarily building both aerobic endurance and also your aerobic capacity (how much power you can produce aerobically), albeit from the lower end of the spectrum. So unlike threshold and Vo2 max sessions this focuses on high Z2 low Z3 in a 5 zone model, or around your LT1 in a 3 zone model. We also sprinkle in some higher effort work alternate weeks just to keep all systems primed.
In addition to aerobic endurance we are also looking to build strength work into the program, obviously if you don't have access to a gym then let me know and i can give you some body weight exercises or if you have kettle bells or free weights at home then these can also be incorporated.
The strength work should be cycling specific, so mainly legs, core and a small amount of upper body. Remember, weight should be high and reps low, again please contact me for specific help on this if you are unsure what to do.
The last item to mention are the neuromuscular efforts. The main purpose here is to help maintain or even build on your neural pathways (nervous system) to help engage and fire up as much of your working muscles as possible. These are deliberately short in duration so as not to work your anaerobic system.
Hi, my name is Colin from Tried and Tested Cycle Coaching. I've been cycling for 15+ years and my primary focus has been on the road, both in terms of road racing and time trials with a high degree of success. I've learnt a lot in those years from reading and studying the science and from listening to others, that journey never stops. I still enjoy racing at a high level in the amateur ranks as a master and I'm now looking to pass on that knowledge and help others achieve their goals.