Help with my current training schedule
TimeToClimb
Posts: 7
Hello everyone.
I've been reading these forums for quite a while and could use some help with my training schedule, so I decided to ask here since I usually see good advice.
I competed in boxing for many years but stopped recently and got more serious about cycling (which I always did, just not so seriously). However, I still train 3 times/week (2 hours each) to maintain my upper body since cycling doesn't do much for that. I have pretty big arms, abs, etc, which I understand is basically "dead weight" for cycling, but I don't want to lose that and don't think it matters so much since I have a 4% body fat ratio (I always had my weight controlled because of boxing).
My goals are one-day road races usually between 110~150kms with mountain top finishes. These races usually have one or two mountain passes in the middle as well, but the winner usually stays in the reduced pack and attacks on the last climb, along with anyone who can follow. The climbs last anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour (usually the ones in the middle last a bit longer also since the pace isn't so high).
With this in mind, my current schedule is:
Mon - 2x20@100%FTP (turbo) in the morning
Tue - Upper body in the afternoon
Wed - Upper body in the afternoon (free in the morning)
Thu - 2x20@100%FTP (turbo) or 3x20@95%FTP (turbo) in the morning
Fri - Upper body in the afternoon (free in the morning)
Sat - 100~150kms solo ride with a couple of mountains if it doesn't rain. If I know it's going to rain and it doesn't on Thursday, I swap Thursday and Saturday. Most of the times when it rains, it does so on both days though, so I do the same as Thursday and am left without a "long ride" for the week.
Sun - Rest
This schedule was just something I made up, so I don't know how good/bad it is. I have a pretty weird work schedule so my training times are a bit random, but I made Sunday the rest day since it's hard for me to cycle that day, and the other days I just distributed according to my free time, one activity per day.
My questions are:
1. I have Wednesday morning and Friday morning free for a turbo session (1h30m max), but I do upper body in the afternoon. Can I still do a turbo session as well (if so, what?), or would it harm cycling/boxing since I'd be doing two different workouts in the same day?
2. I never know whether to do 2x20@100%FTP or 3x20@95%FTP. They both kill me but which one is better for my goals?
3. Is there anything I should change in my current training sessions or are the ones I made up ok?
My apologies for the quite long post, but I'd appreciate any feedback/help!
I've been reading these forums for quite a while and could use some help with my training schedule, so I decided to ask here since I usually see good advice.
I competed in boxing for many years but stopped recently and got more serious about cycling (which I always did, just not so seriously). However, I still train 3 times/week (2 hours each) to maintain my upper body since cycling doesn't do much for that. I have pretty big arms, abs, etc, which I understand is basically "dead weight" for cycling, but I don't want to lose that and don't think it matters so much since I have a 4% body fat ratio (I always had my weight controlled because of boxing).
My goals are one-day road races usually between 110~150kms with mountain top finishes. These races usually have one or two mountain passes in the middle as well, but the winner usually stays in the reduced pack and attacks on the last climb, along with anyone who can follow. The climbs last anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour (usually the ones in the middle last a bit longer also since the pace isn't so high).
With this in mind, my current schedule is:
Mon - 2x20@100%FTP (turbo) in the morning
Tue - Upper body in the afternoon
Wed - Upper body in the afternoon (free in the morning)
Thu - 2x20@100%FTP (turbo) or 3x20@95%FTP (turbo) in the morning
Fri - Upper body in the afternoon (free in the morning)
Sat - 100~150kms solo ride with a couple of mountains if it doesn't rain. If I know it's going to rain and it doesn't on Thursday, I swap Thursday and Saturday. Most of the times when it rains, it does so on both days though, so I do the same as Thursday and am left without a "long ride" for the week.
Sun - Rest
This schedule was just something I made up, so I don't know how good/bad it is. I have a pretty weird work schedule so my training times are a bit random, but I made Sunday the rest day since it's hard for me to cycle that day, and the other days I just distributed according to my free time, one activity per day.
My questions are:
1. I have Wednesday morning and Friday morning free for a turbo session (1h30m max), but I do upper body in the afternoon. Can I still do a turbo session as well (if so, what?), or would it harm cycling/boxing since I'd be doing two different workouts in the same day?
2. I never know whether to do 2x20@100%FTP or 3x20@95%FTP. They both kill me but which one is better for my goals?
3. Is there anything I should change in my current training sessions or are the ones I made up ok?
My apologies for the quite long post, but I'd appreciate any feedback/help!
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Comments
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Where are you racing? Wish we had racing like that here in the UK.
Have you done some of these races already?
Do you never do any group riding or chaingangs to help you get used to changes in pace that are typical of races?
Given the mountains I guess you want to be light as possible, so why all the weight sessions?More problems but still living....0 -
Assuming you haven't raced before I would try entering some (flat) crits and see how you get on. This will help you put your goals in perspective.0
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Yes, I forgot to mention I do these races for a few years now (three I believe). I just never won any. In most of the races I can keep up with the reduced pack up to the last climb but then I explode sooner or later (usually sooner) as the pace increases and everyone starts getting dropped. I also should have mentioned I do a few flat crits every year during the spring to get race-pace so I'm not concerned about that.
As for the weight, like I said, I understand it might be harmful but it's something I've done for the past 9 years and I don't want to give it up (I just gave up on competing, hence my new free time for cycling), so cutting that is really out of the picture.
Feel free to ask for more details you might need as I'd really appreciate the help.0 -
Fair enough. I'd say you were doing well off that training load.
There's no reason why you can't cycle and do your gym work on the same day. It's hard to comment on specific sessions or the sample week you gave - it all depends on how much work you can handle, how you progress and change the sort of sessions you do throughout the year.
Get a jacket or something for when it rains
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I've probably got a similar schedule but I do 3 turbo sessions a week (Mon Wed Fri) and try to do an hour at 90% FTP. Never a problem doing a weights session on the same day as I only do upper body in the gym.
Out of interest, where are the races? They sound great and I'd love to have a go at something like that.0 -
So I won't harm my strength gains if I cycle in the morning as well? If that's the case then, would I benefit from say, a tempo session on the turbo on Wednesdays/Fridays in the morning? Something like 90 mins@85%FTP? Something else?
As for the races, I've never been to the UK (meaning to) so I can't help you there. You'd have to travel to Spain/France if you can't find any.0 -
Maybe. It depends. Are your target races 6 months or 6 days away?
Do you ever train above threshold? It's not as simple as saying 'do x on a Wednesday morning'.0 -
TimeToClimb wrote:So I won't harm my strength gains if I cycle in the morning as well? If that's the case then, would I benefit from say, a tempo session on the turbo on Wednesdays/Fridays in the morning? Something like 90 mins@85%FTP? Something else?
As for the races, I've never been to the UK (meaning to) so I can't help you there. You'd have to travel to Spain/France if you can't find any.
My own personal experience is that my upper body strength has stayed good, but I'm not as bulky as I was, but then I guess if you're 4% body fat you're pretty lean as it is. I'm not looking to really progress with strength though, more a case of not losing what I've had so I don't put a huge amount into gym work, maybe 45 minutes per session.0 -
I'd like to peak 3~4 months from now so I'm still in a building phase. I usually train above threshold closer to whenever I want to peak so I'm not doing anything just yet. Does that help?Tom Dean wrote:Maybe. It depends. Are your target races 6 months or 6 days away?
Do you ever train above threshold? It's not as simple as saying 'do x on a Wednesday morning'.
Yes, I'm just looking to maintain as well since I'm no longer competing, thanks.phreak wrote:My own personal experience is that my upper body strength has stayed good, but I'm not as bulky as I was, but then I guess if you're 4% body fat you're pretty lean as it is. I'm not looking to really progress with strength though, more a case of not losing what I've had so I don't put a huge amount into gym work, maybe 45 minutes per session.0
