New Strength Plan

Work has been very busy this week, so I haven't had too much time for blogging. I did use my limited free time to work out my strength plan though.

I was initially just going to use the plan outlined in the Friel book with some small changes, but the more I studied the plan, the more problems I had with it. In terms of exercise selection, it's OK, although I think he uses machines too much. My real problem is with the overall structure as it relates to loading. I don't think it makes sense to be doing a Maximum Strength phase of lifting while in a riding phase that promotes high-volume, low-intensity rides. He does have you working on Max Strength for most of the year for some exercises, but just for maintenance. For most of the exercises though, he's got you doing low weight/high rep work. I really don't see the point of working on this extensively in the gym, at least once you've achieved some minimum level of endurance.

So, what does my plan look like? There are two components. The first component is a heavier lifting period using conjugate periodization during the Preparation Phase. Essentially, this allows you to do your most intense strength work with minimal sport-specific (ie- riding) demands.

The second component of the plan takes place during the season. During the season, we need to minimize time in the gym (or basement) so as not to interfere with the more important conditioning and skill work on the bike. My plan here is largely borrowed from Alwyn Cosgrove. In my opinion, he has the structured the framework of the workout to focus on the right things.

The points are:

1. Mobility, Activation and Movement Prep (Essentially a warm-up, but with a focus on loosening any tight spots.)
2. Injury Prevention (Work on any known weak areas. For me, my knees.)
3. Core (Everyone says that Core work is important, so why put it at the end?)
4. Elastivity/Reactive/SCC Training (Plyometrics and agility.)
5. Resistance (Strength training, 20-30 minutes max.)
6. Energy System Development (GPP, intervals, etc - will be optional for me)
7. Flexibility, Regeneration (Self-massage, stretching, etc. 10-15 minutes)

Progression was another area where my previous "plan" was lacking. I'm still not sure what is reasonable here, I may shoot for 5% load increases every 2 weeks or so; I'll have to get into it a little bit to see what is reasonable.

My first workout under the new plan is set for tonight. We'll see how it goes.