Strength Targets

I've been doing a little more work with my Strength Training plan. One of the things I wanted to do from the beginning is to set some targets to work toward. So, here's what I did:

- Hip dominant and quad dominant exercises: I set this target based on my 5s threshold power target of 837W. Assuming no drivetrain losses and a cadence of 60rpm, I calculated that I'd need to apply 176lb on the crankarms. (Interesting note here, I use 170mm cranks rather than a more standard MTB length of 175mm. The conventional wisdom is that the longer crankarms help for mountain biking because they give you more leverage. However, if you run the numbers, I'd have to apply 171lb on 175mm crankarms rather than 176lb on 170mm cranks... pretty small difference.) Then I made some assumptions about how body weight is supported on the bike and during exercises and found that I should work toward using 95lb of external load for 1-legged hip and quad dominant exercises. A cadence of 60rpm for a 5s test means I should target lifting this load at least 5 times per leg. Right now, my 5-rep max is about 62lb (on a 1-leg squat).

- Horizontal pull and push: For lack of a better criteria, I used Friel's targets. 50-80% of my bodyweight for a 1 rep max. That works out to be 68-108lb. Right now my 1RM is around 50lb. (All weights for 1 arm.)

- Vertical pull and push: I used Friel's targets here also. 40-70% of my bodyweight for a 1RM. That's 54-95lb, and my 1RM is about 37lb right now. (All weights for 1 arm.)

So, I still have some work to do to hit these targets, but at least I have targets to hit now. I do think that my increased focus on strength work is paying off though. I'm noticing it this year on steep climbs where I really have to grind it out. There were a few pretty steep hills out at Yankee Springs that I was able to climb, even at the end of the race, where many of my competitors were walking.