Why not choose aspects of lifting and cycling that AREN’T at odds with each other?
For example, maintain your bench and squat numbers, but try to get your deadlifts into the 400# club.
Then for your cycling, set wattage goals, not watt/kg goals.
1 Like
You may want to try and maintain one goal while working on the other for a cycle, which could be a month for instance. Then switching them.
Or try to do a Maintenance TR plan while you work on your lifting goals. Then once achieved work on your cycling goals?
I’m not an expert by any means, but I think that a lot of sweet spot / threshold work and lifting weights will eventually start to conflict. I bet that you could do plenty of zone 2 while lifting.
I guess it’s hard to explain. However, I’ve been active for many years and have a fairly strong base to work with. The way I see it, if I can be effective in my lifting training goals (not stalling, getting hurt, etc.) while being able to improve just 1% per TR program cycle, why not do that?
In the last couple books I’ve read (Hybrid Athlete, Forever 531) there is a strong correlation to being able to get some vo2 max workouts / hard cardio sessions in and increasing of lifting ‘potential’ (increased recovery rate from lifting, general cardiac output).
IMO TR serves as the ultimate platform to structured training and intelligently increasing my cycling goals. I say this b/c if I’m trying to improve by leaps and bounds, I can (intelligently) work a path towards that. But the intensity is a variable. I don’t have to increase at any specific rate. If I want to just gain 1% per cycle, I can aim that way too.
My lifting program is just as structured. I’m currently still hitting all my targets with proper planning and recovery. When (not if) I plateau or struggle to hit my targets, it’ll be time to re-assess. What applies to the beasts of the powerlifting world doesn’t necessarily apply to me. They’re in it to win it whereas I’m in it to maximize myself as a person with the acceptance of not being competitive against those who are single-threaded towards their specific sport.
1 Like
Just an update on this b/c I feel it’s relevant.
The further I got in to my previous lifting peaks (I have now surpassed my old PR’s), the harder and harder it became to sustain the level of work (even SSBP-LV) at the same time. Mainly b/c of the amount of recovery required AND the amount of good food I needed to keep eating was just substantial. I had a “come to Jesus” moment where I realized I was eating a TON (good stuff) of food and trying to balance lifting, work, family life, etc… was just too much to take on.
I have now moved to doing 2-3, z2 efforts and occasionally one vo2 max effort within the week. Since my goal is still lifting, I’ll move on that then as mentioned above, I can toggle as needed.
So for anyone who is considering going this route… just things to ponder as you move forward.
cheers!
2 Likes