Well. I think i’ve got the weight right. I’m pretty wrecked.
120 squats, 120 leg press, 120 leg curl in 2 days. Absolutely cooked…but havent passed out or not been able to finish a set. Barely…
I mix a 5-3-1 concept with bycling / cardio / kickboxing
Intensity in general during exercises/sets: very high, in the key set focus to failure, keeping in mind form at all times.
If in deficit, strength parts of the workouts are done with less intensity and lower weight, volume parts less sets but always high intensity/focus.
The concept is to give the max rest possible to each muscle group/exercise type. So, shoulder is done in day 1 in strength, and we don’t touch it anymore until day 4, but in volume. We take in strength again a week after. Same applies for every main exercise, save some exceptions like dragon flags.
All heavy sessions of cycling/kickb/4by4 require 3 days to recover, so they are spaced out twice a week +1 light session.
typically about 20-60 minutes of bycling throughout the day every day, in general.
adding anywhere between 20-120 pushups throughout the day, spaced hours away from other workout
- (warmup first, dumbell devils every str day+specific to training)
- end of every workout: 1-3 sets of facepulls, done as instructed on athleanx (proper form is paramount here)
day 1-
shoulder press strength (week 1: to 5 rep max, week 2 to 3, etc)
example of how str is performed in 5-3-1 setups:
2-3minute break: 5x 25kg, 5x 30kg, 3x40kg, 5x45kg, amrap 50kg, if it’s well over 5 reps wait 5 mins and take a 52.5kg
Downset: Amrap with 2/3 of the last set, 37.5kg probably.
Chest Volume - crossoversx 8±amrap (2 sets) 1-1.5 min break. Amrap-2 on first set
Chest Volume - dumbells x 8+amrap focus on eccentric (3 sets) 1-1.5 min break Amrap -2 first set, -1 mid set
Pullups: 3x Amrap
Bicep type 1 (3 different angles, 1 angle per week of each)
- Dragon flags- 3-5 x AMRAP sets imbetween exercises
day 2-
Same setup, volumes are all 1-1.5min break, changed exercises:
Squats strength 3-5min break
deadlifts volume x 8-10 (3 sets)
hamstrings x 8-12 (3-5 sets)
Triceps type 1 (3 different angles, 1 angle per week of each)
- Dragon flags- 3-5 x AMRAP sets imbetween exercises
day 3-
NO strength/volume
except Bicep type 2
-abs varied type 5-10 minutes non stop (no dragonflags)
Heavy session Bicycle/kickbox/ or4by4 on ellips(10min warmup, 4x[4min push max, 2min break], 10min cooldown)
40min stretching
day 4-
Chest strength (3min breaks)
Shoulder volume- standing shoulder press 3x10-12 (55-65% of 1rep max)
Shoulder volume- sideways pulls? not sure what they’re called, 2x10 on each side
Seated Row x 8-amrap x 4-5 sets
Triceps type 2
- Dragon flags 3-5 x AMRAP sets imbetween exercises
day 5-
Deadlift strength
Squat volume
hanging leg raises
Biceps type 3
day 6-
NO strength/volume
except Triceps type 3
-abs varied type 5-10 minutes non stop (no dragonflags)
Heavy or Light session cycle/kick/4by4
40min stretching
day 7-
NO strenght/volume
Heavy if day 6 was light, and viceversa
light stretching/whats most needed
After about 3 months of “Level 0” kettlebell conditioning, I’ve created my new baseline conditioning/strength routine that is 30 minutes long:
Kettlebell Level 1
Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 1:57 PM
Halo (Kettlebell)
Set 1: 35 lb × 5
Set 2: 35 lb × 5
Around The World (Kettlebell)
Set 1: 44 lb × 20
Set 2: 44 lb × 20
Prying Kettlebell Goblet Squat
Set 1: 25 lb × 5
Set 2: 25 lb × 5
Set 3: 25 lb × 5
Set 4: 25 lb × 5
Kettlebell Swing
Set 1: 44 lb × 10
Set 2: 44 lb × 10
Set 3: 44 lb × 10
Set 4: 44 lb × 10
Set 5: 44 lb × 10
Set 6: 44 lb × 10
Set 7: 44 lb × 10
Set 8: 44 lb × 10
Set 9: 53 lb × 10
Set 10: 53 lb × 10
Set 11: 53 lb × 10
Set 12: 53 lb × 10
Romanian Deadlift (kettlebell)
Set 1: 53 lb × 10
Set 2: 53 lb × 10
Set 3: 53 lb × 10
4 bells: 12kg, 16kg, 20kg, and 24kg. The last one I do variations with 2 bells.
The previous level 0 routine I focused on consistently training 2-4 times a week, and perfect technique. I figure in about 3-6 months I’ll buy an adjustable bell to increase weight on swings and start doing some double bell routines.
Already seeing improvements on the bike and in body comp. This will become a year round routine to avoid losing muscle mass while navigating my sixties. Still doing hard workouts on the bike.
Wow that’s interesting. You’ve noticed a difference in power already on the bike just from strength training?
I’m hoping lifting weights…combined with more volume this year, will help me out of a plateau.
Difference in strength endurance, go harder for longer at different durations. The short stuff I haven’t worked on because my volume dropped the last few months and I’ve found pushing 1100W sprints for 5+ seconds are easier when I’ve got more miles/volume in my legs.
Oh wow. That is actually the opposite of what I would have expected…I can hit 1100 watts without really training…but threshold type power seems to evaporate if I’m not riding a lot
I’m not formally training any short sprints, my best 1-sec power over the last couple years tops out around 1180-1230W, but thats 1-sec 
who cares. At 5-sec I can routinely push out 1000-1050W and accelerate fast, but its mostly from the fastest energy system (PCr) and declines fast… by 10-sec I’m down in the 900-950W range and hitting 28-33mph from low endurance, say 15-21mph (wind dependent). Last night was playing around and hit 875-ish for 10-sec without trying, on tired legs, which I’m going to (right or wrong) credit to the kettlebell work (earlier on the ride I did a 6-minute pull at low threshold ~92% and only felt my breathing and HR pick up, the legs were fine). FWIW.
Anecdotally I’ve found after a year of doing classic leg strength exercises like squats etc, my seated force development going up hills is much improved.
Windwarrior. Thats a nicely laid out kettlebell routine. I’m tempted to dip my toe in the water.
Pavel and Mark Wildman are both giving their thumbs up (almost typed ‘smiling’ but that’s out of character for both😉). And the focus on each rep individually is right on; I recall a quote something like " in search of the perfect rep" on one of the podcasts to which I regularly listen – might have even been TR.?
Curious on your swing sets. Are you doing EMOM or some other rest interval? And are you doing single leg for Romanians?
I have a similar routine with some days swapping clean and overhead press, and more recently snatches, for the swings. I like doing those as descending ladders 5/4/3/2/1 alternating sides at each count for sets of 15. Also mix in some single side loaded carries (waiter or suitcase).
Love the simplicity of KBs yet the almost infinite variations possible.
What I most appreciate about this is kettlebell weights in kg, but lift weights in lbs - I can relate. 
EMOM for swing sets, or “anti-glycolytic” as they say 
Deadlifts and squats - in general I have issues with range of motion. So I’ve been slowly working on that, plus I don’t have heavier kettlebells. So I do a lot of two handed stuff which is 20kg + 24kg and then switch sides on the second set. Haven’t returned to single leg RDLs yet. And Farmers carries, I prefer to do those two sided 20kg + 24kg and switch sides on the 2nd set.
@Mdavidford logging with Strong app and have done a lot of barbell and dumbbell work in the past, so the app is tracking in pounds. I’ve got a couple Amazon basics 15 and 25 pound bells, as marked, and then 16kg (35lbs), 20kg (44lbs), and 24kg (53lbs) bells.
I cannot be certain, let’s just say I’m near certain.
Based on the latest strength and hypertrophy science, the routines many are posting here are excessive.
The correct advice depends on many factors. Age, training history, diet, sleep, work etc. It also depends on your goals. Is it health, aesthetics etc.
I’ll assume it’s to be a faster cyclist.
An example human
45y
5 years cycling
No real strength background
Job
Kids
Maximum strength sessions per week, per body part - 2 sessions
Anymore and it’s almost pointless
If you are doing this leg strength work while training cycling all week - 1 session
Keep it simple
In season, one full body session per week is ample.
If your goal really is strength above anything else. 2 leg sessions per week. However, your legs will be trash and you’ll absolutely need to reduce riding intensity. If they aren’t trash. You are not lifting heavy enough or doing enough volume (sets and exercises).
Basically, off season 2 sessions per week to make gains for 1 to 3 months.
In cycling season reduce to one session per week to keep gains.
No session on any week with a priority race.
If you don’t keep doing the strength training, you lose the gains.
There’s some science demonstrating that provided a strength session is of high enough quality, you can do this as infrequently as once every 10 days and maintain your strength. It seems strength is much easier to maintain than fitness.
Interestingly, that’s not something the average personal trainer bro mentions to their clients
Last year during offseason I tried 3 full body workouts per week Mon, Wed, Fri. While I made a lot of progress I was under recovering when the weights got heavy enough.
This year I’m trying every 4th day, for example Mon, Thu, Sun and it’s a lot better. Might not work for everyone because it’s not 7 day blocks and the gym days change every week. Done 3.5 weeks now and just starting a recovery week which I really need.
Dropped my cycling volume from 15 hours to 10-11 hours for the offseason.
1-2 hard workouts per week, not trying to progress just maintain.
That’s interesting. I’m sure my plan is one of the ones you labeled as excessive haha.
That said…this is a 2 week long block, I’m in the early part of my off season and really not riding at all right now. An easy 45 minute recovery spin here or there if I feel like it.
I started 5x5 up again about a month ago. I have to say the squat portion (for me at least) has to be altered. I’ve been out of compound lift “shape” but I’m only at 135 and my legs aren’t feeling awesome. Before cycling I was warming up with that. That’s fine as it’s not my main goal anymore but I do think it’s easy to do too much there. I’m goi g to cut it dow. To 3x5 for squats or maybe do them once a week instead. It’s a tough balance. It’s the off season but I still like to get 6-8 hours in and I find even that is tough to balance with strength (particularly legs)
WARMUP
5 mins rowing machine
CORE and Stretching - 10-15mins
Planks 3 * 1’30
Russian Twists
Leg raises a few other mat exercises
Weights
Barbell Squat 2 * 20
Shoulder Press 3 * 8
Leg Press 2 * 20
Dumbell Row 3 * 8
Bench Press 3 * 8
Week 6 back at the gym and pretty consistent with 2 visits a week. The second day is similar to the above but may drop or replace the leg work with an easier exercise depending on what’s coming up on the bike.
Think I have resigned myself to just riding Z2 until the year end rather than stress about trying to fit hard workouts around the gym. Currently reading Phil Maffetones books so going down the health first approach 
, or I may just be going soft!
Looks quite complete for a 2day a week. When the planks get too easy I’d switch to dragon flags (you can start by just cheating your way up, and just working on the negative on your way down). Requires a lot of will, but the results are outstanding.
For the squats I would take them in str once every 2 weeks (3 rep max, 3-5min break imbetween), I find slopes feel ‘‘lighter’’ when max str is increased, and also you’re then able to do the volume part with higher weights.
Hey here is a very dumb question.
How long does it take to get stronger when lifting weights? I did 3 weeks easy lifting…and now I’m a week and a half in to a hard 2 week block…and I’ve gone from 6 sets of squatting 135 to 6 sets of 185. I dont know if I’ve actually gotten any stronger…or I’ve just gotten more comfortable with weight on my back.
I guess also maybe it’s like cycling…noob gains? But is progress really measured in days/weeks, not months?