and another day of 12-minute Foundation, skate, hydrant, band pull apart, and face pulls. Sometimes I’ll do the 12-minute Foundation 3 or 4 times in a week. Depending on how I feel, where I am in the season, and to mix it up, will often add other core/stability work like kettlebell swings, 7 way hips, Pallof press, renegade rows, and stuff from this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoVY_9j19hdpDmIQzkGGdx77IQd_Fd99c that my coach created a plan around (3 phases, 5 ‘days’ in each phase) and those 15 workouts are done 2x week over 7-8 weeks.
I fall FAR short of Dylan in terms of youtube game, race resume, quad tan, the list goes on.
Alas, I just made a video that might be a useful adjunct to his recent lifting vid. How to think about how frequently to lift, throughout your season, and for what reasons. Most of the video discusses the reasons behind lifting frequency choices.
@michelleihowe and I are formally launching this channel in Jan 2022 with the hope of teaching athletes some of what we know about how to go faster, or just enjoy training more while doing it.
Feel free to let me know that by comparison to Dylan, my video is cringe-worthy.
I’ll work on producing better more useful and more watchable videos in the future.
TLDW: if you’re a former bobsledder like me… rarely, if ever, lift.
It was a good watch, don’t be too hard on yourself!
I’ll just put out there that this off-season I’m following your lifting templates and have been quite happy so far (wrapping phase 1)! While the exercise selection is very similar to what I was coming up with for myself, I have neglected to incorporate proper periodization and progression for way too long. I really like how the intensity is ramping up while always remaining very sustainable.
Is there any benefit to doing squats over barbell Bulgarian split squats? Due to lower back issues and leg imbalances I much prefer Bulgarians. Is doing exclusively single leg squat variations detrimental in any way? FYI I still do bilateral conventional deadlifts.
Also interested in this. I’m wondering if unilateral work would be ‘better’ than bilateral, or at least complementary. Usually the sum of most peoples unilateral squats is more than their bilateral squat (bilateral deficit) - what are your thoughts @Dr_Alex_Harrison?
Yes, unilateral work is certainly complementary, but I’m mainly wondering if it is a genuinely suitable alternative i.e. whether or not doing exclusively unilateral squat variations is acceptable, or even ideal for cyclists. With a barbell across your back, you can move significant weight in a Bulgarian split squat, provided you can balance adequately.
I definitely would. They are a superb exercise, and that way you’re hitting your unilateral work on your ‘other’ day to your back squat, which will help with any imbalances and stability.
How are you finding 5x5? Scheduling strength training around my TR program has been a mission for me!
I’d surprised if one were leaving any significant cycling-specific performance benefits on the table by doing only unilateral work.
There could some shortchanging on the other benefits of lifting (bone density, core strength and stability) by putting less total load on the shoulders and the spine. I would assume the same to be true for neuromuscular adaptations. I certainly feel different after bilateral lifts than I do after unilateral ones., even if working in the same set/rep ranges. I’d be surprised if any of the above was that big of a deal since, as you mentioned, you can still put a fair amount of weight on the shoulders even when working unilaterally.
You’re right that the bilateral deficit does exist. But it’s meaningfulness probably exists to a lesser extent than most folks think for a couple reasons:
Assistance from other limb (as in a lunge or split squat)
In practice, folks find that single leg work is less stable than bilateral work. Instability negates (and then some) any muscle recruitment advantage.
The bilateral deficit can be reduced with lots of bilateral training. (It can be eliminated with exclusively long-term bilateral training, but that’s probably not a goal worth seeking).
The Hammer Split Squat machine used for rear foot elevated split squats, or a single leg leg press, might overcome the aforementioned, and make it worthwhile to do more single leg work than bilateral.
I’d still include bilateral because there just aren’t that many good variations on single leg work that allow for maximal recruitment of muscle fibers.
If training with barbells exclusively, walking lunges and maybe RFE split squats, or box step-ups in a rack, are about the only unilateral variants that make it into my clients or personal programming.
Yes, absolutely, if most of your single leg variations involve instability.
A stable surface and implement (weight) is required for attaining maximum muscle recruitment.
Training on stable surfaces does transfer to dynamic environments like MTB. Ironically, unstable surface training hurts maximal recruitment both acutely during the lift, and chronically in both sporting performance and lag/gym testing.
Thank you @Dr_Alex_Harrison. That is very helpful. So would you recommend one workout incorporating heavy bilateral back squats, and a second workout later in the week utilising unilateral Bulgarian split squats? Presumably, the rep ranges would ideally differ between the two?
I generally do both in the same session and just reduce set count.
Then the second day of lifting, I do both again, also with lower set count, but at a lower intensity (10-20% lighter) than day 1.
Light days serve several purposes:
Carry-over of the bigger stimulus from earlier in the week, to the end of the week.
Allow sufficient recovery for the upcoming week’s heavier days.
Allows refining of technique with slightly lower weights to promote technical mastery. Skills are learned best when various weights are used. This includes non-weightlifting things too! (throwing, jumping, advanced coordination and manipulation of any object).
Perhaps most important: they allow for higher velocities to be achieved in the “up” (concentric muscle contraction) phase of every lift which promotes a slightly broader spectrum of neural strength and power development, allowing for greater strength improvement in the future.
I’m not on a TR plan at the moment, I’ve been doing my own sweet spot and threshold progressions with 2-3 of those bike sessions a week + Z2. I try and do the weights on or before a Z2 day, as a 2-a-day in the evening after the bike in the early AM. I don’t find I’m sore from the weights but it definitely gives me the fear if I lift the day before a long threshold workout, the fatigue shows itself on those longer intervals (I am working to 60TiZ
@ Threshold)
(ignore the “optional” text. this was taken from a 4d/wk spreadsheet)
Day two can either be identical exercise selection, or similar movements. I usually recommend identical for the first 3 months of programming at least.
Good content! Thanks!
One remark: the audio sounds a bit strange in places.
And one question: what is the reason for quite inclined shifters in the video?
I’ve noticed that audio thing and hope to have it solved by the next 10 videos. It’s almost unlistenable to me.
Weirdly, I had another listener say that they loved the audio. (It drives me crazy and was high on my list of things to troubleshoot, so was blown away that anyone would say such a thing)
Re: shifters inwards: aerodynamics. Narrows the hand placement and forearm placement to be well within hip width. Should be standard practice for anyone concerned with speed, IMHO.
