Are these weights in kilos? If so, they’re pretty damn impressive, especially considering your bike fitness and BW.
Is there any new wisdom about how people keep lifting throughout the race season and year ?
IDK about new but I think what you have is about how to do it. As for the ‘keep weight as high as you can’ part, that would be with the caveat that it’s as high as you can while monitoring your overall fatigue.
One thing I’ve been doing is to have one heavier day and one lighter day. That way you can isolate the heavy lifting as much as you can from your harder bike days but the light day prevent the detraining as much throughout the week.
I’m currently doing this program that features squat/bench/DL 3x week but only 1 heavy lift per day.
So for example Monday would be back squat - work up to 2-3RM, and then the others 5x5ish at 65%
3 week cycles (65%, 70%, 75%), and the third week I’ll Peak instead of a 2-3RM.
You still maintain top end strength, and it’s easier mentally knowing the other 2 lifts those days are comparatively light. I use the latter lifts to refine technique too.
I don’t race but stopped squatting before summer for about 4 months, just to see my legs would feel better for summer riding, which is when I ride the most. I don’t think I’ll take a break again because I didn’t detect much difference by not squatting. Coming back, it took a little while for my legs to handle the load, but now I can squat and do a v02max/threshold session 24 hours later.
I heard somewhere the other day (not sure which podcast sorry) but basically you should think of leg weights (squats for e.g) in the same way as you do VO2 max or Anaerobic intervals in terms of the stress the leg weights puts on your legs. Their recommendation was, if possible, to do your leg weights the same day as your intensity efforts of those types. Usually those sessions are followed by a rest day or an endurance day so you’ll get the benefits of the work and the subsequent recovery.
I’ve shifted my training to reflect this idea to see how it goes. I ST 2 x per week with currently 4 rides p/w
If you want to lift (legs) and also be able to race and train strongly, I suggest a once-a-week maintenance routine as follows: Do one hamstring-focused exercise and two quad-focused ones. Warm up thoroughly then, for each exercise, do 1 heavy, 4 rep set, rest 2 minutes, then reduce the weight as little as necessary and do a 12 rep set. You are stimulating the neurologic/ATP-CP system and also the glycolytic strength system, but you aren’t do enough work to tire out your legs. Ideally you would then do whatever high intensity riding session you have scheduled, such as intervals. You’re not doing so much strength training that your legs will be trashed, rather, they will actually be warmed-up and primed for higher force pedaling. Mentally you will probably find it feels sort of comfortable to push with force rather than riding easy/steady. You also are doing your highest intensity work on one day so you don’t blow you easier days.
Im going to give this a try. I like how you are always lifting moderate weight and sprinkling in some heavy squats once a week to keep on improving that. Feel like this will burn me out much less than the Greyskull workouts I was doing.
I am trying out wukar for a bit as I seem to struggle finding the road load for in season. Only a week in but it’s light enough that I’m not feeling it the next day which is the goal. I don’t seem to be able to mix and match well with anything 8 hours and above
A year before you, I posted that “ancient version” link that you reposted, and actually own his strength plan (bought in late 2019 or 2020). Only 35 people used the link, and 2 likes. Such is life…
I’m sure that guide was updated in 22 or 23. He’s done a bunch of strength episodes since 2018.
Long and short for me was it broadly supported 5x5 which I’ve tinkered with but basically retained. I’m totally inconsistent since 2020 though, just restarted 2/wk is the goal light weights.
Modified and created my own plan, using his plan for inspiration. And now I’ve gone full-in on kettlebell swing conditioning + other kettlebell/dumbbell/band exercises, because 2x per week of something is better than flaming out and doing nothing. So far that has proven to be the best strategy for myself, in my early sixties and without a more extensive background in strength training and targeting 8+ hours/week on the bike.
I’m going to give this plan a go, starting with the adaptation phase of 2x week at manageable (meaning not 1RM) weights. Just getting the movements/techniques right. And as per the website, I do:
Romanian deadlift (upper body)
Barbell rows (up)
Close-grip lat pulldown (up)
Front squat (low)
Leg press (low)
Glute raise (low)
Once I’m through the adaptation, I think it’s 2x/week, 3x low reps of 3-6 reps between 80-90% 1RM. With the solid 2 to 3 minutes rest in between.
Next to that the mobility and core that I’ve been already doing for a while now.
Edit: from the 6 exercises mentioned, I rotate between them, doing 3 to 4 exercises per workout.
FWIW my most recent strength plan was written by Menachem Brodie and included with the 16-week BaseCamp 2023-2024 Winter Group coaching (https://www.joinbasecamp.com/foundation). I found it a better overall plan for myself, and the ScientificTriathlon plan being more appropriate for a younger athlete or an older athlete with decades of strength training experience. Specifically I view Menachem’s plan for Winter group training as a “Stronger after 50” plan (name from his plans on TrainingPeaks store), and more appropriate for someone like myself that started strength training after mid 50s. Also included in the group coaching plan are unlisted YouTube videos demonstrating technique.
For B race weeks I’ll do yoga/ mobility which I’ll also include some pull ups, push-ups w/ rotation, a few deadlifts and farmer carries… I’ll back track it depends how important the race is, if it’s my peak race I won’t do much more than some yoga during that week. For “C” races I’ll do what I would normally do during the week with no restrictions.
After 2½ years of regular strength training, I’m continuing to improve all my lifts and my sprint power. Before I started lifting, intervals.icu put my power over 1-15 seconds in the 40-50th percentile for my age group. Now I’m in the 80-90th percentile, an improvement of 200-240 watts over that range. My power beyond 60 seconds is unchanged.
I didn’t set out trying to become a sprinter, but my cycling interests have changed along with my weight (+6 pounds of muscle) and generally stagnant FTP. Mostly I love being stronger and looking better. I just turned 56 but I feel more capable than I did in my 40s.
Physically I’m pretty average by most measures. I encourage anyone who has an interest in getting stronger or just general health improvements to give weightlifting a shot. Middle-aged cyclists can still make huge strength gains!
