Hello all,
last year I have been spinning once a week in a group workout at a gym (45 min) and 2 days strength training (full body)
now that I joined TR i feel that it is tough on my body to add strength training as I need a rest day after each day.
Is one strength training enough in a week? do I have to focus on core and upper only on that day?
My second concern: now with a structured cycling workouts ( 3 times a week) what do I have to eat before during and after workout so I can help fuel my body appropriately.
Keen to learn from your experience
You could try doing your strength and bike workouts on the same day. that way you still get the same number of rest days
1 Like
I do 2 strength sessions a week, ride early in the morning and hit the weights late afternoon. Having a full rest day definitely helps me.
Nutrition varies for everyone, check the TrainerRoad blog for some great advice. Usually 60-90 grams of carbs per workout is good. I can’t tell specifically what you should eat because everyone is different.
1 Like
How much strength training you do is dependent on your experience and goals- both in the gym and off the bike. Generally speaking you’re better off focusing on one at a time, so it’s probably a good idea to dial the strength work back to a maintenance level while you adapt to the TR plan- that’s already a fair bit of work beyond what you’re used to. I would imagine 1x a week would be adequate to maintain for most people, but without too much experience all you can really do is try things out and see how your body responds.
I would second checking out the TR blog or some other resources regarding nutrition- it’s a pretty complex topic, and people tend to have a lot of strongly held views about nutrition online which can get confusing fast. At least in the beginning I would stick to the basics, and above all make sure what you’re eating allows you to perform and recover well, because that will get you 95% of the way there. There’s time enough to open that can of worms and get into specifics once you know a little more about what works for you. 
1 Like
One thing I’ve found really helpful is to plan my meals for the week. I know you’ve probably heard this a thousand times, but knowing what I’m going to cook for dinner every day really helps me to stay on track. If I try and wing-it I always end up feeling lazy and resorting to something unhealthier than I would usually cook.
Make eating to be healthy your first priority. This way performance on the bike will come by itself.
3 Likes
I’m okay with leftovers, so often times we cook on the weekend and I’m eating that food through the next week and possibly beyond. I’m trying to steer towards more varied meals and smaller batches – but I need to improve my cooking game.