What to do with more training time?

Training
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I’m a 57 yr old male (lifetime athlete in endurance sports: Triathlon: Distance Running: Cycling) currently with an FTP of 4.12W/kg or 318W @ 186cm/77kg). Currently I’m not not working, so I’m using my time off work to just have fun riding my bikes (gravel, road, mountain and occasionally the TT bike). Instead of working to a structured plan, I’ve been racing two cits a week (Wed 45min & Sun 60min), taking Monday off completely, riding the rest easy and doing two strength training sessions. Every two weeks I will include a hard 3.5hr group ride with 1600 metres of climbing on the Saturday which includes a benchmark 20min climb. This give me back to back hard days, which are great race preparation.

I’ve gone from an average of 11hrs riding per week and 600TSS to 15hrs and 800TSS+ per week.
Roughly increasing TSS by 10% per month since the end of October 2024. My FTP has increased from around 4w/kg to 4.12w/kg and I think there is still more in the tank. I also weigh more and have more power across the board from sprints to long endurance.

My question for the forum is, in the pursuit of additional FTP gains, if I was going to add two more hours of training to my week, should I add another hour or two of High Z1/Low Z2 to the mix, a third strength training session (Deadlifts: Squat: Bench press: Military Press: loaded Bulgarian Single leg squats: 5 sets of 6 reps and 5 x 60sec Kettlebell swings) or an hour of each?

Diet, sleep, nutrition and daily core exercises are pretty dialed at the moment, so I don’t feel there is much to be added there.

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Moar riding! :sunglasses:

The marginal gains from a third strength session are more marginal than the marginal gains from more hours on the bike.

I think.

3 Likes
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It seems like you’ve found a protocol that works for you, I can’t quite see if that is two or three hard days a week, but whatever it is I wouldn’t change it. I would gradually extend time of those existing sessions over two months to consume those two hours.

The primary needle movers are consistency and progressive overload, so cast an honest eye over the last six months maybe utilising plan builder to see what TR thinks whether you use the plan or not.

Id suspect that racing twice a week is going to limit progressive overload.