Strength Training During Mid/High Volume Plans

Hello all,

How do you manage your strength trainings during mid/high volume plans while you have other commitments such. Family, wirk, etc?

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Usually a 40-50min strength session in the morning, twice a week. And then trainer/bike in the evening, trying to fit it in on the easier workout days. It is a struggle sometimes…

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Personally, I wouldn’t couple ST with mid/high vol plans, and esp not in build or specialization plans.

ST tends to be an opposing force for endurance systems, so trying to do both at the same time, isn’t optimally the best thing, but it’s the best we have. If you want to do high vol, your best bet would be to do very low vol ST. But usually you want to do ST during base phase (much easier for the body to absorb both types of training) so you can use that new strength to help build endurance during higher tier plans.

Not only that, but doing ST during low/mid vol base will allow more time to accomplish both, so other commitments will be effected less than trying to do it along side high vol build+ plans.

I’m sure Coach Chad will chime in soon enough with a much more intelligent response for us all.

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I’m doing strength training 2 days per week during my lunch hour. Will keep that up during my base period. Trying to go heavy and push my max higher with 3x5-8. During build periods will go down to once per week at 70-80 % of my max, but looking to do 3x10s.

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I’ve been doing mid volume with strength training for about a year now. My trainer rides are always in the AM, then one strength training day comes on the one off day, and the other goes at lunch on an easier trainer day.

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I’m doing a mid-volume plan. All my rides I do in the morning before breakfast. I do 4 strength workouts per week the late afternoons or evening for about an hour in the 4-6 rep range. I do this routine year round throughout all training phases. Likely it’s too much strength work to maximize my cycling training, but I feel (and look) better doing it, so I keep it up. If I’m feeling a bit fatigued, I will skip the strength workout to keep the TR session. The way I break up the strength sessions during the week is:

Tue - Chest / triceps / calves
Thu - Back / biceps / abs
Sat - Shoulders / calves
Sun - Legs / abs

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As you progress through your season the focus generally becomes more about cycling and less about the gym. That being said, strength work still plays a role and should continue at some capacity throughout your season. Towards the end of the plans (Speciality) it is more about maintenance and restoration. Keep your strength work on your difficult days and use your recovery days for exactly that. And know that your strength training only needs to be a few key exercises, nothing more. Additionally, taking a bigger picture look at things can help. Strenth training is for life, it will keep you resilient and provide many health benefits cycling is unable to give you. And how to fit it all in? The odd bike ride missed rarely impedes your fitness. Strength training can be for 30mins, it just doesn’t have to be that magical 60mins or so. 2 x week is enough. Rid yourself of filler exercises such as biceps curls, calf raises etc. Focus bang for you buck lifts like squatting and deadlifting, presses and pulls.

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Strength training is key, even in mid/high volume plans. However, the frequency has to be compromised. I would be sure to give yourself one full day of recovery with no other training, so you become time limited. Chad has posted a good video about some key exercises, but here are my 2 cents. This can be done in 30 minutes quite easily and I would look to do 2-3 of this per week (no need to vary the exercises for a while - the length of a base/build/specialty phase is fine):

A1: Goblet Squat
A2: Push Up (session 1)/Should Press (session 2)
A3: Plank

B1: Straight-leg Deadlift
B2: Horizontal Row (session 1) Pull Up/Lat Pull Down (session 2)
B3: Pallof Press or Med Ball Rotary toss

Do each A1-3 as a circuit (i.e., do one set of A1, one set of A2 and one set of A3, rest, then start over at A1). Then do B1-3 circuit. I’d focus on strength 3 sets of a load you can lift 5 times.

Do a quick warm up to start:
Tin man march
Single leg deadlift pattern
World’s Greatest Stretch
Squat patterning
Should mobility movements

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Thank yoU all for your responses.

Definitely fantastic feedback.

Thanks again

30 minuts one the restdays

I recently started adding them in with consistency, just completed a great course on it as well. I do them on Tuesday and Thursday nights. (Wednesday and Friday rides tend to help with the recovery and my legs don’t recover fast enough to do them the night before a Tuesday or Thursday workout)

So ride in the morning lift at night on the way home before dinner.