Hi! Excited to be training with you guys after a few seasons of muddling along and plateauing.
36y/o Cat 2 (UK) rider, skinny 58kg who struggles racing at lower national level on the relative flat. FTP currently topping out around 300w. I’ve bought your 16w weights + base plan to get my winter underway. Haven’t lifted weights for 15 years and hope it might be the unlock I need.
Question: do you think there may be any benefit in me extending any of the weights phases, given (1) I’m hoping the lifting will be a breakthrough thing for me this year, and (2) I’m in no rush to build CTL too quickly given I won’t be racing until at least late April 2021. To be honest, my goals for next season are probably going to be late summer alpine gran fondos and then the national hill climb champs in October. So would I be wise to play a more patient long game instead of hitting the sweetspot part of the plan when it is prescribed?
I started the plan on Monday this week. Great to have the motivation and new stimulus but wow did I forget what DOMS feels like!
This gives me confidence. I am also 36 from the UK and about 60kg and topping out at 280w so maybe there is more left for me.
I also have the 10 week weight plan and am in week 6. Not sure you should be feeling DOMs in week 1 but could be wrong. Sounds like making the mistake I did and progressing the adaptation phase a little too fast.
Hey, nice to meet you and good to hear someone else in a similar boat. Obviously everyone is different but I find it very easy to go from “unfit” (i.e. haven’t bothered with much structured training recently) to about 280, and then it’s progressively harder to nudge towards 300. Maintaining 300 (for me) is really tough, especially when you have a job and can’t live like a pro. I’d love for 300 to become my base level, meaning I can push for 310-320 as a peak / race fitness.
Do you race? My big frustration is that I have the snap and VO2 max to get in moves in hard races (hard for me being Nat Bs), but once I’m there I am literally hanging on for dear life sitting on the wheels of 80kg guys with 400+ FTPs. There’s no way I can compete with that outside of the high mountains. Hence why I am looking to build a bit of raw power through weights, even if that comes at the expense of putting on a few kgs…
DOMS - to be honest, it’s not really a case of proper DOMS, just definitely aware I haven’t hit the gym for a few years. How are you finding the programme, is it challenging enough and do you feel you’re getting enough riding in around the weights sessions?
I don’t race. Been riding 8 years and have found improvements from just riding long days. I started structure last year but have struggled to find gains so also decided like you to do a dedicated off season as a way to increase the ceiling.
When I’ve done the odd race I also find I can’t hang on unless it’s very hilly when it’s easy.
I do 10-12 hours a week but during this 10 week plan it is only 4-6 hours of riding which doesn’t feel like much but I assure you it’s plenty when mixed in with weights. (I’ve never done weight before in my life).
I am enjoying the plan mainly as a mental break from cycling and re energising ahead of structured base. Time will tell if it works.
So the U.K. is going into another lockdown from Thursday.
So much for my new gym membership and the weight training plan!
Need to improvise.
I am thinking of investing in an Olympic bar, and using it for squats. Possibly replacing ham curls for conventional deadlifts. And maybe throwing in some step-ups or lunges. I know that’s not FtFPing but these are strange times and compromises need to be made.
Really appreciate thoughts from one of the coaches if possible
Alternatively I could just do some general riding and postpone the lifting to start beginning of December instead (I’m still in the adaptation phase and the lockdown basically coincides with all the hypertrophy work)? No racing planned until spring at the very earliest. Thanks!
Gyms close end of Wednesday. I could potentially go and buy a squat rack, bring forward my 1RM test and do it at the gym before lockdown kicks in, and then follow the plan at home to the best of my ability with squats, deadlifts and lunges.
But it’ll cost me a few hundred £££, and I’m thinking I may be better off just riding til the end of lockdown and picking the plan up properly then.
So frustrating. Especially when I’m feeling so motivated. Can’t imagine how frustrated you must be being forced to quit the plan after 7 weeks.
I guess my next question is, if I postpone the weights and (hopefully) start then in December when we’re out of lockdown, what do I do in the meantime? Is riding lots of base miles a waste given I’ll be dialling the riding back to do weights the moment I can?
Sounds sensible for you. I guess whatever you end up doing, try and keep it reflective of what you were “supposed” to be doing in the weights room. Eg for power phases focus on explosive movements.
Listen to this podcast! It would help answer a lot of your questions. It is all about timing. There is no reason to double or extend the resistance training program. 10 weeks is plenty! You will see plenty of gains. You will benefit from getting in 18 weeks of sweet spot (base training) after the 10 week resistance program. At this point of completing it will be already May! Plus you do want to do any intervals or specific 6 week training plan before a key event. So sounds like starting now and with only 10 weeks is good enough.
Since you did buy the weights plus base plan that includes 6 weeks of sweet spot 2 plan after the 10 week resistance plan. You will then most likely want to do sweet spot 3 followed by a 6 week interval plan.
Hi @Jake, can I just double check one point with you please?
I bought the Weights + Base (Advanced) 16wk plan. This includes 10 weeks of weights with some accompanying MTIs and sprint work, and then it’s followed by 6 weeks of sweet spot. Is the 6 weeks of sweet spot the “Sweet Spot 2” plan, or “Sweet Spot 1”?
