Continental rider asking for winter training advice!

I'm surprised to see two days of squats/leg press work in the gym. Maybe things have changed in recent years, but when I was lifting even the hardcore gym rats were doing those workouts 1 day per week.
Also surprised that you hit a CTL of 130 off 13 hours per week. Was that by chance at the end of a stage race?

WIth numbers like that you should be giving training advice here, not asking for it.

Oh how I'd love to have an FTP of close to 300......

130 CTL was indeed after a week long stage race, but 13 hours was average. Of course I had weeks with 20hours. I also had many weeks with 0 hours because of broken bones! 🙁

In regards to the gym work, I think it is actually pretty standard today/here. Most riders I know go 2-3x a week but usually have an AM session followed by a PM spin.

Thanks for replies.

So the most striking thing is that you're saying your FTP is at 87% of 5minute power which is high, and you're doing very little VO2max to change what is a low 5 minute power.

I don't know what racing you're doing, which of course matters in any plan, or the nature of it or even when your racing starts. But at just a couple of kilo's heavier than you and with similar 5minute power I struggle to stay with 2nd cat races on 6minute climbs here in the UK - of course my 320 watt FTP will mean I'm likely in a worse place going into the climb than you would be. However I'd still guess that that is likely a limiter if that 5 minute is a genuine best.

Personally I find your plan stunningly light in VO2max work (1x7 minute a week) it may be that you've identified that your power at VO2max cannot grow any more, but given your current FTP / 5minute power then there's not much room for your FTP to rise either within that. I would increase the VO2max work.

Equally I'd do more than 30 minutes at threshold in the week.

And I don't think you're doing sufficient volume to consider a 3 week on 1 week off ratio, that's too much resting for me.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by SirRideAlot [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

My peak FTP was 380w at 72kg and 5min was 440w.

What kind of terrain do you use to test FTP and 5 min power? I'm just wondering if where you are in Europe gives you access to terrain that gives a different relationship between 5 and 60 minute power compared to what we see in the UK where we only have short hill climbs available.

@JibberJim thanks for the feedback. Interesting to compare numbers.

My coach (European) has a more traditional outlook and prefers to save the Vo2max stuff for the spring. I hate Vo2max (and prefer FTP) workouts, that might have been the reason why FTP is such a high percentage. I think last year I did a total of 5 Vo2max workouts. But then again, I often raced 3x a week. Vo2max was first my strength, back when I entered the sport after running, but now its probably a weakness.

I currently live in Spain and have access to many long climbs. All my longer rides are basically climb, descend etc...I have a tendency to ride at FTP on those climbs. In that sense I am probably incorporating more than 30min of threshold a week.

The racing that I do is mainly in Belgium, Netherlands. There are few climbs but I always suffer for sure. Climbing is definentily my limiter and would like to improve. The longer the climb the better I tend to do. Luckily positioning, like you said, is just as or more important than the climb itself so I can usually hang on or even take it a little easier.

So basically you think I should a) add more Vo2max b) add more volume/or replace the rest with a standard week. Which is better? c) add more threshold - but my plan definently understates that due to all the climbing.

@Stevel the numbers are from racing in Belgium or Holland. Like UK the climbs are short so for 5min its not a problem. 20min was from a test. Thanks.

I think if you're really doing more threshold then you're plan is not as light as it seems, but I would consider restating it into what you're actually doing rather than pretending a 3 hour endurance ride is actually 4x20 at close to threshold or something like that 🙂

Given your relative weakness for shorter aerobic efforts, the fact you haven't got a big opportunity to push the FTP higher (it has to remain a percentage of your 5 minute power and there's not much room for it to grow) then I'd do some more VO2max more - however the first thing I'd do is actually go and validate the 5 minute power reading by testing it - do a 5minute @5% gradient say hill and see what you get. Just to check that this 5minute/FTP ratio is reasonable accurate.

As to the rest week, I'd make the rest week more like a normal week with rests scheduled more when you feel you need them / your PMC suggests you might, but in general I think entire weeks off/or even at less than 75% of daily load average are not very conducive. The occasional very big week with the following week slightly reduced from your pre week load is more useful but not on regular weeks.

check out my blog at allanrego.blogspot.com. i am posting a multi part series on cycling specific weight training for force and power development.

Why are you riding your "endurance" session on Tuesday and Thursday at only 230 to 270 when you had an FTP of 380? Even if you'd dropped to 330 to 350 then your two midweek sessions should be over 260 watts. 230 has to seem like you're treading water, especially when it's 150watts under threshold.