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Jun. 2, 2006
Q: I would like to know what kind of weight training I should be doing in the off season as well the beginning and mid season? Should I do less weight training during the season? - Rich Blair

A: Rich,

For a progressive in-season training program for both on and off the bike

please check out my article on NSCA's Performance Training Journal called

"Mountain Bike Training for Strength and Speed" via

http://www.nsca-lift.org/Perform/articles/050304.pdf

In the article I list strength and cycling programs for spring and summer

training and explain how to use them, together, appropriately.

Enjoy and good luck!

May. 21, 2006
Q: Hi Marci, In Friel's book he says that both masters and women will benefit from strength training throughout the season. I am such a master, and with the season on, I have now reduced my strength training to one time per week. But, I work pretty hard in that one session. And each week I feel the normal leg soreness (mainly the hamstrings) that you usually get when first starting to strength train. I attribute the soreness to the fact that I'm only loading my muscles like this once a week. The question...Since I'm getting sore with only once per week does that indicate that one day per week is enough weights to properly load my muscles and maintain (or gain) power throughout the season (as Friel suggests)? Because, sometimes I worry that the soreness may compromise the intensity of my cycling workouts. Should I just quit the weights and do a harder low cadence workout on the bike for that day? Thanks a lot, Dave - Dave

A: Dave,



I agree that lifting is an important part of a balanced training program, especially for masters age group and women. During race season you should reduce your lifting intensity to maintenance phase while focusing your power/endurance training on the bike.



I recommend lifting twice a week during the weeks that you are not racing and once per week during the weeks that you are racing. Your lifting program should focus on core strength and full body stability by doing lighter weight multiple joint or full body exercises rather than heavy weight single joint exercises. By lifting twice a week rather than once per week, on the weeks that you are not racing, you can reduce the intensity of your lifting program without feeling like you are losing ground. To do this effectively you must shift your focus to challenging balance and stability rather than heavy lifting via lighter full-body lifts with little to no rest between each set. This may help to reduce your soreness while also adding to your cycling program rather than taking from it via poor performance (on the bike) due to sore muscles in the following days after an intense lifting bout. Also whenever possible you should lift after (or the day of) performing a bout of intense on-the-bike training rather than a day later or a day before. In this way you will be able to work hard one day, both on and off the bike, and recover the next day by performing a low intensity endurance ride.

You will stay strong while also progressively gaining on-the-bike fitness for a strong cycling season.



Thanks for your question and happy lifting Dave!

Jan. 27, 2006
Q: In training for 2 hour-long mountain bike races, is it extremely important to train for the same amount of time as a race might last, or is it equally beneficial to increase intensity and train for a shorter period of time? - Nick Weinstock

A: Hello Nick,

Your training throughout the year should be broken up into phases that build up to race season. Right now racers in New England are typically in their base building phase which means low intensity, high volume training. This training can be done inside on a trainer or rollers, outside if possible, or with cross training such as hiking, cardio in a gym, or cross country skiing. Get in as much base as you can fit in and yet still adequately recover from. As the year progresses your time spent specifically on the bike will become more important and your overall volume can drop as your intensity is increased, in preparation for racing. During this time, spring and summer training, I would recommend that one training ride a week be as long as your race when the season begins and then in 1-2 months build up to twice as long, if possible. Long training rides can be done at a lower intensity saving your high intensity training for your shorter rides. Don’t forget to get adequate recovery between training bouts and also between races to ensure that you are gaining fitness as you go rather than losing fitness due to overwork.



Two things to remember:



Intensity versus duration

This means that the longer you do anything the lower the overall intensity will be. Keep your intense rides short and painfully sweet and the long rides nice and easy.



Overload + recovery = adaptation

This seems so simple but the key to gaining fitness is working hard enough to overload the system and then recovery long enough to gain adaptations. Lack of recovery is where most people go wrong.



Thanks for the question Nick and good luck with your training!

Jan. 25, 2005
Q: Hi Marci, I have read a lot over the years about proper training duration and intensities but have never seen anything that really addresses the issue of how a forty hour a week job plays into all of it. I am forty year old expert level mountain biker and work as a plumber during the day. My job is very physically as well as mentally demanding and I have to tell you, sometimes I have very little in the tank at the end of the day. I try to schedule my hard interval days on the weekends but I really feel that making training progress (especially coming out of the winter months) is much harder than it should be. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot. Glenn - Glenn Medeiros

A: Glenn,



This is a great questions but not one that is easily answered. There is ideal training and then there is ideal training for you and your existing situation and figuring that out is an elusive task. Current research agrees on the following definition of overtraining as an accumulation of training and/or non-training stress resulting in long-term decrement in performance capacity with or without related physiological and psychological signs and symptoms of overtraining in which restoration of performance capacity may take several weeks or months (Kreider et al, 1998). This very unspecific definition should give you an idea of the ambiguity of both the delicate balance of appropriate training and non training stress and also adequate recovery and how to determine when the line has been crossed. The physical stress of life and work is real although it can seem immeasurable and therefore intangible; but it counts and it must be considered.

There are many theories on how to appropriate your own training and one that comes to mind was suggested to me by a coach that I worked with while I attended graduate school and raced all over the country; he said “when in doubt, leave it out”. While traveling, racing, and trying to fit in studies, it occurred to me that if I used that adage I might windup not training for entire semesters at a time. So the bottom line is that you must determine for yourself what the best course of action or non-action is. You must be able to honestly tell yourself that if you aren’t going to get a decent training ride or even more importantly if doing so will compromise your health or your sleep and hence your recovery (all muscular recovery occurs while sleeping) you SHOULD NOT TRAIN that day. Highly competitive athletes work with coaches to get the most out of their training for obvious reasons, but I have to say it, I recommend that busy people who need to get the most out of their limited training time work with a coach. Get to know your coach and let your coach get to know you so that he or she can help you determine when to go hard and when to go home. A coach should build a schedule that is a progressive training plan that works around your life and is flexible to your changing needs. If you can’t work with a coach I suggest making the most out of your training by doing shorter more intense training rides on the days that you work (if and when you can fit it in, and make sure to alter the intensity based on your training phase) and then longer and less intense training rides on your days off of work (a good rule of thumb is to have at least one ride a week be twice as long as your typical race length). Also make sure to take one day completely off of the bike as a rest day, not a day that you help your best buddy move, a day of rest. Work hard, rest hard in both life and play.



Good luck!

Jan. 12, 2005
Q: I just recently got into single speed riding. While it is wicked fun, I'm concerned about effects on my ancient knees. Can you shed any light on whether pushing big gears will damage ones knees? Is this a good training tool as many seem to insist? - Rob

A: Ahh the beautiful simplicity of the single speed bike. You can’t beat it…unless you choose a more efficient gear ratio. And there in lies your battle, the most appropriate choice of gearing to allow for your most efficient cadence for your terrain; which is easier said then done.

During your outings I am sure you have realized that there are really 3 intensities of single speed riding. Too hard, low cadence that you can barely turn over; too easy, cadence so high it makes you want to curl up and take a nap; and the sweet spot which is just right. That sweet spot is the time when you are moving in harmony with your surroundings, your speed is high but your HR and power output are low making this your (you guessed it) most efficient cadence for that terrain. Since you are motoring along with such minimal effort you could continue indefinitely, while your time at the other 2 intensities is not only limited, but they could pose some problems. The too hard - low cadence intensity seems obvious, it is high tension requires lots of power output and will cause muscle fatigue sooner than you want to admit. But will it affect your knees? More likely your knees will affect your riding. If you are predisposed to knee problems, or experience pain during running or squats you could very well have pain with repeated bouts of low cadence, high tension riding. If you do, first check your seat position and make sure it isn’t too low. But generally the problem is caused by a weakened quadriceps muscle that isn’t pulling the patella across the joint in perfect alignment. If that is the case you can strengthen the muscle by doing a ¾ leg extension exercise in the weight room. If that isn’t the case or you are unsure, I recommend a visit to your physician. As for the too easy - high cadence intensity, while it will drive your HR up due to the rapid movement (which will eventually exhaust you) it is a low power effort and therefore you should last as long as you have the patience to persevere. So is single speed riding a good training tool? Heck yah! This is the best way to focus on the trail in front of you without nagging misfiring or chain-suck issues. So get out and ride, and if your knees start to hurt, go home.

Jan. 10, 2005
Q: Hi, i was wondering what your recommendation would be for a cyclists post weight training session recovery shake. Right now I've been using whey protein mixed with either soy milk or reg skim milk. thx m - matt

A: Matt,

No post weight training recovery shake necessary; that my friend was a myth started by body builders who wanted to gain weight. I think it was Hans…or maybe Franz.

As an athlete you should be consuming 1.2 - 1.4 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight per day (actually that is the recommended amount for an elite athlete, but I’ll give that to you since you lift and ride). Any more than that and it will not only be converted to and stored as fat but it will rob your bones of calcium and cause potential dehydration since protein requires extra water to be broken down.

I do recommend that you eat a snack after you lift, just to get your blood sugar back up. But otherwise throughout the day you should eat a balanced whole food diet of carbohydrate, protein, and fat. In a pinch if you can’t consume meat or you are a vegetarian you could occasionally use whey powder, but you would do just as well to eat yogurt or cottage cheese in addition to drinking milk.



I hope that helps!

Jan. 8, 2005
Q: Hi Marci I'm coming off a dreadfull year of broken bones, bruised joints etc. I just picked up some rollers to get back into shape / conditioning and would like a good idea of how to incorporate those into my strength training. I got to the gym three days a week now and use the rollers on my off days (about 2 days) but not sure the best roller workout to build the endurance and stamina back up. Thanks Corey - Corey Dillon

A: Cory,

To build endurance and stamina you need to build up your aerobic base. This will require consistent cardiovascular training of 30-60 minutes 3-5 times a week. Rollers is a great option but feel free to incorporate a trainer and even some cross training like elliptical, stair stepper, or cross country skiing to get you back outdoors. Anything that gets your HR into your aerobic zone which is roughly 60-90% of your age predicted maximum HR (220-age) is fair game and will allow you to increase your endurance without reaching bike burnout by spring. (Specific HR training zones should be based on your lactate threshold but this calculation is a good estimation for aerobic fitness so I will keep it simple.) Build up your volume and frequency every 2 weeks as your fitness increases and once you establish a base (in 4-6 weeks) begin to build up your intensity.

As for a specific roller workout for this time of year try rapid pedal efforts. Do 2-6 intervals of 2 minutes on, 3 minutes off. Your cadence should be rapid so if you have a comfortable cadence of 80rpm rapid pedal could be 100rpm, or if your cadence is naturally 100rpm rapid pedal could be 120rpm. Remember to keep the gearing light and your upper body relaxed and in good position while pedaling.

Another is modified stomp efforts. Remain seated for these while on rollers, shift up and pedal as hard as you can for 10, 15, or 20 seconds (depending on fitness and skill). This requires extreme concentration to stay upright, but your skill will improve and if you do these on every 5 minute mark your hour will go by faster than finding the SI Swimsuit Edition in the waiting room of your doctor’s office.



Good luck!

Jan. 8, 2005
Q: I broke my femur on October 9th downhill mountain biking. To try and stay in shape, I have been lifting on my own, only for my upper body. (I do lower body lifting at PT.) I plan on racing in late July, August... (expert dh/xc) it all depends on my leg (I am still on crutches.) Is there a specific sequence (regarding sets/repetitions) that mountain bikers should follow when weight training? - Kate Riedell

A: Kate,

It sounds like you have 3 different needs.

1. You need to recover strength and confidence in your legs to prepare you the upcoming race season.
2. You need to gain all over strength, flexibility, and stamina for cross country racing.
3. You need to build mass and power for downhill racing.