Best Sessions to pair with leg strength work

Training
#1

I’ve been using the sufferfest for about 4 weeks now and coming to the end of the tempo block.

I’m thinking about what to do next as I wait for the local velodrome to open up (probably 12 weeks)

I’m fairly new to cycling and will be completely new to track riding, however I have a long history of strength training and most recently Olympic lifting, although I haven’t done much since Covid reared it’s ugly head.

I’ve been looking through the plans and although all purpose road accommodates strength sessions which I could use to add in my own weights sessions, I’m not sure I can commit to the number of sessions in that plan with work and family life.

I was considering pulling together a loose fun plan where I pick a session each from my strength NM/AC and weakness (MAP) once a week to go alongside what ever sessions I find to go with two lower body weight sessions giving 4 training days a week.

So that leads me to my question, what workouts pair best with lower body strength sessions. I see cadence builds are put with a strength session in all purpose road but any other thoughts?

For now, lower body weight sessions will start light and build to heavier split squats, step ups, single leg deadlifts etc. I enjoy weighted leg exercises so wanting to do them comes from enjoyment more than anything else.

Any thoughts?

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#2

Any of the cadence builds or recovery/inspiration workouts should do. If you are following a plan with strength you’ll typically see yoga (activation or core or balance/agility) followed by strength followed by cadence builds or recovery spin.

#3

You can explore this thread, it contains some options.

From the Coaches: Adaptations to Strength Training - #38 by Juanale81

#4

Thank you, I’ll have a read.

#5

Hey … a classic pairing is Power Station after your strength work. It takes those tired legs and makes them work harder again at muscle sapping low cadence intervals.
Perfect after ruining your legs just before …

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#6

Yes, I’m thinking one strength session with cadence work and the other with power station.

Then add in ftp, map or ac work on my other two days depending on my current focus. If I have more time a 5th day endurance ride which I can be flexible with

I wish we had a plan builder on here. I think I’ll grab an old school flip calendar lol

#7

We were talking about weekly plans elsewhere recently.

One combination might be …
Get VO2 in early in the week (if week runs Mon-Sun then that’s be Monday after maybe a rest day Sunday.
Tue hit strength hard - STR work followed by PS or similar.
Wait a day
Do some ftp work (maybe more strength before that or do another big STR effort friday
Sat then fun day … ?

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#8

Certainly an option. I think I need to put it in paper as it will make more sense.

One thing I toyed with before starting cycling was getting rid of the whole week structure and just running two on one off.

But I like your idea. The weekend session leaves space to “play” with sessions that look fun knowing the ground work is done

#9

I have an adjacent topic, which I thought I’d add here because of the knowledgeable folks on the thread already:

On these days with both strength training and a NM-type bike workout (like power station or cadence builds), do you know if there is any advantage or disadvantage to a long break between the workouts (e.g., separating them by a one to three hours)?

I ask mostly because of time limitations… it’s hard to find a big block of time sometimes. I understand that with an endurance ride that this may not create the desired responses in the body. But with strength days focused on the ATP-CP and Gycolytic systems (I think), what impact (if any) would this have?