Originally Posted by
carleton
I'm not saying the following applies to your coach or not, but there are a lot of coaches that rely on old "tried and true" programs...that actually work...for beginners. This is because for many beginners, doing
anything regularly will produce gains.
A beginner in their first season could be on a program from a top-tier coach or the Merckx "Race Lots" program and show the exact same progress. When the racer starts to plateau is when advanced techniques come into play.
BUT, a beginner can take advantage of modern equipment/tools IMMEDIATELY.
Old School: Thousands of Base Miles
New School: Short rides with intensity, spin bikes, trainer rides, gym, cross-training, OR base miles etc... (all have been shown to work)
Old School: Wide Bars
New School: Narrow Bars
Old School:
RPE (perceived exertion)
New School: Power Meters (actual exertion)
There are lots of examples of how the sport has progressed with equipment.
I agree 100% with you, just wanted to see if there was something I was missing. I gave up base miles 2 years ago, probably do 80% of my training either on the trainer, gym, or at the track. Intervals 2-3x a week with a recovery ride or off day in between. Gym it’s leg presses, deadlifts, squats, push presses, etc. my road bike almost never sees the outdoors anymore and lives on the trainer.