Training program to increase power
 

Got a power meter, ready to get more powerful. I'm reading "Training and Racing with a Power Meter" by Allen and Coggan. It'll take a few days to get to where the actual programs are and I don't want to skip ahead.

I have good power, but I'm also tall, so my w/kg is not as impressive. Being tall doesn't give me an advantage the way bigger muscles do, so I need to increase power. I could lose maybe 5lbs before I'd start to look scrawny and the whole "pro cyclist" look does not appeal to me, so, power it is. I don't race, but I want to possibly next spring.

Are there any specific 8-12 week programs someone could recommend? I'm currently doing 2 days of weights, 3-4 days cycling, and 0-1 days hiking. I split my cycling between road, cross (gravel/light trails), and MTB. I'm not willing to not ride cross/mtb for the next 8-12 weeks, but I only have a power meter on my road bike. I'm guessing that'll make progress less ideal, but I'm not willing to give up the fun aspect or I'll probably give up entirely.

The trainerroad training plans are pretty good (especially if you are 'time crunched'), I think you need to pay for an account though (I think it's worth it). Of course these are geared towards using a trainer, but I think structured workouts on a trainer are easier to execute.

Hire a coach.

The sufferfest training programs are pretty good, but you use their videos for the really hard days. The outside rides aren't too bad on you.

I don't think I'm at that level yet... not willing to pay. I'd consider getting a second power meter for another bike but unless coaches are way cheaper than I imagine them to be I'm holding off on that for now.

I'm a litttttttttle hesitant about putting my carbon frame in a trainer, especially on HARD efforts. I've read mixed things about them breaking in there. I typically reserve my cross bike (not the bike with power meter) for trainer rides.

Doesn't sound like you're willing to fully commit, yet.

I'm not really time crunched, my schedule is pretty flexible, I just hate riding in the heat...

I recognize your name as one of the trolls from the component argument threads so I'm not sure if you're serious. I'm willing to commit, hence the $1k power meter. I just don't think I'm at that level yet. Down the road, sure, but I want to do as much as I can by myself. Also, I think I'll get more out of it if I have figured some of it out on my own at first instead of information overload from a coach.

Funny, I was thinking the same thing.

Anyway, if you really want to improve your road cycling you need to commit to the road cycling. Going to the gym during your training weeks will be detrimental to your cycling. Same goes for mountain biking since they are different disciplines. I could see working possibly cross into your training depending on what exactly you mean by cross.

Well, isn't that the troll calling the kettle, black.

GH

You're not going to break a carbon frame on a trainer, no matter how strong you think you are.

So you want a training program for 1-2 days a week? I don't know how long you have for each of those days, but I would imagine some hard intervals would make you 'stronger.'

If you are a strava premium member, they have training programs for download. I haven't used them, so I don't know much about them but they might help.

Honestly, just ride with your PM for a couple weeks and collect data. You can use it later. After you have a basic sense of things, like you can guess what ballpark you're in by feel, you see how jerky and erratic power is, how heart lags it, etc, then find your FTP and set up your zones.

Or, ride big gears and up hills. It's not magic and it's not complicated, you get stronger by working harder. That's why gym guys lift those metal things, they're heavy and it's hard and that builds muscle. You'll get the same benefit by riding hard; you could get very specific benefits and get them more easily and precisely by having a coach set up a training plan for you based on your current fitness level after reviewing your data, but it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I think it is going to be tough to find a program that incorporates weight lifting, hiking, mountain biking, and road cycling into it.

I agree with the poster above: ride hard, that will make you better.

Yep, I agree. Ride harder and you will get stronger...incorporate some intervals into your riding and make sure you give yourself recovery time between them. Also, make sure you give your body real recovery time between riding sessions.

If the goal is to increase your FTP on the bike, first skip the hike and lifting, and you that time, stress on the bike.

Then, ride 6 days a week. One of those is a recovery ride. Tu and Th are intervals, one weekend day is race, hard group ride, or intervals.

Wednesday and the other weekend day are endurance rides, preferably, 3-5 hours for the weekend ride.

Do 3 weeks on, and then one week recovery ( cut your mileage by a third, do 2 recovery rides, and the rest just endurance.

First week do one hour tempo intervals (90% FTP) second week 2x20 minute intervals at FTP, third week, 3x20

Second block, first week 3x20 intervals. Second week, one minute full gas, straight into 15 minute steady state, repeat twice, third week, same interval but 3 repeats.

Ever ride with other people? Some of my best progress has come from trying to keep up with people who are just a little faster/stronger than I was.

Third block, first week , 5 on 5 off, repeat 5 times, second week, 3 on 3off repeat ten times, third week one on one off, repeat 10 times, for a set, do 2 sets.

That's 12 weeks, you complete all that I guarantee your FTP will increase.

I'm not committed to road cycling, I would never race road cycling except maybe some kind of endurance race. Crits would give me claustrophobia. It's just the bike I ride the most so I got the power meter for it. If I raced it would likely be XC MTB stuff. The MTB trails are just 45+ mins away so I can't really do that on a lunch break and if I'm time crunched, I can go bang out 30+ miles on the road in the time it would take to just drive there and back to the MTB trails.

I just want to get fitness/power up in the mean time. MTB is fun for me and weights keep me from looking scrawny. If it hampers me then so be it... just want to do the best with the compromises I'm willing to make.

Merlin, what do you use for timing? Does your cycling computer easily set for different intervals?

Hardly ever... all my friends are either cat1 and WAY faster than me or brand new and I'm WAY faster than. The one or two that are at about my level either want to do like 8 hour rides (I get bored before then) or their schedule totally conflicts with mine or they have annoying cycling habits (waiting until trailside to see if their bike is in working order and half the time it isn't so the ride is ruined).

I'm peaking well into 1k watts (seen 1,400 so far) and I have yet to really even sprint since I got the power meter last week. Anyway, just saying I've read people using trainers to make cracks in their frame worse to get a warranty replacement. If it's true or not I don't know, I'm just cautious :)