Preparatory Phase

Having taken a short break from structured cycling workouts and slowly re-introducing myself with weights in the gym, I am now beginning a six month Preparatory Phase that initially consists of muscle development and low intensity cycling workouts, will lead into on and off the bike strength development and finally into cycling and racing specific workouts.

The break, or as commonly called the Transition Phase, was much needed.  The eight week cycle I put myself through over the summer after my shoulder separation to prepare for the Niagara Classic Road Race was intensive and as I discovered, more than my body was willing to take.  Cycling during this transition phase was enjoyable as the rides contained no structure; simply just going out and riding.  Gym workouts also began during this phase; starting with two sessions a week and increasing to four sessions over a 4 week period.  An assortment of exercises were completed, again no real structure per se, just reintroducing my body and muscles to the effort they would endure over the next 24 weeks.

The Preparatory Phase is my first structured attempt at muscle development so there will be lots to learn during this process.  As part of an annual plan or as commonly known as Periodization, my Preparatory Phase begins with three one month cycles (mesocycles) where each cycle includes four one week microcycles, three of which build from one week to the next and the forth for recovery and adaptation.  Each microcycle will include a three day split weight lifting program, three days of low intensity / moderate mileage cycling with some muscle tension and/or steady state intervals and one day off.

The weight lifting portion includes three workouts that are completed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and contain four exercises; one upper body pull, one upper body push, one squat or deadlift and one accessory / isolation exercise.  In the first mesocycle, each week begins with heavy weight, low number of repetitions and high number of sets and ends with a light weight, high number of repetitions and low number of sets.  The logic behind this approach is to lift heavy earlier in the week when your muscles are more rested.  As the week progresses, although the weight decreases, the increased repetitions and fatigue on the muscles ensures the workout remains challenging.  For each exercise, a different angle is used.  Upper body pulls for instance might include a chin-up on day 1, a seated row on day 2 and an upright row on day 3.  Likewise, at least one lower body exercise each week will be completed on one leg such as a Bulgarian Split Squat or One Leg Romanian Deadlift as these recruit a lot of stabilizer muscles. These ensure the body is challenged each day while at the same time preventing stress on the joints.

At the completion of each mesoocycle, the workouts are changed, weight and intensity is increased and new exercises are introduced to continue to challenge your mind and muscles.

In the coming posts, I will write about all that I learn throughout this phase.