IT'S TIME TO GET STRONGER

Hi, Thanks for taking the time to look at or even purchase this plan.

This is an 8 week plan targeted at those who have limited experience with strength and conditioning exercises and now want to introduce this into their schedule alongside your on bike training. Or it could be that you have previous experience of doing some strength work but you've had some time away and now need to ease yourself back in, this would be a great place to start.

Over the eight weeks i'll take you from a fairly basic level, where you can explore your range of movement and also your ability to control those movements, firstly unloaded - i.e. without weight and then gradually as you become more stable and your ability to hold the right movement patterns improves i'll suggest adding in some loaded movements.

If you can try and get someone to watch you or even film yourself so you can look at your movement patterns. Better still see an expert for a couple of sessions just to make sure you are on the right track.

All of the exercises i prescribe in this plan are functional and will help you build not only improved strength for the bike but also for your general wellbeing that will help in every day life. This is especially important for older athletes who need to either maintain or increase muscle mass.

So what do you need to get through this plan.

- Time - ideally 30 mins at least twice a week. If you can stretch this to three times a week that would be the optimum
- Equipment - minimal equipment really but as you progress you will want to start loading the movements so either some dumbbells or kettlebells would be useful.
- Patience - it might take a good few weeks to get into the rhythm, also if you have limited flexibility and range of movement it might take a bit longer
- You should be able to do these sessions at home without the need to go the gym, however if you have access to a gym then that's great as you will be able to get into the right zone mentally without distractions.

Each of the sessions provides short clip of the suggested exercise using the Trainingpeaks strength builder - see - https://www.trainingpeaks.com/strength/.

The sample below unfortunately doesn't show the actual exercises i'll be asking you to perform so if you're not sure then please reach out to me and i'll give you more info.

However to give you an idea the following are some of the key movements.

Glute bridge
Side lunges
Reverse lunges
Single leg deadlifts
Goblet squats
and many more.