I feel attacked.
https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-gear/new-kask-helmet-makes-you-more-aero-by-tucking-your-ears-away/

Is anyone else lifting weights as part of their training? What does that look like for you right now?

I'm doing the advanced plan that goes along with Basecamp.  I was doing 5x5 stronglifts Oct-Nov.  The Basecamp plan is much better at managing fatigue for the amount of cycling I want to do, but 5x5 saw more lifting progress.  

Your plan should depend on your goals.  

I've been doing some free weights using 10 and 15lbs weights we had lying around the house, along with some pushups, lunges and core work. Usually I end up doing like 10-15 minutes worth after my cycling work out. Definitely not enough to get me progress in the lifting/weight training world, but I feel a bit stronger on the bike compared to previous years without it

I'm lifting 3x a week because I'm old, and apparently it's needed. Did intervals this am, then went to lift. It sucked, but it was doable.

@GregHoge Were you following a lifting program for the 5x5s? Also curious what you think of the Basecamp program. I haven't tried either.

Pre-pandemic I would go to the gym in the winter and work on core and some lifting. It's been hard for me to find the motivation to restart 

Just ran into the concept of Compound Score which if I understand correctly is your 5 minute maximum watts/kg * your 5 minute maximum watts (absolute)

Funny the study has been around for several years now and this is the first I've heard of it.

This dude is a PhD in sport sciences and teaches at Lehman University in the Bronx. His advice on proper squat technique is gold.
https://youtu.be/I7eR8d0cNQQ?si=-f9qdDDjINW4PEVD

PatrickGrehan said:

@GregHoge Were you following a lifting program for the 5x5s? Also curious what you think of the Basecamp program. I haven't tried either.

Pre-pandemic I would go to the gym in the winter and work on core and some lifting. It's been hard for me to find the motivation to restart 

The 5x5s is another name for the Strong Lifts program.  https://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5/  It's a good beginner weight lifting program.  I saw good progress over the 2ish months I was doing it this year and noticed a solid increase in strength in my say to day life.  I would like to get back on it either after Basecamp or after my A races for that reason alone.

I like the Basecamp program form the fatigue management and how it pairs with the cycling program.  Though I don't feel a lot stronger, but I do notice a progression.   

Thierry Bonnaire said:

This dude is a PhD in sport sciences and teaches at Lehman University in the Bronx. His advice on proper squat technique is gold.
https://youtu.be/I7eR8d0cNQQ?si=-f9qdDDjINW4PEVD

Squats & deadlifts don't pass the risk/reward test for me.

Jules said:

Thierry Bonnaire said:

This dude is a PhD in sport sciences and teaches at Lehman University in the Bronx. His advice on proper squat technique is gold.
https://youtu.be/I7eR8d0cNQQ?si=-f9qdDDjINW4PEVD

Squats & deadlifts don't pass the risk/reward test for me.

Well that's your opinion and I disagree.

Drew Dillman on related topics (first video is likely more relevant)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCcpVn_KZ0E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSxZ0CKlAX4

I like Drew Dillman's guide to lifting.  I've also found that doing strength training on the running days makes sense for my life.  

However, I don't see how I can just do squats as my strength training unless I invest in a squat rack for home use.  A gym membership is a bit much for just one exercise.  

Jules said:

Thierry Bonnaire said:

This dude is a PhD in sport sciences and teaches at Lehman University in the Bronx. His advice on proper squat technique is gold.
https://youtu.be/I7eR8d0cNQQ?si=-f9qdDDjINW4PEVD

Squats & deadlifts don't pass the risk/reward test for me.

As long as the weight is kept manageable and there is focus on form, both can be great exercises.  

GregHoge said:

Jules said:

Thierry Bonnaire said:

This dude is a PhD in sport sciences and teaches at Lehman University in the Bronx. His advice on proper squat technique is gold.
https://youtu.be/I7eR8d0cNQQ?si=-f9qdDDjINW4PEVD

Squats & deadlifts don't pass the risk/reward test for me.

As long as the weight is kept manageable and there is focus on form, both can be great exercises.  

Here is what I wrote with new emphasis added:

Squats & deadlifts don't pass the risk/reward test for me.

This is my 4th season putting in time with strength & mobility and here are a few thoughts from a 59-year old spinally compromised body. I've used Danielson's "Core Advantage", the 16-week FasCat Lifting Plan, and currently am a devotee of Erin Carson, a strength and conditioning coach to many pro triathletes. My kids laugh when I tell them that last year I lifted over 1,000,000 lbs!

-- My spine does not like back squats! They are definitely one of the riskier moves for me so I can see where Jules is coming from with this. The compression on my lower spine badly pinched a nerve and lead to painkillers, months of cortisol injections and PT (thankfully, I could still ride the bike). Front squats are much safer but still not worth the risk for me. I replaced with safe things like Bulgarian Split Squats and body weight Pistol Squats (use a TRX to alleviate back strain). With these, my quads got work and my lower back stayed happy.

-- Deadlifts, on the other hand, are a back-saver. I'm not talking massive weight here, so the risk is very minimal, but it's taken me 2 years to realize the benefits of this family of posterior chain-centered lifts. You can do an effective Kettlebell or Dumbbell deadlift (single leg, Romanian or bent knee versions) with as little as 15 lbs. The main goal is to use the hip-hinge to activate and strengthen your hamstrings/glutes, which will improve your power on the bike and make your lower back happy. It also happens to be a great lift for every day life when you have to pick up that Amazon box in the hall. This lift is less about power for me and more like a rehab lift that, with light weights, can easily be done at home. If you have access to a gym, a hex bar makes it safer for heavier weights. My current limit on weight with the hex is to match body weight, but it's not really necessary. As someone with severe spinal stenosis, I encourage everyone to pick their safest way to venture into this area (the single leg deadlift with a 15 lbs kettlebell is extremely safe  and will work your hamstring/glutes like magic). There are other ways to work the hamstrings/glutes (hip thrusters, prone leg curls) but I found those actually much riskier than low-weight deadlifts. 

-- As cyclists, our quads get all the love which creates imbalances that lead to lower back pain and less than ideal power output, sore glutes, tight abductors, etc. For this reason, it's important to find ways to work your hamstrings, glutes, posterior chain and decouple those hips, folks. 

-- Power with weights does not necessarily equate to power on the bike. I was regularly leg-pressing 600 lbs several times a week and didn't feel any faster on the bike (except doing sprints after the gym). My current approach is less about getting an intense workout and more about balancing things out.

-- I LOVE Erin Carson. I highly recommend her subscription app ECFIT that is $20/month and will change your attitude about gym work. There is a free trial that syncs with Trainingpeaks. Erin is truly inspiring and deeply knowledgeable and my current jam. One of her key points is that, as endurance athletes, we don't really need more hard work. Instead, we need to balance out the body to feel powerful on the bike. Her program is something you can do at home with minimal equipment and I'm definitely seeing results. It's a mix of short glute activations pre-ride, 30-minute strength sessions 2-3x week, Foundation Training and recovery sessions, which will save your back, hips, glutes, ankles, abductors, and brain all at once! She is highly conscientious about minimizing any risk in lifting. With a set of 3 dumbbells/kettlebells, a stability ball, and a mat, you are basically ready to be an Ironman Champ. 

-- Be sure to get adequate protein or you won't realize any gains from strength work. It's recommended 1.2-1.8 gms per kg bodyweight. That's like 3-4 chicken breasts per/day. It's a lot! I've gained 3 or 4 lbs this year from getting enough protein in combination with lifting. In prior years I got all the added fatigue and few of the gains by ignoring protein needs, especially as a geriatric specimen. 

My two cents...

Adam - this is a really helpful set of recommendations. Thanks for sharing your experience and tips. I'm going to check out Erin Carson. I don't really have the time or motivation to start doing heavy lifting in a gym anyways, so being able to do something at home that can address imbalances, strengthen core and include some sort of legwork sounds good to me

This is the machine I'm using for my legs. Don't know what it's called, but it seems to get the job done.

That's your leg press. Very safe!

AdamYaffe said:

That's your leg press. Very safe!

Not for my ego

Individual mileage may vary but getting into kettlebells for home workouts during COVID has been very helpful to me for home workouts. 

I found the secret sauce...  Use a Stages PM.

Haha, my 3iii puts my power at least 50 watts lower than it is, I should switch!

my stages reads lower than the other 3 power meters I own — i.e they are all ughish 

Gotta push harder with your left leg.

Mine will some times malfunction and start reading 10x the power I'm doing.  That's what happened here.

Not a malfunction, basecamp is just that good!

Spanish steak

Money saving trick for everyone using Trainingpeaks:

If you go to this page: https://home.trainingpeaks.com/account/athlete and press 'stop renewing subscription', you'll get an offer to renew at a 25% discount to what you'd pay otherwise.

Almost all online subscriptions work like this by the way, I've seen it at Blink, Spotify and Bloomberg too.

Hey All,

New member here asking for some advice on training. I was looking at the Kissena sponsorship info and started digging into the plans with Basecamp. Being that it was my first year back in NYC (and not having an indoor trainer) I didn't ride as much as I would have liked over the winter. So, I was talking to Kathy about training plans and she recommended I start with a base building plus to get back up to a solid foundation. I'm looking at the medium-volume plan. After those 12 weeks, I figure I'll try and set my sights on a specific event to train for with another plan.

Do you all think riding a base-building plan this time of year will interfere with group rides or no? I haven't ridden with y'all yet so I'm not sure what all of your rides are like but I'd obviously like to ride with the group as much as I can. 

And, just in general, do you all feel like this is a good course of action? I have not done any structured training before. I would just try and ride as much as possible in the past haha. I am open to all suggestions!

Thanks in advance!

Hey @Billy Mantani, I can only speak for my recent experience in doing the Winter Basecamp 16-week program, which essentially starts from base training for the first 6-8 weeks and then gradually gets more "performance" focused. It worked wonders for me, and I think starting with the base plan is a great option. Had I not done the Winter program, I'd probably do that myself.  

And without a doubt, the Basecamp Winter program prepared me for the training camp last week in LA. You will learn a ton about yourself and your riding with structured training. I was new to structured training in the second half of last year as well, and it's helped me in many ways. 

From everything I've learned in the last several months, Zone 2 and foundational training should be ~80% of your time on the bike. If you haven't done that kind of training in the past (or at least not in a structured way), you will likely see pretty rapid increases in your endurance/fitness if you also ensure you get the necessary rest/adaptation time in. 

Others will certainly have great and even more informed advice for you, too, but wanted to give an account of my experience thus far!