A Change of Plans

Last week's Lactate Threshold test definitely is cause for change in my training program. Learning that I was very high in muscle strength/endurance but low in aerobic capacity changes everything. Before I had planned on some maximum strength work and some sprint work later in the summer.

Now I realize that I need to focus more on aerobic endurance and power than anything else.

First off, that's going to mean watching my heart rate and power output a lot closer than before, making sure that I get in some solid foundation training. In other words, I need a little self control to go, as the old training cliche goes, "easy enough on my easy days and hard enough on my hard days."

My major goal for the next 16 weeks will be to build a solid aerobic foundation, giving me several benefits:

• increased slow-twitch muscle fiber strength
• increased capillarization of the muscle
• increased mitochondria count
• decreased resting heart rate
• increased power at moderate intensities
• increased muscle glycogen storage capacity

So, my next four 4-week cycles will look like

1. Foundation/Base 1: Bike: Easy endurance pace workouts, some work at ventilatory threshold (about 80% of functional threshold power). Weights: Anatomical Adaptation and Long Muscular Endurance.
2. Foundation/Base 2: Bike: Longer easy endurance pace workouts, more work at ventilatory threshold. Weights: Anatomical Adaptation and Long Muscular Endurance.
3. Preparation 1: Bike: Longer easy endurance pace workouts, some work at ventilatory threshold, some closer to threshold. Weights: Anatomical Adaptation and Maximum Strength.
4. Preparation 2: Bike: Longer easy endurance pace workouts, some work at ventilatory threshold, some closer to threshold and some above. Weights: Anatomical Adaptation and Long Muscular Endurance.

It's a LOT more easy endurance work than I'm used to in the summer. Usually when it's hot out, I'm sprinting like a maniac. When it's cold out, I'm usually trying to do a 2 hour workout on the trainer, sweating like crazy in a room with fans on and the windows open to stay cool. It will be nice doing that ride on a warm August morning instead.

Notice that I'm completely backing away from Maximum Strength. In the last 6 weeks in the gym, I've developed enough neurologically that the muscle I already have has the strength to leg press 720 pounds for 6 reps and squat 300 pounds for 4 reps. Given more time, I could develop that further, but it's not my biggest limiter. I need to improve my aerobic endurance; muscular endurance is a good complementary workout. It's still not easy. I'll be starting out leg pressing at 250 pounds for 3 sets of 50 reps and increasing the number of reps each week.....

As of today, I'm at 188 lbs and 26.2% body fat.