![\"Season](\"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/seasonplanning.png\")
<\/a>Set Off-Season Goals And Objectives<\/h2>\nSo you're looking to get your off-season started right.\u00a0 First things first: you have to figure out where you're going in order to plan how to get there.\u00a0 You can learn about setting season goals in detail if you listen to my podcast, “Setting SMART Goals<\/a>” but here are a few quick tips to help you out.<\/p>\n When athletes talk about the season objectives, I often hear them discussing specific races and event outcomes.\u00a0 This is a bit misguided: your season goals<\/em> are the individual events that you're targeting.\u00a0 Your season objectives are the overarching fitness objectives that you set during the planning portion of your off-season.\u00a0 Some examples of season objectives are “improve climbing endurance” or “increase VO2 max power”.<\/p>\n Usually, these objectives are set to combat the weaknesses you discovered during your season review (check out my podcast on Analyzing Your Cycling Season<\/a> for more information on how to evaluate your season.)\u00a0 These objectives should not only mitigate your weaknesses, they should also be in line with helping you achieve your season goals.\u00a0 For example, it doesn't make any sense to have an objective such as “improve power in my TT position” when your major season goal is a hilly road race or hill climb.<\/p>\n Your season goals<\/a> should be the first thing you build onto your calendar.\u00a0 Start by checking out my Season Planning Worksheet<\/a> and setting up your goal event dates and priorities. \u00a0These goals are the key to building your season plan and will direct your off-season bike training. \u00a0These goals will also direct your season objective planning more specifically.<\/p>\n Once you have your season goals mapped out, it's time to specify your season objectives. \u00a0As mentioned above, these are the season long fitness objectives you'll be building towards. \u00a0They are heavily influenced by your season goals\u00a0and should be seen as stepping stones towards achieving those goals. \u00a0For example, if your major season goal is a podium in a time trial, one of your season objectives should revolve around building functional threshold power<\/a> and endurance. \u00a0You may set one of your season objectives to be a 25 minute 10 mile TT test (or even faster, depending on where you're starting.) \u00a0Another objective may be to improve your aero position through core stability work, stretching and tweaking your bike setup. \u00a0Basically, look at what you want to accomplish and use your objectives to define the stepping stones to get there.<\/p>\n Once you've built your calendar out and defined your goals and objectives, it's time to look at your bike training program itself. \u00a0This is where you can really make magic happen.<\/p>\n Recommendation:<\/strong> Build out your training schedule by setting your goals first, your objectives second and organize your training around them.<\/p>\n Building fitness through the off-season isn't just about riding endless base miles. \u00a0In fact, most cyclists don't need a lot of traditional base training<\/a>\u00a0during the off-season at all. \u00a0The quickest way to build fitness involves the use of high-quality tools combined with a specific, high-quality training program. \u00a0When paired to your season objectives, you can realize big gains in a short period of time if you're being focused enough.<\/p>\n A solid off-season bike training plan will involve work on and off the bike. \u00a0You'll need this variety to keep your body guessing and continue adapting throughout your off-season program. \u00a0If you just keep riding your bike, your body gets wise to the stimulus of riding your bike\u00a0and gets more efficient. \u00a0Once it's “happy” with how it performs, it won't build anymore, so you need to jump start it with some variety.<\/p>\n Core strength and stability<\/strong> training is a must for a long duration season.\u00a0 During your early off-season, I recommend you start working on core stability<\/a> and strength<\/a> first. \u00a0These two key parts of your fitness will allow you to build any amount of bike training on top of them and keep you injury free and performing at a high level. \u00a0In fact,\u00a0if I could convince you to do just one thing different<\/em> this off-season, it would be to start strengthing your core. \u00a0I can say that you will almost certainly feel a difference once you ramp up your cycling intensity.<\/p>\n If you're puzzled about how to go about why you should start a core training program or how to do it, check out my podcast on the Truth About Cycling Core Strength<\/a> and take a look at my Unbreakable Core Stability<\/a> program.<\/p>\n Recommendation:\u00a0<\/strong>Work a core strengthening routine into your training program at least 3 days per week during your off-season. \u00a0As you progress into your base and build phases, taper down to 2 days per week in base and 1 day per week in the\u00a0build phase. \u00a0This will ensure you stay strong and stable throughout the toughest of your training.<\/p>\n Strength training<\/strong> off the bike is a solid way to get some cross training stimulus into your off-season program.\u00a0 Muscular force is one of the key components to producing power<\/a> on the bike.\u00a0 In fact, power is equal to the product of force times velocity, described as P(w)=FV. \u00a0Velocity refers to circumferential pedal velocity, otherwise known as cadence (which we will deal with later.) \u00a0To increase your power production, you can increase cadence or increase force (or both.)\u00a0 By including a strength component in your off-season training, you can increase the force production during the pedal stroke.\u00a0 This, in turn, increases your power output.<\/p>\n Recommendation:<\/strong> Focus on strength training exercises and programs<\/a> that complement the kind of muscle contractions seen during a pedal stroke.\u00a0 These actions are similar to a leg press or squat.\u00a0 Adding a strength workout two to three times per week during your off-season can compliment your on bike work significantly.\u00a0 Focus on exercises such as squats, Romanian deadlifts, leg presses, lunges and other posterior chain exercises.\u00a0 Don't forget to balance out some upper body work to help you control the bike a little more efficiently.<\/p>\n You may be asking why I'm covering base training here\u00a0since I did an entire podcast about it<\/a> in the past. \u00a0It's important because your off-season training program\u00a0overlaps heavily with your base training time. \u00a0In fact, much of your off-season will be considered “base training” because you'll be building fundamental skills that you'll carry through into the build phase.<\/p>\n In terms of fundamental skills, you're looking for a base program that relies heavily on sweet spot training, muscular endurance training, and neuromuscular coordination drills. \u00a0You'll also want to get in some VO2 ma work to help raise that aerobic ceiling and break up the monotony of your training a little bit.<\/p>\n Sweetspot training<\/strong>\u00a0(or SST) is the perfect way to build aerobic endurance and increases\u00a0a whole host of physiological parameters. \u00a0I've talked about sweet spot training a lot in the past<\/a>, but it's worth discussing again. \u00a0Sweet spot training increases plasma volume, which in turn increases stroke volume from the heart. \u00a0This means more red blood cells are pushed through your working muscles during exercise, dropping off precious oxygen you need to produce power. \u00a0SST builds mitochondrial enzyme density to help make your muscle cells more efficient at processing that oxygen that comes with the increase in stroke volume. \u00a0Your body will also increase muscle glycogen storage and fatty acid storage to use as aerobic fuel. \u00a0All of these combine to deliver an increase in lactate threshold or functional threshold power (depending on how you're measuring your progress<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Muscular endurance<\/strong> training (or ME) is one of the absolute cornerstones of a good off-season bike training program. \u00a0It's also important to be able to handle the difficult intervals of a focused build phase. \u00a0But what is muscular endurance exactly? \u00a0I've talked about it before (here<\/a> and here<\/a>) but let's recap: ME work is the key to creating a strong, fatigue resistant base of cycling fitness.<\/p>\n When the muscle expends its available fuel stores and metabolic resources but is asked to continue working, cramping and fatigue sets in. \u00a0In order to prevent this, repeatedly forcing the muscle to contract under load will create adaptations that include increased muscle glycogen and fatty acid storage as well as neuromuscular adaptations that result in fatigue and cramping resistance. \u00a0One of my favorite ways to make your training more efficient is to combine your sweetspot and muscular endurance training together in a single interval.<\/p>\n Neuromuscular capacity<\/strong> is one of the best ways to build efficiency and create improvements in your fitness without raising your functional threshold power or VO2 max capacity. \u00a0How can you get faster without increasing your power output? \u00a0Easy, efficiency is the answer. \u00a0Neuromuscular capacity is the ability of your nervous system to talk to your muscles.<\/p>\n Each and every muscle is comprised of a whole bunch of muscle fibers, which are organized into bundles called “fascicles.” \u00a0When you want to move your legs, your brain sends a signal to your muscles asking a whole bunch of those fascicles to contract at about the same time to move your joints. \u00a0The first few times you pedal a bike, those contractions are pretty uncoordinated. \u00a0When your muscle fascicles don't contract together, they end up fighting each other a little bit, resulting in some lost efficiency. \u00a0You actually lose potential power because your muscles don't work together very well.<\/p>\n Training with neuromuscular intervals will help you improve your efficiency. \u00a0This increases the amount of power you can put to the pedals during later interval training.<\/p>\n Most of the time, you'll hear that you should avoid high-intensity work during the base phase. \u00a0Different people will point to the risk of burnout from high-intensity work too early in the season. \u00a0If you have planned your season properly, you won't burn out on 1 day per week of high-intensity work during the base phase, so don't sweat it.<\/p>\n Recommendation:<\/strong>\u00a0During the base phase, you'll want to focus on muscular endurance, SST, and neuromuscular training. \u00a0ME and SST intervals should be on your schedule 2-3 times per week. \u00a0Neuromuscular training should be on your calendar 2-3 times per week at differing intensities. \u00a0You should include short high-intensity VO2 max work 1-2 times per week (depending on what part of the base phase you're in.)<\/p>\n Once you have your goals and objectives set and your training plan in place, it's time to execute it.<\/p>\n Off-season and base phase training can be monotonous and boring. \u00a0It sometimes involves hours inside lifting weights and riding on the trainer. \u00a0There are a couple of options that can help make those indoor hours more interesting. \u00a0Here, I'll focus on bike training tools that will help you get the most out of your indoor training.<\/p>\n I've done a couple posts on Zwift in the past. \u00a0I've talked about muscular endurance training with Zwift<\/a>, the Zwift workout builder<\/a>, Fartlek training with Zwift<\/a>\u00a0and how to roll climbs in Zwift<\/a>. \u00a0The nice thing about using Zwift for some of your indoor training is the interactive aspect it brings. \u00a0You don't have to toil away in your living room alone. \u00a0You can ride with virtual partners around the world. \u00a0You can even jump into a race if you want to test your fitness at some point.<\/p>\n On the downside, Zwift does have the potential to drag you away from your daily workout objectives. \u00a0If you aren't careful, you may find yourself chasing a random wheel. \u00a0Suddenly, you're over your target heart rate or power zone and missing the point of your workout. \u00a0Following a workout in the workout builder makes this much less likely, but it also waters down the major selling point of Zwift itself. \u00a0Use frequently, but be smart about it.<\/p>\n Trainers are essential to your indoor training. \u00a0While you can get away with a single trainer for all of your indoor training needs, some trainers are better than others. \u00a0For muscular endurance and VO2 intervals, you'll want to consider a true stationary trainer. \u00a0Why? \u00a0The solid attachment between the rear axle and the frame of the trainer creates a very solid unit. \u00a0You can easily hammer without fear of falling over like you may on rollers. \u00a0Plus, you can get some really high resistances on fluid trainer units that you can't get on rollers.<\/p>\n Recently, direct drive trainers have become all the rage. \u00a0These direct drive units actually forgo the usual friction drum for the rear wheel. \u00a0They mount a cassette directly to the resistance unit and you mount the bike on the cassette. \u00a0This makes it a super stable platform for doing high-intensity intervals because there's no tire to slip. \u00a0On the downside, they can be very expensive and quite bulky.<\/p>\n If you're looking for a trainer recommendation, I have used the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine fluid trainer<\/a> for years. \u00a0If you're looking to go direct drive but not break the bank, I love the Elite Turbo Muin Smart B+ trainer<\/a>. \u00a0If you're on a budget, you can get a really nice Cyclops Magneto Trainer<\/a> for about half of the Kurt Kinetic.<\/p>\n For neuromuscular development, nothing beats a good set of rollers. \u00a0Being free floating on the drums forces you to be smooth and fluid. \u00a0You learn how to relax the upper body and smooth out your pedal stroke and stay on target. \u00a0There are few better ways to develop neuromuscular skills and a buttery smooth pedal stroke. \u00a0If you're interested in adding a set to your training tools, I love the Kinetic Z rollers<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you're going to train and work towards fitness goals, you'll need a way to quantify the training you're doing. \u00a0Building fitness is much easier when you have a set of tools to measure your fitness gains with. \u00a0In reality, if you're not measuring what you do, all your training is a shot in the dark.<\/p>\n You'll definitely need a way to record your bike training. \u00a0I personally love the Garmin Edge 520<\/a>. \u00a0It's compact, simple and has a ton of features. \u00a0Aside from the usual power metrics, you can download apps from Garmin to expand the 520s capabilities. \u00a0Two of my favorites are the CPScience app<\/a> and the Skiba W' balance app<\/a>. \u00a0Both of them are very helpful in executing high-quality VO2 Max intervals<\/a> so you know when you're training in a depleted state.<\/p>\n To use any of those fancy metrics, you'll need a power measuring device. \u00a0Training with power<\/a> has been discussed before. \u00a0To put it bluntly, training with functional threshold power<\/a>\u00a0is the most reliable and objective way to measure improvements. \u00a0I've always been a huge fan of Stages Power Meters<\/a> for their simplicity and ease of use (you can check out my review here<\/a>). \u00a0Recently, the guys over at Power Meter City<\/a> have jumped into the market. \u00a0They have quite a few lines of power meters for every budget and shouldn't be overlooked.<\/p>\n With the tips and tools I've given you, your off-season bike training should be much simpler. \u00a0Don't forget to go back to your fundamentals. \u00a0Build core strength and stability off the bike. \u00a0Hit the gym or do some bodyweight training to build strength off the bike. \u00a0Focus on muscular endurance and sweetspot training to build up your base of fitness. \u00a0Mix in plenty of neuromuscular drills and the occasional day of high-intensity work to round it out. \u00a0Before you know it, you'll be watching your fitness rise and your objectives will be in touching distance.<\/p>\n If you're having any trouble figuring out your training, shoot me an email<\/a>. \u00a0If you just want it all put together for you, check out my Full Season Training Solution<\/a> and Advanced Full Season Training Solution<\/a>. \u00a0If you have very specific goals and objectives, take a look at all of my downloadable training programs<\/a> and pick up something to help you reach those goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Got goals? Check out these training tips, equipment recommendations, and tools to help you build the perfect off-season bike training program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,25,52,38],"tags":[175,137,162,206,68],"yst_prominent_words":[281,1061,269,280,215,271,282,276,278,284,270,277,272,275,274,279,268,273,225,283],"wppr_data":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/The-Definitive-Guide-to.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10314"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10314"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11359,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10314\/revisions\/11359"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10314"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=10314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Season goals and season objectives are not the same things!<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Set your specific season goals and objectives<\/h3>\nBuild Towards Your Goals With A Variety Of Bike Training\u00a0Programs<\/h2>\n
What does a good off-season training plan look like?<\/h3>\n
<\/a>What does a good base training program look like?<\/h3>\n<\/a>VO2 max capacity<\/strong> is the final major tool in your off-season\/base training toolbox. \u00a0I've talked about how\u00a0raising your fitness ceiling<\/a> is one of the main goals of your training. \u00a0Starting in the base phase will give you an extra jump on your build phase goals. \u00a0Adding VO2 Max intervals<\/a> to your base training will allow you to realize bigger functional threshold power gains later on.<\/p>\nMy Personally Recommended Tools To Help You Meet Your Objectives And Goals<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Zwift<\/h3>\nStationary trainers and rollers<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Tools to help you quantify your training<\/h3>\nWrapping It All Up<\/h2>\n