Will you become stronger if you work hard? The 4 stages of " periodic training" will help you make rapid progress
Following the previous article < 4 Steps to Understand the "Periodic Training Method" >, you must now fully understand the 4 stages of this training method so that it can truly help you achieve your goals. Each stage has its focus, and the training time is adjusted according to the goal. It may last from 4 weeks to several months. Each stage should take "achieving the goal" as the highest guiding principle.
Assume it is January now, and you have been eating, drinking, and playing around during the Chinese New Year, and then you can’t stand the pressure from your friends and sign up for a long-distance climbing event in June. Then your periodic training plan is recommended as follows:
Table of contents
- Phase 1 : Basic training period
- Phase 2 : Establishment/ Preparation
- Phase 3 : Peak and Tapering
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Phase 4 : Transition period
Phase 1 : Basic training period
- Type: Long distance & slow riding
- Duration: 3 months
- Intensity: 55-75% of maximum heart rate (maximum heart rate = 220-age)
- Goal: To handle 120-135km rides
The basic training lasts for 3 months, including 3 rounds of 12 weeks of training. Through the < Advanced Training Function > of the professional "bicycle computer", you can steadily increase the practice time and frequency. The secret to success at this stage is to gradually prepare the body and build up confidence to cope with more difficult training in the future. Start with an easy ride, then gradually increase the distance and speed, with a weekly increase of no more than 10%. Do not impulsively increase the speed and intensity.
Another reason not to be impatient is to teach the body how to burn fat, and the key to this is to increase the density of mitochondria in muscle cells. Mitochondria can convert fat and oxygen into energy. If you don't have a habit of exercising, your body won't process oxygen fast enough during intense riding, which will result in the inability to burn fat, and it will eventually become anaerobic exercise. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the number of mitochondria through training before the game to meet the muscles' demand for oxygen, keep the body in "fat burning" mode, and thus improve athletic performance.
In addition, the rest interval is crucial. A 4-week phase of training should include 3 weeks of training and 1 week of recovery. During the recovery period, you need to reduce your physical burden, relax your body and mind to allow your body to digest the results of training. Otherwise, you are likely to become overworked, which will affect your progress and even cause injury.
You can occasionally be a couch potato when you take a break, or you can choose a short and easy ride. This is where cross-training comes in handy; swimming, ultra-slow jogging, or playing with the Fit Ring are all good options. Gentle exercise has a massage-like effect, which can make the body and mind feel relaxed without falling into the dilemma of overtraining or lack of rest.
Phase 2 : Establishment/ Preparation
- Type: Shorter, faster, more climbing
- Duration: 1 month
- Intensity: 75% of maximum heart rate, then gradually increase to 85-92%
- Goal: To handle 160 km of hilly mountain riding
After basic training has established a certain level of metabolic capacity and physical fitness, the next step is to enter the preparatory training phase. At this time, you should maintain a lot of training, improve your aerobic capacity as much as possible, and enhance your speed and explosive power. The body must endure a series of hill climbs while maintaining a steady speed. The plan was to conduct a series of special climbing training sessions, which would be shorter and more intense than the previous stage.
The goal of preparatory training is to improve the "lactate threshold". The lactate threshold is the critical point at which the waste product of metabolism (lactic acid) begins to accumulate in the body, approaching the point at which muscles begin to become sore. We can roughly estimate our lactate threshold by our maximum heart rate. When you start to breathe hard and your muscles are about to ache, you have almost reached the lactic acid threshold! This means that the body can no longer supply enough oxygen and begins to enter anaerobic exercise.
This stage is generally between 85-92% of the maximum heart rate. This state can only be maintained for a short time, so the preparatory training is mainly maintained at 75% of the maximum heart rate, and can reach 85%, 88% or 92% in certain periods. During each training session, you should try to increase your maximum heart rate during these periods to improve your lactate threshold.
Phase 3 : Peak and Tapering
- Type: Continuous and fast riding, short duration
- Duration: 1-3 weeks
- Intensity: 75% of maximum heart rate, occasionally 85-92%
You can relax a little at this time. In addition to maintaining your peak physical condition, you can also recover your strength as soon as possible and really catch oysters and wash your pants at the same time. After all, if you train too much, you will feel tired on the day of the competition. It is not easy to find the balance. Even an experienced knight can make mistakes sometimes. Fortunately, if you follow the following two principles, you can basically achieve a perfect balance:
- Principle 1: Resist the urge to train for the last time with high intensity or long distance, as this will not only fail to increase physical fitness, but will also cause excessive fatigue and lose the big picture.
- Principle 2: Maintain training intensity, but reduce training volume by 30%, and reduce it by another 30% next week. In short, don’t train long distances anymore!
The results of your training should be demonstrated at your best during the competition. In good condition, your peak physical fitness may last for a month. If you are considering participating in multiple events, it is best to choose schedules that are close in time.
Phase 4 : Transition period
- Type: Easy riding and cross training
- Duration: At least 1 week, depending on subsequent events
- Intensity: 55-75% of maximum heart rate
Congratulations on completing the event. You have a week to rest. It is recommended to do aerobic exercise such as swimming or canoeing to give your legs as much rest as possible. If other competitions are scheduled for the week, you can take a short leisurely ride on Wednesday and Thursday. If the competition is in the next month, you can switch between the cycles of resting for one week, training for one week, and then resting for two weeks.
Numerous studies have confirmed that the above four-stage cycle training method is suitable for athletes with different physical fitness and various events. Do you want to be more comfortable in the competition and enjoy the fun of pedaling? So hard training beforehand is essential. After all, one minute on stage takes ten years of hard work off stage. Keep going, your body will never betray your efforts!