Essential Off Season Training for Cyclists

Off Season to Pre Season Training!!

Off Season Activities: 

1st Rest –

Take time to recoup from the season. Have some fun off the bike or on but ensure you’re relaxing.  

2nd Strength Training.. Take a Class through school or at a gym. Doing weight training for other sports is great.
If your looking for at home ideas and don’t want that you can try this type of program to help out. https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/strength-training-basics-for-cyclists/

You will build endurance during the season so don’t be afraid to lift in off Season.  Start light though and build to comfort weight, never sacrifice form.  Body weight lifting is safer and easier to do.  

3rd Cross Training – 
Do something different… Hike Run Ski

Lacrosse – Soccer – Track – Swim

As a Cyclist we end up with different muscles being used and it is hugely beneficial to do other activities to manage overall fitness.   Simply running can have a huge benefit for muscle and bone health coming into a new season or just recovering from a long race season.  

Pre – Season – Ride and Enjoy the Bike.  

Now on to cycling….. February to May

Don’t ride too hard early!!! 

FUN miles on the bike starting in February to May.  Don’t structure it too much if you don’t want to.  Easy miles build a valuable aerobic base that takes time on bike. We will have time to ramp fitness and strength.  Aerobic capability is earned with easy time on the bike.  

If you want something more you can find a fun event to do early in the year around June is a good time to have an early race.  This should help with goals to get out and ride.  Frog Hallow or early xc races leading into the season can give you a goal.  This will take you into the new season with a solid base. 

The Seasonal Roadmap – If you want more.  

Phase 1: Base & Strength (February – March)

Goal: Build an aerobic engine and wake up your muscles.

  • Monday: Rest Day.
  • Tuesday: Skill session (30–60 mins). Manuals, track stands, or cornering drills in the driveway.
  • Wednesday: Zone 2 Ride (60–90 mins). Keep your heart rate low enough to hold a conversation.
  • Thursday: Off-bike Strength. Squats, lunges, and core work. 
  • At Home Easy recommendation for Strength training:
    https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/strength-training-basics-for-cyclists/
  • Friday: Short Recovery Ride or Rest.
  • Saturday: Long Ride (2+ hours). Steady pace, exploring trails.
  • Sunday: Active Recovery (light hike or easy spin).

Phase 2: The Build (April – May)

Goal: Increase power and “punchiness” for climbs.

  • Monday: Rest Day.
  • Tuesday: Intervals. 4 sets of 4-minute “hard” efforts with 4 minutes of rest between.
  • Wednesday: Endurance Ride (90 mins).
  • Thursday: Hill Repeats. Find a 2–3 minute climb and hit it hard 5 times.
  • Friday: Rest Day.
  • Saturday: Tempo Ride. Ride fast, but not “racing” fast, for 90–120 mins.
  • Sunday: Technical Trail Ride. Focus on picking lines at speed.

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Depending on the timing this is an example training plan that you can start engaging with as early as April for those looking to continue to a varsity level.  

Phase 1: 

  • Duration: 3 weeks of build, 1 week of recovery. 

Weekly schedule (April–June)

  • Monday: Rest or Active Recovery (e.g., light stretching or walking).
  • Tuesday: Endurance Ride (Zone 2). Ride for 60–90 minutes on the road or a smooth, non-technical trail.
  • Wednesday: Strength Training. Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and planks to build overall strength and core stability.
  • Thursday: Endurance Ride (Zone 2). Repeat the Tuesday session to build aerobic capacity.
  • Friday: Rest or Active Recovery.
  • Saturday: Long Endurance Ride (Zone 2). This is your longest ride of the week. Gradually increase the duration each month, starting at 2 hours in April and building toward 4–5 hours by the end of June. Incorporate some technical sections to work on bike handling skills.
  • Sunday: Active Recovery or Skills Practice. Focus on drills like cornering, track stands, and bunny hops on a flat field or non-technical tra

Phase 2: Build (July–August)

In the build phase, you’ll add race-specific intensity while maintaining some of your base endurance. This block introduces higher intensity intervals to increase your power and anaerobic threshold. 

  • Duration: 3 weeks of build, 1 week of recovery. 

Weekly schedule (July–August)

  • Monday: Rest or Active Recovery.
  • Tuesday: Interval Training (VO2 Max). Warm up for 15 minutes, then complete 5 x 3-minute hard efforts on a climb at your maximum sustainable pace. Take 3–4 minutes of easy recovery between efforts.
  • Wednesday: Strength Training (Muscular Endurance). Focus on exercises with higher reps and lighter weight to build cycling-specific strength.
  • Thursday: Tempo Intervals (Threshold). Warm up for 15 minutes, then complete 2–4 intervals of 8–12 minutes at a moderately hard, “steady state” effort. Recover for half the interval time in between.
  • Friday: Rest.
  • Saturday: Race Pace Ride. Ride on technical trails that simulate race conditions. Include several efforts at or above race pace for 5–10 minutes throughout the ride.
  • Sunday: Active Recovery. 

Phase 3: Peak and Taper (September–October)

This is the final block to refine your fitness and ensure you are rested for peak performance. The goal is to reduce volume while increasing intensity to “sharpen” your legs. 

  • Duration: 2–3 weeks of peak, 1–2 weeks of taper.

Weekly schedule (September 1–October 15)

  • Week 1–2 (Peak): Maintain a couple of high-intensity interval sessions (e.g., a VO2 Max session and a Tempo session), but reduce your overall volume.
  • Monday: Rest.
  • Tuesday: VO2 Max Intervals.
  • Wednesday: Strength Maintenance or Active Recovery.
  • Thursday: Race Pace Intervals or Threshold work.
  • Friday: Rest.
  • Saturday: Race Pace Ride (Shorter duration than in the Build phase).
  • Sunday: Active Recovery.

The final weeks before October 15

  • Taper (1–2 weeks prior): Reduce your training volume significantly to allow your body to fully recover and prepare for peak performance.
    • Continue with short, high-intensity efforts to keep your legs “fresh,” but reduce the number of intervals.
    • Focus on rest, good nutrition, and light spins.

October 15 (Peak Performance): You should be well-rested and prepared to perform your best.