Even if you’re in maintenance mode right now, it’s a great idea to find a plan that will allow you to improve your overall fitness and be ready for the goals that will eventually come back. Without structure, it’s easy to fall into skipping workouts, former bad habits like going big one day and being exhausted for a week after, ignoring strength or mobility, and generally being unfocused on how to get stronger, better and faster. A plan doesn’t have to take you to race day right away—now, it can help serve as a blueprint for right now that will help ensure that you come back stronger than ever.
Here are a few of endurance coach Peter Glassford’s pre-made plans that may be right for you right now:
Basic Maintenance Plan for Stressful Times
This two month Plan is for when life gets crazy and you need to just maintain and do what you can. Workouts can be done indoors, outdoors or as a mix. It includes some quick and flexible core, yoga and meditation to round out your schedule and provide a mix of activity. Includes Downloads for smart trainers or bike computers, and can be followed if you use power, HR or RPE (Feeling). Low time requirement with options to adjust or reduce as required by your schedule.
- Duration: 2 months
- Click here for full plan details
Off-Road Base Training
This plan contains 3 months of Base/General Prep Period training to get you fit and ready for discipline-specific off-road preparation. This is for Gravel, cyclocross, mountain bike athletes and other athletes focused on off-road disciplines. Features Downloadable workouts for Garmin/Zwift/Trainer Road AND strength routines with Document for routine. The plan is generally under 8 hours a week with options noted to extend or reduce as your schedule dictates
This plan builds your capacity for tempo/sweet spot while also working on skills like single-leg pedaling (and clipping in). Strength/Core/Mobility is addressed and progressed to help you arrive healthy for your specific cyclocross phase. Workouts provide options for outdoors or indoors and some cross-training depending on your location.
- Duration: 14 weeks
- Click here for more details
Transition/Off-Season Block
This Transition/Off-Season Block is a short plan meant as a ramp up to a bigger block of base training, or as a block to be used between base training blocks in a situation like the current one where you might be in ‘base training’ for the foreseeable future. Not all athletes require this phase but many athletes will benefit from this type of training after a hard season of racing and training. This 5-week block (4 weeks training + 1 week getting started/recovery) helps you maintain your fitness while easing back into training and letting your body recover from a hard racing period. Resist the urge to stack on volume, intensity or frequency too soon. Go through the motions and arrive at the end of this block ready for your next Base Phase. Includes Anatomical Adaptation Strength phase with 2 unique weekly workouts.
- Duration: 5 weeks
- Click here for more details
Big Goals, Limited Time Training Plan
This six-month plan is targeted at Athletes with limited time to train for a MTB stage races such as Quebec Singletrack, BC-Bike Race, Breck-Epic and Single Track Six—athletes with big goals and low availability. Weekday workouts are possible at 1hr a day or up to 2hrs, with options are provided to extend or reduce time and to deal with indoor vs. outdoor, especially in the first 2 months. Most Weekday workouts have downloadable workouts for smart trainers or bike computer.
This plan includes short strength workouts throughout plan to prepare for demands of stage racing off-road. These are short and can be done ‘anywhere’. Includes a PDF for each strength workout.
Duration: 24 weeks
Click here for more details
Road / Fondo Base Training
This plan is for those wanting to build their base fitness for road riding and racing. It assumes you have limited time to train and also accommodates for cross-training and some core/strength. It features downloadable workouts for Garmin/Zwift/Trainer Road for most workouts.
- Duration: 14 weeks
- More info on this plan
