Why you don’y need an off season
In this blog I'm going to talk about three types of cyclists and why 2 of them need an off-season and one of them doesn't
I'll explain the reason why when you keep pushing with training through the year it always eventually makes you slower and weaker.
Let's get into it
Pro Cyclists need an off-season and a break from the rigor and demands of training, staying super light with a long hard race season. These guys and girls need to have downtime, a chance to take time off the bike, sleep, and eat a bit more.
The Club Racer who races road, TT, and Crits. These guys and girls take it seriously - come to think of it these types of cyclists are more like pro's nowadays. They are posting close to what pros used to a few years ago. Yup, given their level of hard work, consistency, and race calendar across a year, having two to three weeks off to allow the body to deload is important for physical and mental health and it's CRITICAL if they want to take your fitness to the next level in the next season.
This last bit is important. I remember discussing this point with a very experienced coach who explained it like this.
" There is a ceiling to where you can push the limits of adaption from the fatigue of training and racing. If you never pull back and deload you don’t allow for compensation so you remain close to that ceiling never going above it. Pulling back and allowing more recovery allows super compensation and a chance for us to push over that ceiling to get fitter and FASTER"
This is why Pro Cyclists and Club Racers should take a decent off-season. Yes you drop some fitness and condition however from experience as a coach athletes and cyclists who do this come back mentally and physically refreshed and excited to get into a new phase of training.
Now let's talk about who doesn't need an off-season and what they should focus on in the Autumn months as the days get shorter
The Weekend Warrior This type of cycling enthusiast has probably done the odd sportive, occasional chain gang, sort of been consistent with a training plan, and been on a summer non-bike family holiday. Yeah, they dont need an off-season.
Here's what I think they should do!
On the bike, I dont think NOW is the right time to be smashing out intensity however I do think aiming to maintain power, muscle quality and function should be the goal. (Remember if you dont use it you'll lose it)
So, one quality threshold session, with a few sprints folded in every 7 to 10 days would be a good focus.
The volume will naturally drop as it's darker in the evenings during the week So, the weekends should be the aim for keeping the longer endurance focus.
The Autumn is a perfect time to hit the gym to build strength and work on imbalances. I've talked about this a lot on this channel.
Strength is a master cyclist weapon in fighting off age-related decline training, it improves muscular economy and endurance and increases Lactate Threshold independently of Vo2 Max, Power and Force Production, muscle function, size and quality. All these things are good for master cyclists power, speed and long-term health.
When the nights have started to draw in it is the perfect time to start including a strength plan to lay down the foundations of faster cycling and looking leaner in 2025
Weight loss:
Now is the time to take it off if you have a fair bit to lose.
Because volume and intensity is low in the Autumn now is a great time to drive harder on your body composition goals. I'm never a fan of trying to lose weight and training hard in build or pique season. If you think about it very low energy intake and hard training is a recipe for poor quality in training and adaptions. When things are less serious in training it's a perfect time to change shape.
Thanks for reading
Simon
2 X Winner of Gym Based PT
Level 2 British Triathlon Coach
Performance & Nutrition Director
and founder of VPCC
www.veloperformance.club
Everything good comes downstream of what you do now!
Links to articles and studies
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322014856_Sport_and_ageing_A_systematic_review_of_the_determinants_and_trends_of_participation_in_sport_for_older_adults
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6304477/
Want to see how tough Bob Graham and Inferno Swiss were? Open the links in a new tab
https://bcycletinferno.ch/the-race/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Graham_Round