High ambitions, but still have room for improvement? We'll show you how to bring your ambitions and performance level together step by step. The compact guide for strong legs in summer: our three-part series will get you ready for your own personal challenge in three months. Phase 2 gets down to the nitty gritty.
Even for phase 2 of our ultimate bike training plan, athletes cannot avoid continuity. The basis for calculable progress is at least three cycling sessions per week. With a sensible structure, but without excessive obsession with detail. It's not the one heroic training session that makes the difference, but consistent perseverance. If you train regularly for three months, you will be rewarded with noticeably more strength, performance and endurance.
How big the leap in performance will be in twelve weeks naturally depends on your individual requirements. But one thing is certain: three months is enough to achieve significant physiological adaptations. Goals that still seem ambitious today can then become realistic. We will show you how to make the most of this time to perform strongly in marathons or other events in the summer. To do this, we divide the training into three coordinated phases, which together form a coherent concept - but also work individually if you join in later. Phase 2 makes bikers fast.
MTB training plan - phase 2: week 5 to 8
In phase 2 of the three-month plan, bikers should work on improving their speed and fatigue resistance. The routes become more demanding. Longer tempo intervals appeal to the higher endurance range and anticipate competition loads. Long training sessions of 4 + x hours per week prepare for the long races (if these are a goal). In addition, tempo runs are added at the end of the training sessions. Longer intervals in the so-called sweet spot simulate loads similar to those in competition. The intensity slightly below the anaerobic threshold is easily achievable, but these intervals become particularly strenuous with increasing length and after pre-fatigue. The total interval times increase over three weeks. In order for these faster sections to be successful, the basic pace must continue to be chosen with a sense of proportion. If you always ride a little too fast, you risk not having any energy left when it counts. Therefore, continue to pay attention to the differentiation of intensities/speeds.
Brain as the most important muscle
Not only trying out the tempo, but also following it through, trains the head like a muscle to adapt to such stresses. Once learnt, the barrier in the head shifts a little and the length of the tempo becomes part of your repertoire. Psycho-tricks such as talking to yourself and breaking down long distances into digestible chunks ("until the next bend") are part of this.
Train elements of the competition
If the planned race includes epic climbs, it's best to ride these tempo runs uphill because the overall load is different when gravity is pulling on us. What to do if there are no hills in the training area that are long enough? Then we recommend adding up the interval times by repeatedly riding shorter climbs, just as you would with Everesting.
Full throttle as the icing on the cake
One VO2 max interval training session per week is maintained in order to continue targeting the highest aerobic speed. An increase in VO2 max is not possible with just a handful of training sessions, so it is worth staying on the ball for longer. At the end of phase two, a specific training camp can be planned. For example, to train uphill runs if your home terrain does not allow for this. Such a training camp can last a long weekend or even a whole week - depending on your time budget and level of training. The longer such a training camp is organised, the more important it is to plan in sufficient regeneration before and after to compensate for the additional strain.
Training plan phase 2
Scope: 9-14 h / week, 3-5 training sessions / week
| Weekday | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 (relief) |
| Monday | 30-60 min strength training | 30 min | 30 min | 30 min |
| Tuesday | 2 hours of cycling, including intervals: 3 x 4 min full power uphill, recover well in between | 2 h, 4 x 4 min | 2h, 4 x 4 min | 1.5 h, 4 x 4 min |
| Wednesday | optional: 2 h basic tempo | |||
| Thursday | 2 hours of cycling, at the end 1 x 20 min fast but without getting out of breath | |||
| Friday | 30-60 min strength training | 30 min | 30 min | 30 min |
| Saturday | optional: 2 + x h basic tempo | |||
| Sunday | 4 + x h undulating to hilly, basic pace, uphill also in the higher endurance range | 4 + x h | 4+ x h | 3 + x h |
Conclusion
Two months before the competition or your own personal endurance challenge, the speed should come. With our crash plan, sporty mountain bikers can now build on a foundation and tickle the horsepower out of their legs. If you stick to the training plan until week eight, you will definitely be fit and can soon reap the rewards. - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
Jan Timmermann
Editor
