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Beginner Cycling Training Program - Month 3

author : mikericci

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This month's fun and fast training will help you improve performance and raise your metabolism so that you are feeling a bit hungry all the time and really burning up those calories.

Back to the Beginner Cycling Program - Month 2

Congratulations if you’ve made it this far in the program! Hopefully you’ve seen some improvement in your overall fitness and health over the last 8 weeks. This last month we are going to start pushing the envelope a bit as you’ve done the prep work and now it’s time to do some ‘meat and potatoes work’. This fun and fast training will help you improve performance and raise your metabolism so that you are feeling a bit hungry all the time and really burning up those calories. Make sure you are taking in at least a few hundred calories as soon as you finish your workout in order to help recover for the next workout.

For this period we’ll do our strength work after our actual workouts. At this point the actual bike workouts will take priority over the strength training.

Set 1: One leg hops, push-ups, leg lifts and ab-crunches. 3 sets of 15 reps each.
Set 2: Bench push-ups (see harder version), squat jumps, ab-crunches and jump rope. 3 sets of 30 seconds each.
Set 3: Lunges, leg lifts, unstable pushups on an Air-ex or foam surface (like a couple of pillows). 3 sets, 15 reps each.
Set 4: Ab-crunches, step-ups, jump rope, and leg lifts. 4 sets, 1 minute each.

Key:
WU = warm up
CD = cool down
RPMs = Revolutions Per Minute
‘ = minutes
“ = seconds

This plan is specifically created with the overweight person in mind who is looking for a no-impact weightloss plan to start losing the pounds and getting fit. After you get done with all 3 months of this training plan, you should be fitter, slimmer and ready to start a specific triathlon training program such as a sprint program.

Month 3 - WEEK 1

Monday	30	15’ warm up and with 5x1’ at 100 rpms. Main set is 10x30” with 30” recovery at a 9/10 effort. Once you are done, spin easy for 5’.
Tuesday	60	60’ easy spin, keep the effort conversational and the cadence between 90-92 RPMS. Tighten up the cadence even more this week. Nothing under 90 cadence!
Wednesday	50	15’ warm up. Then 3x5’ at 87-92 RPMS. Your effort is 8.5/10 or Zone 4-5a HR. Recovery is 5’ easy spinning. Easy 5' cool down.
Thursday	45	45’ easy spin, keep the effort conversational and the cadence between 88-92 RPMS
Friday		Off day – cross train – walk, hike, swim, etc.
Saturday	49	10’ warm up including 3x1’ at 100 rpms. Main set is 2x12’ at moderate-hard effort. Spin easy for 5’ in between 12’ efforts. 5’ easy spin to cool down.
Sunday	120	Long aerobic day – ride from 90’-120’.

Total Time = 5hr 24min - 5hr 54min

Week 1: Tuesday, set 2. Thursday set 3 and Sunday set 4.

Month 3 - WEEK 2

Monday	35	15’ warm up including 5x1’ at 100 rpms. Main set is 15x30” with 30” recovery at a 9/10 effort. Once you are done, spin easy for 5’.
Tuesday	75	Up to a 75’ easy spin, keep the effort conversational and the cadence between 90-92 RPMS. Tighten up the cadence even more this week. Nothing under 90 cadence!
Wednesday	53	15’ warm up. Then 3x6’ at 87-92 RPMS. Your effort is 8.5/10 or Zone 4-5a HR. Recovery is 5’ easy spinning. Easy 5' cool down.
Thursday	60	45-60’ easy spin, Keep the effort conversational and the cadence between 88-92 RPMS.
Friday		Off day – cross train – walk, hike, swim.
Saturday	55	10’ warm up including 3x1’ at 100 rpms. Main set is 2x15’ at moderate-hard effort. Spin easy for 5’ in between 15’ efforts. 5’ easy spin to cool down.
Sunday	120	Long aerobic day – ride from 90’-120’.

Total Time = 5hr 53min - 6hr 38min

Week 2: Tuesday: Set 2. Thursday: Set 1. Sunday: Set 4.

Month 3 - WEEK 3

Monday	40	15’ warm up including 5x1’ at 100 rpms. Main set is 20x30” with 30” recovery at a 9/10 effort. Once you are done, spin easy for 5’.
Tuesday	90	Up to a 90’ easy spin, keep the effort conversational and the cadence between 90-92 RPMS. Tighten up the cadence even more this week. Nothing under 90 cadence!
Wednesday	56	15’ warm up. Then 3x7’ at 87-92 RPMS. Your effort is 8.5/10 or Zone 4-5a HR. Recovery is 5’ easy spinning. Easy 5' cool down.
Thursday	45	45’ easy spin, keep the effort conversational and the cadence between 88-92 RPMS. Within the 45’ spin, make sure you do 10x1’ at 100 rpms with 1’ recovery – all in a very light gear.
Friday		Off day – cross train – walk, hike, swim.
Saturday	66	10’ warm up including 3x1’ at 100 rpms. Main set is 3x12’ at moderate-hard effort. Spin easy for 5’ in between 12’ efforts. 5’ easy spin to cool down.
Sunday	180	Long aerobic day – ride from 90’-180’.

Total Time = 6hr 27min - 7hr 57min

Week 3: Tuesday: Set 1. Thursday: Set 3. Sunday: Set 4.

Month 3 - WEEK 4

*This week is a 'rest' week to recover from all of the work we have been doing this month.

Monday	35	15’ warm up including 5x1’ at 100 rpms. Main set is 15x30” with 30” recovery at a 9/10 effort. Once you are done, spin easy for 5’.
Tuesday	60	Up to a 60’ easy spin, keep the effort conversational and the cadence between 90-92 RPMS. Tighten up the cadence even more this week. Nothing under 90 cadence!
Wednesday	50	15’ warm up. Then 3x5’ at 87-92 RPMS. Your effort is 8.5/10 or Zone 4-5a HR. Recovery is 5’ easy spinning. Easy 5' cool down.
Thursday	45	45’ easy spin, keep the effort conversational and the cadence between 88-92 RPMS. Within the 45’ spin, make sure you do 10x1’ at 100 rpms with 1’ recovery – all in a very light gear.
Friday		Off day – cross train – walk, hike, swim.
Saturday	55	10’ warm up including 3x1’ at 100 rpms. Main set is 2x15’ at moderate-hard effort. Spin easy for 5’ in between 15’ efforts. 5’ easy spin to cool down.
Sunday	90	Long aerobic day – ride from 60'-90’.