jcharles00

After a couple of months of base work, the track season is starting and I have started a build period. I don't have a whole lot of time before races, so I'm trying to maximize my training.

My question is this, when, in relation to riding, should I be lifting in order to get maximum strength and fastest recovery? ie: Do I lift in the morning and ride in the afternoon? or do I do a short ride and lift immediately after?

bear in mind, I do active recovery (easy rides, staying under 200W) on the day(s) following weight training to help speed up the recovery process. I just want to maximize this. I also don't want to have all my time invested in weights and easy rides if throwing a hard ride in would make me stronger.

any advice?

Carbonfiberboy 

No coach?

This should be several questions.
1) What should be the distribution between easy, "hard," sub-maximal intervals, maximal intervals, supra-maximal intervals, and weight training?
2) What sort of weight training would be optimal?
3) When to do the weight training?

Answers would depend on your particular track specialty.

You might find some answers for 1) and 2) here:
https://www.sportsci.org/jour/04/cdp.doc

My experience is with road riding and sprinting, so my advice may be off target for you. I always do my riding first, then weights immediately after, then more sprints on the way home. My reasoning is that in road riding, one is often sprinting when one would be thought to be exhausted, therefore ride first, even intervals, before weights. This has worked well for me. Match sprinting may be different. Even so, it might be best to put the thing first that one is trying to get better at (cycling) and then do the supporting work.

I know some sprinters only do weight work on that day and make their riding days separate. In any case, I sure wouldn't short myself on the intervals, since that's where the big gains are.

jcharles00

nope, can't afford a coach, and the only person on our team with any track experience just graduated.

This is my first season racing track, so I am taking the advice of the folks in the track forum and not picking any specific specialty. At this point, my best chances to finish well seem to be in the shorter scratch and points races, which are pretty similar to a crit.

thanks for the links, I'll check them out!

tadawdy

in general, this works. If you're going to lift as productively as possible, I don't believe in doing it tired, just like you wouldn't go into a set of intervals tired and expect to get the most from them.

there is also a temporal addition effect between strength and other work when done very close to one another The aerobic adaptations are not hindered (when you're talking a long-term strength training program, on the order of 5 months or more), and may be enhanced, but strength and muscular power are not optimally developed. some people like complexes involving a set of lifts followed by a sprint or two, which may work for you. It's a way of training general and specific in the same workout, and similar to what carbonfiberboy said he likes to do. I often come out of my lifting sessions feeling like a beast on the bike, and it's fun to sprint while you feel strong.

It also depends on where you are in the season. The closer the season gets, the more specific your training should be.