I usually lift about 2x a week...I prefer to ride in the morning and then lift in the evening. I'm also XC mtb racing almost every week during the first half of the year, so that complicates things to a certain extent. These aren't "A" races to me by any means, but I still like to hit them fresh. IDK if I'm really optimizing anything with my method, but I'll often incorporate one of my strength sessions into the evening following a race, or the following day if I'm really feeling shot out. These races are generally shorter, so I'm adequately recovered in the 6-8 hours following a race, to lift. I'll also do another strength session mid week.
Another thing with my strength sessions, is I'm not doing so many reps that I'm feeling very tired/sore the next day. I go for less reps, but with more weight. I'm not trying to add muscle mass...I guess I have a good problem to have, in that I easily build muscle. I'm constantly trying to keep weight off in order to stay competitive at cycling.
Finally, I agree with nutrition being key. I've found that I actually struggle to eat enough protein, especially during hard blocks of training. Ensuring my macros are correct, I've really noticed a benefit in my recovery. It's not so much for the strength training, but I'm no longer tired for days after a difficult ride...and that difficult ride doesn't negatively impact the rest of my planned rides/workouts for the rest of the week.
Last edited by Sierra_rider; 02-25-24 at 05:36 PM.