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What is the 7-Day Training Plan for Cyclists by John Wakefield?

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by (120 points)
Sure. The 7 Day Training Plan for cyclists follows simple principles as highlighted by John Wakefield. Some of these principles include gradual increases in training load to optimize performance, correct nutrition, sufficient recovery. These principles are particularly essential in performance improvement as they allow the athlete to always be in a training state. Their contact time in the gym is mutually exclusive with time spent on the road, which leads to enhanced fitness levels. As seen in the plan, day 1 includes gymnastics for warm-up. Day 2 focuses on aerobic exercises, while Day 3 emphasizes work on strength. The plan’s day 4 will have the athlete combining both strength and aerobic endurance work, specifically using compex on day 5. Schaelling In his book, Breakthrough on the Long Distance cyclist presents a similar plan with a different view.

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by (740 points)
The 7-Day Training Plan was formed by John Wakefield. This is a training aimed at cyclists who are interested on continuous improvements while competing. It includes cycling for a total of 10 hours in a week broken down into the main two rides, recovery rides, sprint and endurance rides, steady-state and threshold workouts, as well as sprints. The activities that were included in the plan were warm up, anaerobic threshold intervals, active rest day, full rest days, anaerobic workouts in the gym, as well as one long aerobic session. The sessions are structured in such a manner that there is loading and resting periods so that the fitness level of the cyclists is grown and sufficiently improved as required.
by (100 points)
01:13 ‍♂️ Day 1: Activation Ride
- Day 1: 1-hour activation ride with 3x 15-sec neuromuscular sprints.
- Emphasis on staying in gear during sprints without shifting.
- Easy spinning for the remainder of the hour.

02:52 ‍♂️ Day 2: Threshold Training
- Day 2: 1.5-hour session featuring 3x 10-minute threshold sets.
- Explanation of threshold intensity (95-105% of FTP or Zone 4).
- Importance of warm-up, recovery, and cooldown during the session.

04:03 ‍♂️ Day 3: Full Recovery
- Day 3: 1.5-hour recovery ride (Zone 1) following the intense threshold session.
- Recommended intensity between 0-4 out of 10, focusing on complete recovery.
- Emphasis on taking it very easy for effective recovery.

04:43 ‍♂️ Day 4: Rest Day
- Day 4: Complete rest day, emphasizing relaxation and recovery.
- Suggested activities include stretching, massage, and light chores.
- No cycling or intense physical activity on this day.

05:27 ‍♂️ Day 5: Anaerobic Training
- Day 5: 1.5-hour session with anaerobic intervals (5x 2 minutes or 8-10x 1 minute).
- Intensity recommendations for the 2-minute and 1-minute intervals.
- Advice on pacing and adjusting intensity for beginners.

07:46 ‍♂️ Day 6: Endurance Ride
- Day 6: 3-hour endurance ride or 1-hour recovery if fatigued.
- Flexibility in making it a hard or easy ride based on individual feel.
- Guidance to control intensity during group rides for better recovery.

08:55 ‍♂️ Day 7: Recovery or Endurance
- Day 7: Option for a 1-hour recovery ride or continuation of the 3-hour endurance ride.
- Flexibility based on individual preferences and weekly engagements.
- Reiteration of the importance of easy days and being mindful of recovery.
by (100 points)
Great content but I couldn’t help but keep thinking where to do strength training during this schedule?
by (100 points)
Great content, guys! Would it be right or wrong to say that you should probably have some good base work down before hitting a week like this? I've been doing base and technique work on the bike since maybe early October, and am just now getting into some threshold and higher workouts, surrounded by the recovery and endurance rides, as your week lays out. Should we have that 6-8 weeks of base training in before this? I would assume we should.
by (100 points)
Really great content, and thanks to John for sharing his expert insights. Would this programme be more suited to someone who is racing, and if so, how would you adapt it for a rider focused on gran fondos? Substitute the HIIT session for another threshold session for example? Thanks in advance for any help and insight you can offer.
by (100 points)
Are there differences in your plan, when a person start biking just some month ago?
Think in length of trainings?
by (100 points)
What would the progression be for week 2.. longer durations or more reps?
by (100 points)
Is that program do of junior cyclist world champion and elites?
by (100 points)
Would love to see some input into diet advice as well.
by (100 points)
Is this training plan tailored more towards beginner cyclists? 3x10s seems a little too easy for those who've done structured training before, but I'm not gonna argue with a WT coach if he says this plan works for cyclists of all levels who have under 10 hours a week to train
by (100 points)
Can I ask about strength training? Do you do any and where would it fit into a programme like this? Great content as always. Thanks!
by (100 points)
What does sprint (no shifting) means for day 1? Sprint without heavy gear? Just cadance? Just leg rotation?
by (100 points)
How important is the muscle activation day?
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