| Carmichael Training System 7-Week Intermediate Program | ||||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | ||
| Week One | Day off | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 30 minutes in Zone | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 45 minutes in Zone 2 | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 1.5 hours in Zone 2 | |
| 10 minutes Tempo | 1: recovery ride. | 10 minutes Tempo | with 10 minutes Fast- | 15 minutes Tempo | with 20 minutes | |||
| on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Pedal on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Tempo on flat terrain. | ||||
| Week Two | Day off | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 30 minutes in Zone | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 45 minutes in Zone 2 | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 1.5 hours in Zone 2 | |
| 15 minutes Tempo | 1: recovery ride. | 10 minutes Tempo | with 10 minutes Fast- | 15 minutes Tempo | with 25 minutes | |||
| on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Pedal on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Tempo on flat terrain. | ||||
| Week Three | Day off | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 30 minutes in Zone | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 45 minutes in Zone 2 | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 1.5 hours in Zone 2 | |
| 20 minutes Tempo | 1: recovery ride. | 15 minutes Tempo | with 10 minutes Fast- | 15 minutes Tempo | with 30 minutes | |||
| on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Pedal on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Tempo on flat terrain. | ||||
| Week Four | Day off | 30 minutes in Zone | 30 minutes in Zone | 30 minutes in Zone | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 1.5 hours in Zone 2 | |
| 1: recovery ride. | 1: recovery ride. | 1: recovery ride. | 3 FlatSprints of 10 | 15 minutes Tempo | with 30 minutes | |||
| seconds each and 10 | on flat terrain. | Tempo on flat terrain. | ||||||
| minutes recovery be- | ||||||||
| tween sprints. | ||||||||
| Week Five | Day off | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 30 minutes in Zone | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 45 minutes in Zone 2 | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 1.5 hours in Zone 2 | |
| 30 minutes Tempo | 1: recovery ride. | 20 minutes Tempo | with 10 minutes Fast- | 20 minutes Tempo | with 40 minutes | |||
| on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Pedal on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Tempo on flat terrain. | ||||
| Week Six | Day off | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 30 minutes in Zone | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 45 minutes in Zone 2 | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 1.5 hours in Zone 2 | |
| 30 minutes Tempo | 1: recovery ride. | 20 minutes Tempo | with 10 minutes Fast- | 20 minutes Tempo | with 50 minutes | |||
| on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Pedal on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Tempo on flat terrain. | ||||
| Week Seven | Day off | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 30 minutes in Zone | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 45 minutes in Zone 2 | 1 hour in Zone 2 with | 1.5 hours in Zone 2 | |
| 30 minutes Tempo | 1: recovery ride. | 20 minutes Tempo | with 10 minutes Fast- | 20 minutes Tempo | with 60 minutes | |||
| on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Pedal on flat terrain. | on flat terrain. | Tempo on flat terrain. | ||||
| Training Zones | ||||||||
| Zone | % MHR | Description | ||||||
| 1 | 60-65 | Easy riding, recovery training | ||||||
| 2 | 65-70 | Endurance base training | ||||||
| 3 | 70-80 | Aerobic capacity training | ||||||
| 4 | 80-85 | Lactate threshold training | ||||||
| 5 | 86+ | Maximum aerobic training, | ||||||
| increasing VO2 max | ||||||||
| Workouts | ||||||||
| TempoTM | ||||||||
| Goal: | Raise your aerobic capacity | |||||||
| How: | Cadence should be relatively low -- try a range of 70 to 85 rpm while remaining within the correct training | |||||||
| intensity. This increases pedal resistance and helps strengthen your leg muscles. Stay in the saddle | ||||||||
| when you hit hills during your Tempo workouts to bolster the connective tissues and supporting muscle | ||||||||
| groups. Soon, your training will develop into more explosive workouts that can put undue strain on | ||||||||
| unprepared joints. It's important to ride the entire length of the Tempo workout with as few interruptions | ||||||||
| as possible to strengthen and bolster your joints. | ||||||||
| Training Intensity: | Upper Zone 3 to lower Zone 4 | |||||||
| FastPedalTM | ||||||||
| Goal: | Improve your pedaling efficiency | |||||||
| How: | Find a relatively flat road. Gearing should be light and pedal resistance low. Slowly increase your cadence, | |||||||
| starting out with 90 to 108 rpm. Increase cadence while staying in the saddle. Keep your hips smooth; | ||||||||
| don't rock them from side to side. Concentrate on pulling through the bottom of the pedal stroke and over | ||||||||
| the top. | ||||||||
| Training Intensity: | Fastest cadence should be 108 to 120 rpm | |||||||
| FlatSprintsTM | ||||||||
| Goal: | Boost your jump speed | |||||||
| How: | Sprints are always performed at 100% maximum output. On flat terrain, roll along at a moderate speed | |||||||
| (15 to 22 mph, depending on your level of development) in an easy gear. Jump out of the saddle, | ||||||||
| accelerating the entire time. Return to the saddle after a few seconds -- maintaining high pedal speed -- | ||||||||
| and focus on a smooth and efficient form for the rest of the sprint. | ||||||||
| Training Intensity: | Sprints should last 10 to 12 all-out seconds, with 5 to 10 minutes for recovery between each sprint | |||||||
| All information in the chart and descriptions above is from "The Lance Armstrong Performance Program" (copyright 2000) - by Lance Armstrong and Chris Carmichael, with Peter Joffre Nye. | ||||||||
| This page is offered as a quick reference for those who have already read the book and understand the importance of developing a personal training plan to enhance their cycling skills. | ||||||||