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.