re: Strength & Conditioning Challenges

update for all of those interested-
In November I did the Strava cycling app 8000 meter in elevation gain challenge. Background: I am a 49 y/o cyclist who competes in age-group time trials. Being 6'7" and 240 pounds I have always been able to churn out huge watts in the flats and time trials (usually flat 30 to 40 k races against the clock) are my strong suit. Obviously being 80 pounds heavier than other riders for other road races has made climbing not my favorite activity nor something I was good at. In a normal week I do 4 to 5 rides with 1 being geared towards interval training and another to distance at slow pace with the other rides as recovery type ones (usually 50-80 miles total with around 2000 feet of elevation) . This is coupled with 2 days per week lifting.
I did this with the intent on strongly working on a weak aspect of my cycling doing lots of volume at low intensity. The lifting analogy I would correlate it with would be like doing Smolov or Smolov Jr. on your weakest lift.
Overall the month went very well. I was able to complete the 8000 meters of elevation climbing by focusing all 5 rides per week on low intensity climbing - I was either going up a hill or down one with very little time in the flats. I found that physiologically the soreness was worse in the first and fourth weeks with the psychological aspects of struggling to find motivation and desire to finish worse in the third week. By week four I knew I could finish and the end was in sight but I got the first week soreness back.
Results? Heck yeah! Since finishing I've found my climbing ability vastly improved with my times on some shorter punchy climbs 5 to 10% faster. With improved weather I may try and do it again in March. One side effect was that I finished 2 days early and took 3 total days off for recovery and felt absolutely awful. Sore joints, horrible mood, trouble sleeping - all went away after another short ride. I actually think that I was in endorphin withdrawals.



TL/DR Overall a very positive experience with a low intensity/high volume approach to a weak point.

quote:

---

100 burpees in 5 min

---

IDK

quote:

---

Back squat with bodyweight on the bar x 50 reps

---

I doubt it

quote:

---

100 pushups in 2 min

---

Check

quote:

---

5 mile ruck with 45lbs

---

Probably

quote:

---

18 pullups with bodyweight plus 25 lbs (spetsnaz challenge)

---

Just bodyweight so far

quote:

---

Strict press x bodyweight for 5 reps

---

I have a ways to go on this one.

quote:

---

1 mile run under 5:30

---

No, and I am a runner. I might get there this year though.

quote:

---

500 consecutive air squats

---

I have no idea

quote:

---

100 sit-ups in 2 min

---

Check

quote:

---

Strict L-sit on parralletes for 3 min

---

Have no idea

quote:

---

50 reps weighted incline pushup with 45 lbs with feet on 12” box

---

Sounds like a torture device

quote:

---

Deadlift 2x bw for 7 or more reps

---

Getting close

quote:

---

200 reps Z press with just bar in 10 min without racking

---

IDK

quote:

---

100 kb snatches with 53 lbs(can switch arms but can't sit kb down.)

---

IDK. I'm planning on adding in some Olympic lifts later this year.

quote:

---

5 mile run in 37:30

---

Check

quote:

---

60 plus consecutive bar dips

---

I doubt it

quote:

---

Overhead squat x bodyweight x 15 reps

---

Maybe

quote:

---

400m dash under 60s

---

Similar to the mile time, I might be able to do this later this year

quote:

---

Bench x bodyweight x 15 reps

---

Got a ways to go

quote:

---

½ INMAN- 1.5 x bodyweight walking ½ mile

---

Have no idea what this is

Yeah. That sounds miserable.