help for bigger strength gain, in off-season training

There is so much you must consider. Do you have a power meter? If so what is your FTP? You should read around this forum, there is more than enough to never need to post (like me!). Perhaps, since it is winter, an SERM like clomid or Nolvadex is enough for you. Perhaps you should read the "where to begin" sticky. It has perfect advice on improving over winter. 17-19 hours sounds like way too much to me, although I am no expert, nor do I know what level you are at. Post your training schedule and power details if possible, or simply get reading the topics on the forum!

Posted by: stdudz

There is so much you must consider. Do you have a power meter? If so what is your FTP? You should read around this forum, there is more than enough to never need to post (like me!). Perhaps, since it is winter, an SERM like Clomid or nolvadex is enough for you. Perhaps you should read the "where to begin" sticky. It has perfect advice on improving over winter. 17-19 hours sounds like way too much to me, although I am no expert, nor do I know what level you are at. Post your training schedule and power details if possible, or simply get reading the topics on the forum!

Good advice!

But the best thing you can do is to train by POWER.
Reduce your hours to 10-14 hours per week MAX and TRAIN SMART with lots of tempo, sub threshold and pure threshold work! Don;t make the winter focus endurance intensity level training...but you certainly can do some high endurance work.
Be careful in group rides...SOME can be very bad in the winter and have you putting around in the pack, in the draft, at recovery pace intensity and that is a total waste of time!
I have gotten good results with clients doing as little as 4 hours of training per week(mind you, that is with 2.5 hours at pure threshold and the rest of the time is warm up, cool down and recovery between intervals)

Good PEDS in the winter are estrogen blockers and low dose HGH....but if you can't hold at least 4.2 watts per kilo(for an hour) then don't waste your money. The only exception to this is if you are an older masters rider wanted to have youthful recovery ability again.

What's your FTP....or the power you can hold for a 40 K TT or 50-60 minutes or so?

It's all about watts per kilo at threshold....if your FTP is going up then you are training and recovering well.

Thanks alot for the replies guys.
I think I'll stick with Clomid, considering that a side effect from nolvadex could be cancerdevolopment in the testicles :-S

Im not sure how many Watts i am able to put out. But as an example i usually do a flat 30 km time trial with an average of 42 km/h , and that have been improving a lot the last 2 years.

Forgot to mention that the aprox 18 hours i do, is at the end of the winter-training, in january february. Right now im doing aprox 12-14 hours, with powertraining, without going into anaerobic training.

by the way, for how long is Clomid traceble? when must i stop, to be safe regarding controls?

Actually, after some more intense web-searching, I've decided to for nolvadex, to avoid moodiness, and damage to my sight. ( and less acne)

Would it be any good, close to the season, to go half dose ( 5 mg per day) as to stop the intake closer to the season - and hereby gain more strength. Or will the trace-time remain the same (i've read 6 weeks)