Bicycling Maximum Overload for Cyclists: A Radical Strength-Based Program for Improved Speed and Endurance in Half the Time (Bicycling Magazine)

I think this book is fantastic and long overdue. It was only matter of time before cyclist (and runners) started visiting the weight room. (I'm old enough to remember when weight lifting was off-limits to baseball and basketball players.) I've been in the fitness/nutrition field for decades and seldom get excited about new training methods. But I truly believe this training philosophy is groundbreaking. Maximum Overload (MO) is not just cranking out reps. Strength is addressed in phase one but then progresses to incorporate power and then the goal of Maximum Sustained Power. You would think someone would have thought of this years ago. MO is coupled with a nutrition plan that has personally worked for me. I was introduced to the diet plan from the book referenced by the author called "Primal Endurance." After a few tough weeks of adjusting my diet I dropped those stubborn extra pounds and kept them off with one-tenth the effort compared to my carbo-carving days. Now I'm lighter and my maximum sustained power is increasing each week. In summary, I think the entire philosophy rings true. For mepurchasing the book was a no-brainer.

As the title suggests, this is not a book for casual training. It's not written for everyone and the negative review here reflect that. Not everyone is going to be able to use it as intended. This book doesn't stand on its own for complete strength training for cyclists. It won't give you the skills and knowledge learned from experience, several sessions of personal training, or a coaching program.That being said, this is a GREAT BOOK on strength training!! ...as long as you have some background knowledge and skill, or are willing to hire some help.And by that I don't mean it will only benefit racers or seasoned pros. The strength training contained in these pages will benefit anyone, even seniors just looking to stay active on a bike. But no matter who you are, you'll need a few years of cycling and strength training under your belt to be able to digest everything and incorporate it into your training. Or you'll need some additional guidance.For example, there are some seemingly contradictory statements, like this one:"The idea here is to get the body used to performing at APO for as long as possible without going to failure. That replicates what happens on a hard bike effort: You push hard, but at a sustainable pace. If you slip into failure, your ride is over; you’re wasted and can’t recover quickly enough to keep up with the peloton. The only time you want to go to failure is at the finish line."Then in the very next paragraph:"Once you establish your 6-reps-to-failure weight..."The author is often prescribing exercises done with enough weight to take you to failure on a number of reps, while simultaneously preaching about NOT going to failure. It's easy to read that and be confused. Like I said, an experienced athlete who rides and lifts will understand how far to take these, what the goals are, and how to do them for max effect. You'll have to read the whole book, not just cherry-pick programs, and you'll have to write it out into a plan that makes sense to you. But all the info is there. And it works.I was already doing a lot of these exercises and even using some of the periodization techniques, but not to the extent as outlined here. Now, having read the full book, I can see the genius in these protocols, and have re-written my winter training as a result.With just a few more charts or better-written explanations of specific workout schedules, this would get 5 stars, easily. I should probably give it 5 stars as is, but am a little annoyed that such a smart author didn't spend a bit more time on visual design clarity.It's a great book for trainers, coaches, and experienced cyclists. Just don't pick this up looking for a quick, easy-to-implement, training program. Think of it as a supplement. It doesn't replace a good coaching program, but it definitely holds its value for those who've already been through a few seasons of smart, organized training, and are looking for next-level strength training.Wallack, Roy; Jacques DeVore. Bicycling Maximum Overload for Cyclists: A Radical Strength-Based Program for Improved Speed and Endurance in Half the Time (p. 43). Rodale. Kindle Edition.

I read the book and started doing the workout. After two workouts I noticed a big difference in my power output and endurance increase at full power. I wasn't positive I understood how to progress through the program right (the book can be confusing at times, but still well worth it.). So, I got on the phone and called the author's gym. I've now been working remotely on coaching with Jacques for just shy of three months weekly. It's been fantastic. The other day I went out after doing the workouts twice weekly but not having ridden a bike for almost three weeks. I did 65 miles of hard, steep, hilly riding (the only kind here in VT!). I was still attacking every hill in the final five miles of the ride as if I had just started, which is NOT something I've ever been able to remotely do before. My average speed for this kind of ride went up by 1.7 MPH. You should know that I'm not a racer. I'm a touring, gravel grinding, MTB guy. I ride a 32 LB gravel/touring rig with HEAVY wheels. I never thought I could get faster on this bike, and I've done a good amount of standard interval training, along with a very different kind of weight training, in the past to no avail. So, do I go fast now compared to most? No. But going from an average of 11.3 MPH on that kind of hilly, long ride to 13 MPH average was like crashing through a wall that seemed impenetrable for years of riding. On a flatter 55-mile ride a few weeks earlier I averaged 14.2 MPH where I previously had hit a multi-year wall at 12.5 MPH. And I keep on improving and hitting new speeds (20+ MPH on mild inclines for some extended periods have been achieved in about Zone 3, which was insanely cool.). Like I said, the book can be a little confusing, but it's also new territory, which always takes some getting used to. There's no other book out there that does what this does, no other program I've ever come across as for real to build speed coupled with endurance at max power. Also, an added benefit is that your upper body feels so much better and less fatigued at the end of long rides. If you are so inclined, after you read the book I'd suggest calling the author and getting some coaching to bring the magic up even another level. It's been fun, and the results don't lie.

Excelente guía para mejorar fuerza y desempeño en el ciclismo rutinas de ejercicio que si funcionan

Maximum Overload for Cyclists is the best training method that is available to a cyclist. i am now 58 year old and since beginning the training methods outlined in this book has seen improvements in my cycling performance - well dramatic improvements. If you follow the instructions in this book you will see improvements that cycling training alone will never give you. I am really shocked to see reviews saying that this is not a scientific training method. I think this is the most scientific one since you get results that you can measure. 5 stars.

very good book

PROGRAM RECAP: After 2 runs of the program (summer 2018 and winter/spring 2018/19 the amount of progress and sustanable power is amazing!!! THAT STUFF REALLY WORKS. However, as I mentioned, below you have to sit down and write it out (yes really) and it will amke sense, otherwise it might seem confusing.New Ideas 5/5As the author Jacques DeVore mentions himself - cyclists are tiny puny things that avoid weights like the plague in fear of gaining weight and strength coaches are people with no necks and goatees who have zero idea of what endurance athletes (or all people, ie non varsity/professional athletes for that matter) need in terms of developing strength. As a decade long endurance athlete and gym rat I can raise my hand as a victim to that gap of incompentence. This book is currently THE ONLY publication that bridges that gap...period. It leaves no stone unturned and contains all aspects from activation, mobilisation to strength build to converting that strength to (cycling specific) power, even proper nutrition focusing on usign fat for fuel. Unfortunately....Organisation and Content 3/5Every chapter seems to be a repetition of the previous one. I caught myself on countless occasions scrolling back to make sure I was not re-reading the same paragraphs by accident. As somebody who has read a good amount of the literature quoted by Jacques DeVore - such as Tudor Bompa, I found the chapters extremely complex to follow to the point of being irritated; a true novice (and I think the main target audience of this book) would rather go for a refund and/or just throw the book out. A simple chart or graph, would have made understanding the jumble of sets, mini sets, total repetitions singinficantly easier.In addition, while the book positively includes and emphasizes the need for preparation such as mobilisation and fixing muscle imbalances and dysfuctions, there is no real education on WHY that should be done - it lacks an overview of how the human body functions and produces motion and power. In the myth filled world of strength and conditioning, lacking such explanation would make it very easy to skip over that part or worse do 'what this guy at the gym told me is better' and ultimately wrecking havoc, getting injured and NOT getting *any* of the amazing benefits which this program can really give you (and then go and tell your cycling buddies that you actually tried and weight training ruined your cycling). As a published author you cannot just preach to the choir, you need to be an educator and make better people and athletes.With that being said, I am a true believer that you get out of the sport what you put into it, so being spoon fed and given a nice cookie-cutter program is never a good thing...you have to really work for it and if you actually have the motivation and really try to make sense of it and put it all togetherKindle edition 0/5Due to some 'publisher rules' you are only allowed to highlight (make notes) of 10% of the book, everything else gets truncated so it makes note taking and re-reading certain parts a major hassle. It the digital world of almost instant information sharing this is utter nonsense. Especially when it comes to something which without a doubt requires some serious note taking. I understand that this is a lazy rule put in place to avoid pirating copies, unfortunately digital piracy has never been stronger and actual paying customers such as myself are the one being left with a MAJOR inconvenience. I am putting this last part here with the hope it will be read by the authors and somebody who Amazon might acutally listen to rather than me being another annoying guy wiriting to customer service.It is a true shame that something that has teh real potential can break the status quo of cycling 'traditions' gets 'overloaded' by repetition to justify a book format with MAJOR limitataions of the electronic kindle edition.

...this would be a defining specimen of the genre.First, potential readers should know the training program presented here is NOT based on scientific principles, but anecdotal experience.The real world examples cited limit themselves to a handful of protagonists and a very limited number of events.The basic assumption of Devore is long-proven to be correct: Strength training augments and reinforces cycling performance and helps prevent a host of negative side effects associated with the sport. A facts that is no longer up to much debate.But herein lies the problem: Popular and wide-spread training literature, such as Joe Friel's "The Cyclist's Training Bible", has incorporated strength training as an essential part of a road cyclist's training season those 20 years and more.The authors of "Maximum Overload" chose to ignore this fact and claim cycling has, until now, been a "virgin to strength training".This is plain false and only serves to over-emphasise a pseudo-revolutionary concept that, truth be told, is not revolutionary at all.The concept itself may well be sound, by the way - I can find nothing particularly outlandish or new about it - but that's it.On the other hands, the authors demonstrate a sometimes shocking ignorance of basic human physiology - p.e. when they claim that low-intensity endurance efforts are fueled by 95% fat oxidation (totally made up number) - and that fat is a "superior fuel" when compared to carbohydrates, simply ignoring the fact it takes about 30% more oxygen to metabolize.And don't even get me started on their concept of "The Black Hole".....This skewed perception once again serves their personal agenda: in this case, to push and grossly overestimate the benefits of a high-fat, paleo-type diet for endurance athletes. Wild claims of becoming a "fat burning machine" while increasing strength, lowering weight and improving endurance performance when "going primal" are simply another fad these days and repeated here without any scientific proof.Their only "proof", if you can name it so, is the example of pro cyclist David Zabriskie, who in 2013 allegedly experienced a 15% increase in sustainable power output over a four month period while on the Devore program & paleo diet. Sounds too good to be true?Honestly, this is nothing too spectacular on the pro level of the sport. Pro cyclists peak at considerably higher power outputs than they start their season with. Perfectly normal on that level of the sport.Also note they freely admit Zabriskie used highly-processed and highly-unnatural nutrition, such as Ucan Superstarch, to keep himself going - how does that fit into being "primal"? Guess you can by now see the elephant in the room.The fact that basically ALL world-class endurance athletes thrive on a diet rich in high quality carbohydrates is thereby conveniently ignored (for hard facts, not opinion, see p.e. Matt Fitzgerald: "Racing Weight" or "The Endurance Diet").Summary:The book states the benefits of strength training and the risks of omitting it in no uncertain terms.The program appears to be sound, but not revolutionary or even new. So much for the good.Otherwise, the authors perpetrate a lot of murky, unproven and muddled ideas on human physique and the nature of road cycling that degrades a basically sound concept into a wild pamphlet of mostly unproven opinion and anecdotal evidence.Lots of facts - some of them the real thing, many "alternative".