Tudor Bompa periodization · The system
Six 8-week blocks. One cycling-specific system.
Bompa periodization is the framework behind modern strength programming: prepare the body, build muscle, convert it to maximum strength, convert that to power, sharpen it, then hold it in season — in that order, for a reason. Drew applies that classic model specifically to cycling. Each block below is a full 8 weeks, and each one comes in Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced — and every level also comes in a bodyweight-only version, for riders with no gym. That's 6 phases × 3 levels × 2 equipment options = 36 programs in total. Pick a phase, then pick your level, then pick gym or bodyweight.
A note on Peak: for cyclists the Peak block matters least — you peak on the bike, not in the gym. It's included to complete the Bompa model and for riders targeting one A-race, but most riders will move from Power straight to In-Season. The credibility of the system is that no phase is skipped or improvised: the order is the point.
Off-season blocks2–3 days / week maxAA, Hypertrophy, Max Strength and Power. Beginner 2 days · Intermediate 2–3 days · Advanced 3 days. No version of any block ever exceeds 3.
Peak block2 days / weekSharpening only — low volume at every level while the bike taper does the real peaking.
In-season block2 days / week maxHard cap, all levels including bodyweight. Minimum lower-body gym work; the strength focus moves on-bike.
The four core lifts — in every block
Every phase, at every level, is built around the same four lifts. The loads, reps and variations change by phase — the lifts don't.
1 · Deadlift / HingeTrap-bar deadlift, Romanian deadlift or kettlebell hinge. Glutes and hamstrings for steep seated climbing and sustained torque.
2 · SquatBack, front or goblet squat. Raw force into the pedals — starts, punchy rises, and holding speed when the trail kicks up.
3 · Bench PressBench, floor press or push-up progression. Pushing strength for pumping terrain, absorbing hits and controlling the front end.
4 · Pull-Up / PullPull-up, assisted pull-up or heavy row. Descending strength — holding your line and working the bike through rock gardens late in a race.
Off-season emphasis — single-leg work: in AA, Hypertrophy and Max Strength, single-leg work is not an accessory, it's a pillar. Pedaling is a single-leg sport. Bulgarian split squats, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, step-ups and single-leg presses get dedicated volume in every off-season block to fix left–right imbalances and build stability for rough terrain.
The leg arc — heavy in the off-season, minimum in season: AA, Hypertrophy and Max Strength are leg-dominant blocks by design. That is where leg strength is actually built — squat and hinge volume is highest, single-leg work is heaviest, and sessions are built legs-first while riding volume is lower. Power keeps some of that leg work but converts it to speed. Peak steps the leg volume down sharply. Then, once In-Season starts, the leg emphasis transitions out: lower-body gym work drops to the minimum needed for maintenance — light, submaximal, low-volume — so legs stay fresh for racing, and cycling-specific strength is built on the bike instead with low-cadence torque work, seated big-gear climbing and standing starts. Build the legs in winter; spend them on the bike in summer.
1 · Choose the phase — 8 weeks each
2 · Choose your level
3 · Choose your equipment — every level has both
| Block | Primary job | Typical load | Days / week | Cycling transfer |
|---|
| 1. Anatomical Adaptation | Tendons, technique, work capacity | 40–65% 1RM · circuits | 2–3 by level | Durable base so heavy phases don't break you |
| 2. Hypertrophy | Build cycling muscle | 65–80% 1RM · 8–12 reps | 2–3 by level | More muscle to later convert to climbing & sprint strength |
| 3. Maximum Strength | Raise the force ceiling | 80–95% 1RM · 3–6 reps | 2–3 by level | Higher force per pedal stroke at lower relative cost |
| 4. Power | Convert strength to speed | Explosive · Olympic lifts, jumps, contrast | 2–3 by level | Starts, attacks, punchy climbs, trail explosiveness |
| 5. Peak | Sharpen for one A-race | Low volume · high quality | 2 | Arrive fresh — optional for most cyclists (see note above) |
| 6. In-Season | Hold strength, protect riding | Submaximal · minimal lower-body gym work | 2 max | Strength focus shifts on-bike: low-cadence torque, standing starts & seated big-gear work |
The bodyweight-only track — every phase, at every level, no gym
Bodyweight is not one extra version tacked onto each phase — every level of every phase has its own bodyweight-only version: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, all six phases, 18 bodyweight blocks alongside the 18 gym blocks. Same phase, same order, same four movement patterns (hinge, squat, press, pull) and the same frequency caps. With no barbell to add load, progression comes from harder variations instead: tempo, pauses, longer eccentrics, single-leg progressions and jump progressions — scaled to your level, as the table shows. In the explorer above, pick your level, then choose "Bodyweight only" as the equipment to see that exact block's sample session.
| Block — bodyweight | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|
1. AA
Tempo 3-1-1 circuits, technique first | Sit-to-stand, wall / incline push-up, towel row, assisted split squat — 2×/wk | Full bodyweight squat, floor push-up, inverted row, split squat + reverse lunge — 2–3×/wk | Pause squats, feet-elevated push-up & row, bodyweight Bulgarian split squat — 3×/wk |
2. Hypertrophy
Slow eccentrics, pauses, higher reps | Tempo squats, assisted split squats, glute bridges, incline push-up & row volume — 2×/wk, 3 × 12–15 | Tempo squat & split squat, single-leg glute bridge, push-up & inverted-row volume, step-ups — 2–3×/wk | Tempo Bulgarian split squats, single-leg hip thrust, deficit / archer push-ups, feet-elevated rows — 3×/wk, 4 sets |
3. Max Strength
The hardest variations you own | Assisted skater squat, partial-range Nordic eccentric, hardest push-up variation you own — 2×/wk, 3 × 6–8 | Skater squat, assisted Nordic eccentric, deficit push-up, feet-elevated row — 2×/wk, 4 × 5–8 | Pistol-squat progression, full Nordic eccentric, pseudo-planche push-up — 2–3×/wk, 4–5 × 4–6 |
4. Power
Maximal intent, low reps, full rest | Low counter-movement & broad jumps, jump & stick, incline explosive push-up — 2×/wk, low impact | Counter-movement & broad jumps, single-leg hop & stick, split jumps, lateral bounds, plyo push-ups — 2×/wk | Depth jump to broad jump, single-leg bounds, repeated lateral bounds, clap push-ups — 2–3×/wk |
5. Peak
Low volume, crisp quality only | Chair squat, glute bridge, incline push-up & knees-bent row — 2×/wk, 2 × 6–8 crisp | Bodyweight squat / split squat, crisp push-ups & rows, low jump & stick — 2×/wk | Single-leg squat progression, feet-elevated push-up & row, single-leg hop & stick — 2×/wk, sharpest & lightest |
6. In-Season
Minimum lower-body maintenance | Incline push-up, knees-bent row, assisted split squat, glute bridge — 2×/wk max, plus on-bike torque work | Push-ups, inverted rows, light split squats & glute bridges — 2×/wk max, plus on-bike torque work & standing starts | Feet-elevated push-up & row, light single-leg squat progression — 2×/wk max, plus on-bike torque work & standing starts |
How a year runs: AA (8 wks) → Hypertrophy (8) → Max Strength (8) → Power (8) in the off-season and build, then In-Season (8-week rolling blocks, repeated) through race season. Peak (8) is slotted only before a single priority A-race if you use it at all. Bodyweight-only riders follow the exact same phase order — tempo, pauses, single-leg progressions and plyometric progressions replace external load as the progression lever.
The arc in one line: Legs are the focus in AA, Hypertrophy and Max Strength → leg work converts to power in Power → leg volume tapers in Peak → in-season, legs drop to minimum gym maintenance and strength work moves on-bike.
