The best general plan for an all-around strength training routine is to adhere to the progressive resistance principle: As your body adapts to a training load, you must increase resistance to continue improving. When you can do a set of 10 to 12 repetitions of an exercise comfortably, you need to then increase the amount of weight, the number of reps, or the number of sets. Here’s a basic layout you can follow throughout the year that’ll help you advance.Strengthening Phase: November through March
Two or three times per week (but not on consecutive days), do one to three sets in each of these five areas.1. Upper-body pushing exercise, such as pushups, bench presses, or dips
2. Upper-body pulling exercise, such as pullups, bent rows, or upright rows
3. Abdominal core exercise, such as crunches
4. Lower-back exercise, such as back extensions
5. Leg exercise, such as stepups, lunges, or light squatsMaintenance Phase: April through October
Two times per week (preferably after an easy ride), do one set in each of these four areas.
1. Upper-body pushing, such as pushups, bench presses, or dips
2. Upper-body pulling, such as pullups, bent rows, or upright rows
3. Abdominal exercises, such as crunches
4. Lower-back exercises, such as back extensions
