BHS
MTB
Pre-Season · BHS MTB Coaching Series

Get ready.

A personalized summer training program from the BHS MTB coaching staff. Pick your fitness, pick your days, see your week-by-week schedule. Tweak any time.

Comfortable
New Base Comfort Racing Serious

Raced at least one season. Comfortable on 2-3 hour rides. Goal: develop tempo and threshold fitness, sharpen for the season opener.

4 days
2 3 4 5
Plan Type

Mixed adds road, gravel, and trainer days for some endurance sessions, MTB stays for skills + long rides.

Pick a different date to plan ahead, or to start training on a specific Monday.

Plan length
12 weeks
Through
2026-07-31
Total volume
45.7 hrs
Sessions / wk
4
Export
· 12-week plan, ending the Friday before first practice.· Phases: 5 base · 5 build · 2 peak.
Reference Glossary (what Z2/Z4 feels like) Strength block About this plan

Week 1

Base
2026-05-11 · 3h 45m total
Mon
May 11
Rest
Tue
May 12
Z2
Endurance Ride
55 min
Aerobic base ride. Conversational pace, you can chat the whole time. Pick smooth, fun terrain: Marshall Mesa, Doudy Draw, lower Heil/North Sky, Valmont Bike Park flow. No hard efforts, no chasing PRs. Goal is time-in-zone, not speed.
Wed
May 13
Strength
Strength Session
30 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
May 14
Easy
Skills Session
38 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
May 15
Rest
Sat
May 16
Z2
Long Ride
1h 42m
Steady long ride. Z2 throughout. Eat and drink consistently, every 30-40 min for food. Pick something engaging with sustained climbing: Heil Valley's North Sky, Walker Ranch, or Marshall Mesa with extensions. The point is time on the bike, not speed. Finish feeling like you could keep going.
Sun
May 17
Rest

Week 2

Base
2026-05-18 · 4h 25m total
Mon
May 18
Rest
Tue
May 19
Z2
Endurance Ride
1h 5m
Aerobic base ride. Conversational pace, you can chat the whole time. Pick smooth, fun terrain: Marshall Mesa, Doudy Draw, lower Heil/North Sky, Valmont Bike Park flow. No hard efforts, no chasing PRs. Goal is time-in-zone, not speed.
Wed
May 20
Strength
Strength Session
35 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
May 21
Easy
Skills Session
45 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
May 22
Rest
Sat
May 23
Z2
Long Ride
2 hr
Steady long ride. Z2 throughout. Eat and drink consistently, every 30-40 min for food. Pick something engaging with sustained climbing: Heil Valley's North Sky, Walker Ranch, or Marshall Mesa with extensions. The point is time on the bike, not speed. Finish feeling like you could keep going.
Sun
May 24
Rest

Week 3

Base
2026-05-25 · 4h 25m total
Mon
May 25
Rest
Tue
May 26
Z2
Endurance Ride
1h 5m
Aerobic base ride. Conversational pace, you can chat the whole time. Pick smooth, fun terrain: Marshall Mesa, Doudy Draw, lower Heil/North Sky, Valmont Bike Park flow. No hard efforts, no chasing PRs. Goal is time-in-zone, not speed.
Wed
May 27
Strength
Strength Session
35 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
May 28
Easy
Skills Session
45 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
May 29
Rest
Sat
May 30
Z2
Long Ride
2 hr
Steady long ride. Z2 throughout. Eat and drink consistently, every 30-40 min for food. Pick something engaging with sustained climbing: Heil Valley's North Sky, Walker Ranch, or Marshall Mesa with extensions. The point is time on the bike, not speed. Finish feeling like you could keep going.
Sun
May 31
Optional
Bike Park (optional)
2 hr
Completely optional. Spend 1-3 hrs at Valmont Bike Park or any park with berms, drops, and small jumps. Work on cornering at speed, pumping, line choice, small drops/jumps, switchbacks under fatigue. Low aerobic stress, all about technique. If you'd rather rest, rest, this is a bonus, not part of the plan's hours.

Week 4

Base Recovery
2026-06-01 · 3h 6m total
Mon
Jun 1
Rest
Tue
Jun 2
Z2
Endurance Ride
46 min
Recovery week. Steady spin, conversational pace. Easier than it sounds, really hold back. The point is to absorb the work from previous weeks.
Wed
Jun 3
Strength
Strength Session
25 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
Jun 4
Easy
Skills Session
31 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
Jun 5
Rest
Sat
Jun 6
Z2
Long Ride
1h 24m
Recovery week. Steady spin, conversational pace. Easier than it sounds, really hold back. The point is to absorb the work from previous weeks.
Sun
Jun 7
Rest

Week 5

Base
2026-06-08 · 4h 25m total
Mon
Jun 8
Rest
Tue
Jun 9
Z2
Endurance Ride
1h 5m
Aerobic base ride. Conversational pace, you can chat the whole time. Pick smooth, fun terrain: Marshall Mesa, Doudy Draw, lower Heil/North Sky, Valmont Bike Park flow. No hard efforts, no chasing PRs. Goal is time-in-zone, not speed.
Wed
Jun 10
Strength
Strength Session
35 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
Jun 11
Easy
Skills Session
45 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
Jun 12
Rest
Sat
Jun 13
Z2
Long Ride
2 hr
Steady long ride. Z2 throughout. Eat and drink consistently, every 30-40 min for food. Pick something engaging with sustained climbing: Heil Valley's North Sky, Walker Ranch, or Marshall Mesa with extensions. The point is time on the bike, not speed. Finish feeling like you could keep going.
Sun
Jun 14
Rest

Week 6

Build
2026-06-15 · 3h 41m total
Mon
Jun 15
Rest
Tue
Jun 16
Z3
Tempo
51 min
Sustained moderate effort. Breathing deeper, in short sentences. Good on smooth fire roads or gravel paths where you can hold steady: Doudy Draw to Spring Brook, the Switzerland Trail, the lower Marshall Mesa loop. Keep the effort steady, not surging.
Wed
Jun 17
Strength
Strength Session
30 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
Jun 18
Easy
Skills Session
38 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
Jun 19
Rest
Sat
Jun 20
Z2
Long Ride
1h 42m
Steady long ride. Z2 throughout. Eat and drink consistently, every 30-40 min for food. Pick something engaging with sustained climbing: Heil Valley's North Sky, Walker Ranch, or Marshall Mesa with extensions. The point is time on the bike, not speed. Finish feeling like you could keep going.
Sun
Jun 21
Optional
Bike Park (optional)
1h 42m
Completely optional. Spend 1-3 hrs at Valmont Bike Park or any park with berms, drops, and small jumps. Work on cornering at speed, pumping, line choice, small drops/jumps, switchbacks under fatigue. Low aerobic stress, all about technique. If you'd rather rest, rest, this is a bonus, not part of the plan's hours.

Week 7

Build
2026-06-22 · 4h 20m total
Mon
Jun 22
Rest
Tue
Jun 23
Z3
Tempo
1 hr
Sustained moderate effort. Breathing deeper, in short sentences. Good on smooth fire roads or gravel paths where you can hold steady: Doudy Draw to Spring Brook, the Switzerland Trail, the lower Marshall Mesa loop. Keep the effort steady, not surging.
Wed
Jun 24
Strength
Strength Session
35 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
Jun 25
Easy
Skills Session
45 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
Jun 26
Rest
Sat
Jun 27
Z2
Long Ride
2 hr
Steady long ride. Z2 throughout. Eat and drink consistently, every 30-40 min for food. Pick something engaging with sustained climbing: Heil Valley's North Sky, Walker Ranch, or Marshall Mesa with extensions. The point is time on the bike, not speed. Finish feeling like you could keep going.
Sun
Jun 28
Rest

Week 8

Build
2026-06-29 · 4h 20m total
Mon
Jun 29
Rest
Tue
Jun 30
Z3
Tempo
1 hr
Sustained moderate effort. Breathing deeper, in short sentences. Good on smooth fire roads or gravel paths where you can hold steady: Doudy Draw to Spring Brook, the Switzerland Trail, the lower Marshall Mesa loop. Keep the effort steady, not surging.
Wed
Jul 1
Strength
Strength Session
35 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
Jul 2
Easy
Skills Session
45 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
Jul 3
Rest
Sat
Jul 4
Z2
Long Ride
2 hr
Steady long ride. Z2 throughout. Eat and drink consistently, every 30-40 min for food. Pick something engaging with sustained climbing: Heil Valley's North Sky, Walker Ranch, or Marshall Mesa with extensions. The point is time on the bike, not speed. Finish feeling like you could keep going.
Sun
Jul 5
Rest

Week 9

Build Recovery
2026-07-06 · 3h 2m total
Mon
Jul 6
Rest
Tue
Jul 7
Z3
Tempo
42 min
Recovery-week intensity day: a touch of zip but nothing deep. RPE 6 max. Don't set records.
Wed
Jul 8
Strength
Strength Session
25 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
Jul 9
Easy
Skills Session
31 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
Jul 10
Rest
Sat
Jul 11
Z2
Long Ride
1h 24m
Recovery week. Steady spin, conversational pace. Easier than it sounds, really hold back. The point is to absorb the work from previous weeks.
Sun
Jul 12
Rest

Week 10

Build
2026-07-13 · 4h 20m total
Mon
Jul 13
Rest
Tue
Jul 14
Z3
Tempo
1 hr
Sustained moderate effort. Breathing deeper, in short sentences. Good on smooth fire roads or gravel paths where you can hold steady: Doudy Draw to Spring Brook, the Switzerland Trail, the lower Marshall Mesa loop. Keep the effort steady, not surging.
Wed
Jul 15
Strength
Strength Session
35 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
Jul 16
Easy
Skills Session
45 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
Jul 17
Rest
Sat
Jul 18
Z2
Long Ride
2 hr
Steady long ride. Z2 throughout. Eat and drink consistently, every 30-40 min for food. Pick something engaging with sustained climbing: Heil Valley's North Sky, Walker Ranch, or Marshall Mesa with extensions. The point is time on the bike, not speed. Finish feeling like you could keep going.
Sun
Jul 19
Rest

Week 11

Peak
2026-07-20 · 3h 41m total
Mon
Jul 20
Rest
Tue
Jul 21
Z4
Threshold Intervals
51 min
Hard but sustainable interval work. RPE 8 during efforts: you can barely speak a word. Best on a smooth climb (Flagstaff, Lookout Mountain, Lee Hill) or the trainer, somewhere you can hold the effort without traffic or technical sections breaking it up. Cool down well after, refuel within 30 min.
Wed
Jul 22
Strength
Strength Session
30 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
Jul 23
Easy
Skills Session
38 min
Technical practice, low aerobic stress, this is about deliberate practice, not fitness. Pick a feature-rich trail and ride sections slowly with intent: cornering, line choice, drops, switchbacks, slow-speed balance. Valmont Bike Park is purpose-built for this. Heil Valley's North Sky and Hall Ranch's lower flowy stuff also work well.
Fri
Jul 24
Rest
Sat
Jul 25
Z2
Long Ride
1h 42m
The week's big aerobic stimulus. Steady Z2 with a tempo block toward the end if you feel fresh. Pick something with real climbing: Walker Ranch loop, Heil Valley (North Sky + Picture Rock), Hall Ranch up-and-back, or a Marshall Mesa extension to Eldorado. Eat every 30-40 min, drink before you're thirsty.
Sun
Jul 26
Rest

Week 12

Peak Taper
2026-07-27 · 2h 11m total
Mon
Jul 27
Rest
Tue
Jul 28
Z4
Threshold Intervals
30 min
Taper week. Short, focused, finish feeling fresh. Save the legs for the season opener.
Wed
Jul 29
Strength
Strength Session
18 min
See the strength block below, pick the modality you have access to (bodyweight, dumbbell, or barbell). Lift before your ride if both are on the same day. Skip if your legs are completely cooked from the day before.
Thu
Jul 30
Easy
Skills Session
23 min
Taper week. Short, focused, finish feeling fresh. Save the legs for the season opener.
Fri
Jul 31
Rest
Sat
Aug 1
Z2
Long Ride
1 hr
Taper week. Short, focused, finish feeling fresh. Save the legs for the season opener.
Sun
Aug 2
Rest
Glossary

What the zones feel like.

The plan uses effort zones (Z1, Z5) instead of heart rate or power. Trust the feel, that's how pros train too. Click any pill in the calendar above to jump back here.

Z1

Recovery

Super easy spinning. You could nose-breathe the whole way and hold a phone call. If it feels like a workout, you're going too hard.

Z2

Endurance

Conversational. You could chat with a riding buddy for hours. Should feel like you're holding back, this is the bulk of your training.

Z3

Tempo

Comfortably hard. Short sentences only. You're working, but you could sustain it for 30 to 60 min if you had to.

Z4

Threshold

Hard. One or two words at a time. Can hold for 10 to 20 minutes then you're cooked. The edge of "I could keep going" and "I have to stop."

Z5

VO2 max

All-out. No talking, just breathing. Used in short repeats (30 sec to 5 min) with full recovery between. Hurts on purpose.

RPE quick reference

Some workouts use RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion), a 1 to 10 effort scale. Easy spin: 3 to 4. Endurance: 5 to 6. Tempo: 7. Threshold: 8 to 9. VO2: 10. If you have to ask whether you're going hard enough, you probably aren't.

Other terms you'll see
Skills ride
Low aerobic stress, all about technique. Cornering, body position, line choice, drops.
Long ride
Mostly Z2. Building time-in-saddle and aerobic base. The most important ride of your week.
Race sim
Mixed-zone effort that mimics race pacing: hard start, surges, sustained tempo, sprint finish.
Recovery week
Every 4th week. Volume drops about 30%, intensity drops too. Lets fitness adapt and avoid burnout.
Taper
Final week before racing. Volume drops about 50% but you keep some intensity. Arrive fresh.
Strength
Off-bike work. See the strength block reference below for exercises and reps.
Strength block reference

Cyclist Strength Block

A 40-45 minute session, 2-3×/week in Base, dropping to 1-2×/week in Build and Peak. Pick the modality you have access to, bodyweight is plenty if you're new, dumbbells are the sweet spot, barbells let you progress further over time. Lift BEFORE the day's ride if both are on the same day.

  • · Warm up 5 min: easy spin or light cardio + leg swings, hip circles
  • · Work through A–F in order. 3 sets each. Rest 90-120 sec between sets
  • · Quality > quantity. Stop a set if form breaks down
  • · Cooldown 5 min: hip flexor stretch, hamstring stretch, chest opener
A

Squat

Builds the quad and glute strength that translates to climbing power. The single biggest lift for cyclists.

Form: Feet shoulder-width, knees track toes (not collapsing in), chest up, drive through your heels. Go to depth you can control, thighs roughly parallel.

Bodyweight
Bodyweight squat
3×15-20
Dumbbell
Goblet squat (one DB at chest)
3×10-12
Barbell
Back squat
3×6-8
B

Hinge / Posterior chain

Hamstrings and glutes drive every pedal stroke. Most cyclists are dominant in the quads, this brings the back of the chain into balance.

Form: Hinge from the hips, soft knees, flat back. Push your butt back like you're closing a car door with it. Feel the stretch in the hamstrings.

Bodyweight
Single-leg glute bridge
3×10/side · 3 sec hold
Dumbbell
Romanian deadlift (DB)
3×8-10
Barbell
Romanian deadlift (BB)
3×6-8
C

Single-leg work

Cycling is unilateral, one leg at a time. Strengthens the smaller stabilizers and corrects left-right imbalances most riders have.

Form: Take a big step forward. Drop straight down (don't lean). Front knee tracks over the toe, doesn't dive inward. Drive up through the front heel.

Bodyweight
Split squat
3×10/side
Dumbbell
DB split squat (one DB each hand)
3×8/side
Barbell
Bulgarian split squat (rear foot elevated)
3×6/side
D

Push (upper body)

Controls the front end of the bike, handlebar, brakes, body weight distribution. Less about big muscles, more about stability.

Form: Elbows ~45° from body, body straight head-to-heel, full range of motion. Move with control on the way down.

Bodyweight
Push-up (knees if needed)
3×10-15
Dumbbell
DB overhead press (standing or seated)
3×8-10
Barbell
Overhead press (BB)
3×6-8
E

Pull (upper back)

Counterbalances the hunched-over cycling posture. Critical for neck and upper-back pain prevention on long rides.

Form: Pull elbows back and down, squeeze the shoulder blades together. Don't let your shoulders roll forward at the end of the rep.

Bodyweight
Inverted row (under sturdy table or low bar)
3×8-12
Dumbbell
Single-arm DB row
3×10/side
Barbell
Bent-over BB row
3×6-8
F

Core / anti-rotation

Transfers power from legs to bike. Stops you from wasting watts by wobbling laterally on hard efforts and climbs.

Form: Brace like someone's about to punch you in the gut. Quality of brace over duration.

Bodyweight
Plank (forearms)
3×30-60 sec
Dumbbell
Suitcase carry (one DB, walk 20m)
3×20m/side
Barbell
Standing barbell rollout (or stay with plank)
3×8-10
About this plan

Built on NICA's pre-season periodization model (Base → Build → Peak), USA Cycling youth development principles, and adolescent training-load research. Hard days are non-consecutive. 1-2 rest days every week. No single week exceeds the youth-athlete weekly volume guidelines.

Plan adjusts when you change settings. URL updates so you can bookmark or share. Always sane defaults, never prescribes harder than your level.

Coach says The fastest riders aren't the ones who do the most. They're the ones who show up, stack consistency, and recover well. Two days every week beats five days for two weeks.
Need help? Not sure which level fits, want to tweak something, or have a question about a workout? Email coach@boulderhighmtb.org and a coach will help you dial it in.