All-Purpose Road - "With Strength" adds to cycling duration?

If I look to schedule a new training plan and select “All-Purpose Road” (Level: Advanced) and then select “Indoor Only, With Strength”, the volume of cycling increases for every week without adding any strength plan (and the cycling volume remains the same after you then add strength training).

Is this not counter-intuitive? If you add strength training too you’d want to drop the cycling volume just a little, but if you’re only cycling you’d want to increase it?

As it stands, if I want maximum cycling volume and I’m not fussed about the strength program, I’m best off selecting “With Strength” and just not adding any strength exercises…

Is there a reason for this?

Did you check the coaches notes? Often a ride on the same day as strength might be adjusted down. Eg. I did Who Dares last week on a strength day. All of the sprints were at a lower percentage.

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While the volume shifts up slightly the intensity, especially in the first 4 weeks is significantly reduced for the All-Purpose w/ Strength plan. The initial adaptation to strength training will negatively impact your ability on the bike, especially on any high-intensity sessions. Even though there is the extra training stress of the strength training, the cycling sessions are less strenuous, which leaves room to add a bit more low-intensity volume.

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