Mountain Biking - AC/NM Building Block - and Strength Plan

Hey all - I’m a beginner/intermediate mountain bike rider who rides road as an alternative. Completed a good base program this spring, followed by a MAP block (my weakness), and I’m now into a AC/NM Building Block plan (I love the building blocks - thank you Sufferfest!).

My plan has been to gradually tailor my training away from endurance (my 6 hour summer race was cancelled) to strength and skill improvement. From a planning perspective, I think the MAP and AC/NM blocks will augment skills training very well, with the inclusion of strength (separate plan) and yoga (included in the AC/NM block).

One note (question?) is that I think adding the strength training over the AC/NM block can lead to a bit more stress than desired on the legs. While I haven’t skipped an (intermediate) strength session yet, I have shifted the day, and I’m giving myself permission to skip one based on how I am feeling and the training load immediately before and after that day.

Kind of curious if any other Mountain Bikers are also stoked to use the AC/NM (and MAP) blocks, like I am? One thing I haven’t yet figured out is how to get more time on the trail while doing these blocks… I’ve been resting my back the last few weeks. But ideally, I should be doing more trail rides and fewer sessions. Will have to figure that out for my next block.

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I’m a mountain biker when I’m outside but NM, AC & MAP are my relative strengths so I’m actually tempted by the base and tempo blocks as I know that’s where my weakness lies (my FTP prefers the couch to actually turning up most of the time). If you want to mix in strength and outside rides then, curious, why not look at one of the MTB plans?

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MTBer here too (though been off for 5 months what with this virus).
I don’t use the blocks as I’ve been messing with my own versions. But I do explicitly focus on MAP at the start of every week.
To be honest that gets me bike fit irrespective of discipline though. It just needs done.

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You are exactly right - I was looking past the obvious answer. Reviewing the choice of videos, there seem to be a good many with NM/AC focus. I suppose I should choose between off-season and in-season MTB plan in accordance with how much structure and outdoor time I want. I’ll have to do some comparison there.

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Hey jt,
MTB here too. Actually started with the SUF on a MTB plan many years ago. Did advanced MAP and AC and then began playing with my own programs.

During the season I don’t focus on strength too much as the racing season and regular training rides that I put together on my ATP keep me pretty well fit and structured. Plus, “bombing your quads” is a helluva yoga/strength session all it’s own.

I found SUF strength not compatible with my custom stuff late spring, but that was really me just pushing that too late into an already ramped up volume and intensity program. During the season I do a good amount of AC and MAP work but at shorter durations and actually higher intensities than what is typically called for. This is to simulate race stimulus. It has worked quite well for the few races I’ve managed this year and I’ve absolutely been lighting up trail segments with PRs, top 10s and an occasional KOM.

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