Procedure

1. Initial Assessment & Setup

   • Identify the user's current average commute duration and frequency.
   • Use compute_hr_zones to establish Zone 2 (conversational pace) and Zone 4 (threshold).
   • Use remember to store the baseline Saturday ride duration (1.5x–2x daily commute).

2. Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1–3)

   • Cycling: Schedule daily commutes at Zone 2. Use create_workout for a Saturday Endurance ride, increasing duration by 10% each week.
   • Strength: Use add_exercise to schedule two sessions (Tue/Thu) featuring Bulgarian Split Squats, Single-Leg Deadlifts, Hip Thrusts, and Pallof Presses.
   • Overload: Set 2 sets of 8–10 reps for strength, focusing on form.

3. Phase 2: Deload 1 (Week 4)

   • Apply a 40–50% reduction in total weekly ride time and gym sets.
   • Remove all high-intensity efforts; all rides must be Zone 1 or Zone 2.
   • Maintain commute frequency but reduce duration/effort.

4. Phase 3: Progression (Weeks 5–7)

   • Intervals: Use update_workout to modify Wednesday morning commutes to include 3–5 sets of 3-minute Zone 4 efforts with 3-minute easy spin recoveries.
   • Volume: Continue 10% weekly increases for the Saturday long ride.
   • Strength: Increase intensity to 3–4 sets of 4–6 reps with higher resistance/weight.

5. Phase 4: Deload 2 & Taper (Week 8)

   • Reduce weekly ride time by 40–50% to allow systemic recovery.
   • Schedule strength maintenance: 2 sets of 8 reps at 50% of the weight used in Week 7.

6. Monitoring & Adjustments

   • Apply the 5–10% Rule: Ensure total weekly volume (time or TSS) never exceeds a 10% increase from the prior week.
   • Sequence overload following the hierarchy: Volume → Intensity → Density.
   • If the user reports a significant spike in morning Resting Heart Rate (RHR), recommend an immediate unplanned deload day.