I’m currently managing 5-6 hours a week on a low volume plan. 4w/kg, FTP has been about the same for last couple of years. Feels like I’ve reached a plateau.
One morning a week I go to the gym. Started doing this about 18 months ago to prevent injury on the bike + overall health.
Could swap this for an extra three or four hours on the bike.
WWYD?
3 hours on the bike and 1 hour (20 mins / day x3 per week) doing some bodyweight exercises at home
Adding 50+% to your weekly cycling volume is more likely to improve your cycling than one morning per week in the gym, isn’t it?
I don’t understand how a morning at the gym equates to 3-4 hrs on the bike in terms of time consumption.
Suggest a third option - buy a set of adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands, and a few other rudimentary exercise items for the house, and do (2) 1 hr strength training sessions and 2 additional hrs on the bike. 4 hrs total.
I’m 100% on board the strength training train, but I’d struggle to justify 1 session being more valuable than 4 hrs on the bike.
I took a quick look at your account and it looks like you have been making steady progress on the Low Volume Training Plan, and your FTP is the highest it has been in recent years!
This is awesome, well done!
Your steady progress suggests your cycling training stimulus is enough to make progress at the moment. Could you make even greater progress if you were able to dedicate more time to cycling? If that increased volume was still within your recovery capabilities, perhaps.
But there are many direct and indirect benefits that come from Strength Training that I think make the time investment worth it. If you’re able to split your time into two individual sessions spread throughout the week, it would likely give you more return for your time investment!
I suggest you listen to this podcast episode with Derek Teel from DialedHealth, where Jonathan and himself discuss how and why cyclists should fit Strength Training into a Training Plan/ schedule.
Give it a listen, and let me know if you have any questions after!
I’m just jealous that you have 4wt/kg on 5 hours a week.
Appreciate the response!
I’m not that inclined to help them either 
But… I agree with @ivegotabike
For your goals I think “little and often” bodyweight or kettlebells at home will be more benficial than 1x big gym session a week and it wont effect your cycling as much.
If it means you also have more time for cycling then thats even better.
Appreciate the reply. Are there any YouTube videos or similar you’d recommend to structure an at-home strength session?
Cycling Weekly had a feature about it earlier in the year
and there is a GCN video
Loads more if you search something like “bodyweight exercises cycling”
What’s your goal?
Get faster: ride your bike.
Overall wellness/injury prevention: strength train.
My question is: why not both?