“Anything Less Than Two Hours Is A Short Workout”

Madshus World Cup racer Lucas Bögl puts in up to 30 hours a week in preparation for the is preparing for the 2020-21 season. Check out his favorite workout.

The 30-year-old from Holzkirchen in Bavaria is entering his fourth season with the German national A-team, and with the 2021 FIS Nordic World Championships on home turf in February-March, Bögl is training hard to take his performance all the way to the podium this season.

“I had my strongest season ever, and I’m continuing to build on that, with even more emphasis on altitude training and periodization,” he explains.

“My training plan is based on a 4-week program. The first three weeks I focus on putting in enough hours, both easy distance and intensity. I usually train between 22 and 27 hours each of these weeks, and sometimes even more than 30 hours. After these three weeks, I have an easy week with only 10 to 12 hours of training where the main focus is recovery,” says Bögl.

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What is your favorite workout?
“In the dryland season, I love long runs or bike rides. Long roller ski workouts are nice too, but I prefer running and biking if I can choose, especially when I can do it in the mountains. When I say long, I mean three hours or more. Anything less than two hours is a short workout.”

Why do you like it?
“I love being in the mountains, and I’m not a sprinter, so I love the feeling I get from the long, slower-paced efforts.”

What is the specific training effect from that workout?
“The long, level-one workouts are crucial to building your endurance base, which is money in the bank in preparation for the season. A solid endurance base is important for the longer distance races as well as maintaining your performance level throughout the race season. The long workouts are also useful in training your body’s ability to burn fat for fuel.”

How often do you do these kinds of workouts?
“That depends on the time of the year and where I am in my training phase, but if I’m in a volume block, I generally put in these kinds of long workouts two or three times per week.”

How long have you skied on Madshus equipment?
“I won my first event, on Madshus skis a long time ago. That was the Bavarian Championships for children, and I have never skied on anything other than Madshus ever since then.”

QUICK FACTS: Lucas Bögl
Born: June 14, 1990
From: Holzkirchen, Bavaria (GER)
Lives: Rupholding, Bavaria (GER)
Career: Student, working on his master’s degree in Economic Psychology in Ismaning, Bavaria (GER)
Goals for the upcoming season: Medal at the 2021 FIS Nordic World Championships in Oberstdorf – on home turf in Germany, podium and top-10 finishes in the FIS World Cup and FIS Tour de Ski,
Selected merits:
* Current German champion in the team sprint, silver medal in the 15km F
* 6th in the relay, 15th in the 15km F and 16 in the 30km Skiathlon at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang (KOR)
* Several top-10 and top-15 World Cup finishes