I started last season as a Cat 3 racer here in Ireland having been promoted at tail-end of prior season. Started season well and was feeling good about prospects and then came to a halt in May. Got diagnosed with sarcoidosis, relatively rare inflammatory disease, in September which explains that. Have been dealing with the condition, and pneumonia it brought on, since then and have been doing well to manage without ongoing steroids.

I'm at the point where I'm able to now start some exercise - after 5mths off, it'll be a long and gradual road, and I've been told I won't be allowed go over 80% intensity for likely another year or more. It's driving me nuts, though at least I have Zwift for when I'm up to it. I'd really like to get a home gym setup in my back yard to work on leg strength - while I can't do maximal reps much, I figure starting a routine of some max 80% intensity leg strength workouts now will have good benefit over the course of a year and will give added power for when I do get back into the swing of things fully.

A friend I was roughly on par with went from 3.8W/Kg to 5.02W/Kg over the winter, and puts it down to weight sessions in the gym and increasing cadence. I'm very, very time crunched, so gym visits are not an option. Don't have space in house or shed for gym gear right now, will do when I move house in next 6-9mths, but for now wanted to get advice on what equipment (budget of about 500euro) I could get to put outdoors in my back yard that will withstand rain etc., and what exercises I should focus on. All exercise routines I will embark on will be agreed with my specialist in advance, so please don't worry about that side, I'm looking at a long-term, gradual approach and want to see what groundwork I can lay now that'll help over a year or more.