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A Simple Cycling Training Plan

  • By Bicycling


Pro athletes typically build a base by spending a few months focusing on long, moderately paced rides, for at least 15 hours per week. But many amateur cyclists, who may have only an hour each day on the bike, can't effectively build an aerobic base this way because six to eight weekly hours of easy riding aren't enough to achieve the necessary adaptations. After about a month your body will be used to the workload, and you'll stop improving. Also, you don't necessarily need a giant aerobic base for shorter events such as cyclocross races or even hard-charging club rides.

The solution: a series of eight-to 11-week "build periods," separated by four to six weeks of recovery. During the build blocks, you'll do four hard rides per week, with intervals that boost lactate threshold (basically, the hardest pace at which you can ride comfortably) and VO2 max (your aerobic capacity, or your body's maximum capacity to process oxygen). This allows you to achieve the necessary workload in eight hours or less, leaving you three days for recovery and the rest of your busy life. Because fatigue accumulates over time, the recovery periods will let you recharge. This on/off structure differs from the traditional base-building method, but the result is similar: My athletes usually see performance increases as they progress through two or three build/recovery cycles in a year.

Build and Recover


If you're new to cycling or haven't trained in more than a year, do six weeks of low-to moderate-intensity riding before starting your first build. If you've been off the bike for only six to 12 months, start with three or four weeks of easy riding.

Plan your builds around goal events, such as a crit series or century. You may shorten or lengthen the recovery periods by a week or two as needed.

Target endurance during recovery periods: Ride easy for two weeks, then spend six to eight hours a week on moderate-to-challenging efforts, including group outings, hills, and longer rides.

Your Sample Build Block


The six-week training schedule in the gallery below is an adaptation of a plan from The Time-Crunched Cyclist.

Key:


EM = Endurance Miles—Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) level of 7 on a scale of 1 (easy) to 10 (all-out)
RBI = Rest Between Intervals
RBS = Rest Between Sets
OU = Over/Under Intervals—RPE 7 on the Unders and RPE 9 on the Overs. Ride at your Under intensity for the indicated time, then increase your effort to your Over intensity. When you've completed the prescribed amount of Over time, return to your Under intensity. Repeat until the end of the interval.
PI = Power Intervals—RPE 10. Take 30 to 45 seconds to ramp up your power/effort level, then pedal at the highest intensity you can maintain for the length of the interval.

FastPedal = In an easy gear, pedal as fast as you can without bouncing in the saddle. Read the original article published on Bicycling.com.

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