Cycling is a great way to improve your fitness, health, and well-being. Whether you want to cycle for fun, for commuting, for racing, or for any other reason, you need a cycling training plan that suits your goals, your level, and your schedule.
A cycling training plan is a structured and progressive program that guides you through different types of workouts, such as endurance, speed, strength, recovery, and more. A cycling training plan helps you to:
- Improve your cycling performance and skills
- Avoid overtraining and injuries
- Stay motivated and focused
- Track your progress and achievements
But how do you create a cycling training plan that works for you? There is no one-size-fits-all answer, as everyone has different needs, preferences, and circumstances. However, there are some general steps and principles that you can follow to design your own cycling training plan. Here they are:
Step 1: Define your cycling goals
The first step to create a cycling training plan is to define your cycling goals. What do you want to achieve with your cycling? Do you want to:
- Ride faster, longer, or more efficiently?
- Complete a specific event, such as a century ride, a gran fondo, or a race?
- Lose weight, improve your health, or reduce stress?
- Have fun, explore new places, or meet new people?
Your cycling goals should be SMART, which means:
- Specific: Be clear and precise about what you want to accomplish.
- Measurable: Use numbers, metrics, or indicators to track your progress and success.
- Achievable: Set realistic and attainable goals that challenge you but do not overwhelm you.
- Relevant: Choose goals that matter to you and align with your values and interests.
- Time-bound: Set a deadline or a timeframe for your goals.
For example, a SMART cycling goal could be:
- I want to ride 100 km in less than 5 hours by the end of June.
- I want to lose 10 kg of body fat by cycling 3 times a week for 3 months.
- I want to have fun and make new friends by joining a local cycling club and participating in their weekly group rides.
Step 2: Assess your current cycling level
The second step to create a cycling training plan is to assess your current cycling level. This will help you to:
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses
- Determine your training zones and intensities
- Choose the appropriate workouts and exercises
- Adjust your training plan as you progress
There are different ways to assess your current cycling level, such as:
- Performing a fitness test, such as a 20-minute time trial, a ramp test, or a lactate threshold test. These tests measure your power output, heart rate, or blood lactate levels at different intensities, and help you to calculate your functional threshold power (FTP), maximum heart rate (MHR), or lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR). These metrics are used to define your training zones and intensities, which range from easy to maximal effort.
- Using a cycling app, such as Strava, Zwift, or TrainerRoad. These apps collect and analyze your cycling data, such as speed, distance, elevation, cadence, power, and heart rate. They also provide you with feedback, insights, and recommendations based on your performance and goals.
- Consulting a cycling coach, trainer, or expert. They can evaluate your cycling skills, technique, and fitness, and give you personalized advice and guidance on how to improve your cycling.
Step 3: Plan your cycling schedule
The third step to create a cycling training plan is to plan your cycling schedule. This means deciding:
- How often you will cycle per week
- How long you will cycle per session
- What type of workouts you will do each day
- When you will rest and recover
Your cycling schedule should be based on your goals, your level, and your availability. It should also be flexible and adaptable to your life and circumstances. Here are some general tips to plan your cycling schedule:
- Aim for 2 to 5 cycling sessions per week, depending on your goals and level. More is not always better, as you need to balance your training load with your recovery and adaptation.
- Vary the duration and intensity of your cycling sessions, depending on the type of workout. For example, you can do shorter and harder sessions for speed and power, and longer and easier sessions for endurance and stamina.
- Include different types of workouts in your cycling plan, such as:
- Endurance workouts: These are low to moderate intensity workouts that last from 1 to 4 hours or more. They improve your aerobic capacity, your fat burning, and your muscular endurance. They also help you to build a strong base for your cycling fitness.
- Speed workouts: These are high intensity workouts that last from 10 seconds to 10 minutes. They improve your anaerobic capacity, your lactate tolerance, and your neuromuscular power. They also help you to increase your speed and acceleration.
- Strength workouts: These are moderate to high intensity workouts that last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. They improve your muscular strength, your force production, and your pedaling efficiency. They also help you to climb hills and overcome resistance.
- Recovery workouts: These are very low intensity workouts that last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. They improve your blood flow, your oxygen delivery, and your waste removal. They also help you to recover from your hard workouts and prevent injuries.
- Plan your cycling schedule in cycles or phases, such as:
- Base phase: This is the first and longest phase of your cycling plan, lasting from 8 to 16 weeks or more. It focuses on building your endurance, your aerobic capacity, and your cycling skills. It consists mainly of endurance and recovery workouts, with some strength and speed workouts.
- Build phase: This is the second and intermediate phase of your cycling plan, lasting from 4 to 8 weeks. It focuses on increasing your intensity, your anaerobic capacity, and your cycling performance. It consists of a mix of endurance, strength, speed, and recovery workouts, with more emphasis on the latter two.
- Peak phase: This is the third and final phase of your cycling plan, lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. It focuses on fine-tuning your fitness, your power, and your readiness for your cycling goal. It consists of a mix of endurance, strength, speed, and recovery workouts, with more emphasis on the former two, and less volume and frequency.
- Taper phase: This is the last and optional phase of your cycling plan, lasting from 1 to 2 weeks. It focuses on reducing your fatigue, your stress, and your risk of injury. It consists of a few short and easy workouts, with some short and hard bursts to keep your sharpness.
- Plan your rest and recovery days, as they are essential for your cycling fitness and health. Rest and recovery days are days when you do not cycle, or when you do very easy and short cycling sessions. They allow your body and mind to recover from your training stress, and to adapt and improve your cycling abilities. You should have at least one rest day per week, and more if you feel tired, sore, or sick.
Step 4: Execute and evaluate your cycling plan
The fourth and final step to create a cycling training plan is to execute and evaluate your cycling plan. This means:
- Following your cycling plan as closely as possible, but being flexible and adaptable to your life and circumstances. If you miss a workout, do not panic or try to make up for it. If you feel tired, sore, or sick, take a break or reduce your intensity. If you feel bored, unmotivated, or stuck, change your routine or try something new.
- Monitoring and tracking your cycling progress and achievements, using tools such as a cycling app, a cycling diary, or a cycling coach. Record and analyze your cycling data, such as speed, distance, elevation, cadence, power, and heart rate. Review and celebrate your cycling milestones, such as completing a long ride, beating a personal record, or reaching a goal.
- Evaluating and adjusting your cycling plan as you progress, using feedback from your cycling data, your cycling diary, or your cycling coach. Identify what works and what does not work for you, and what you can improve or change. Update your cycling goals, your cycling level, and your cycling schedule accordingly.
Conclusion
Creating a cycling training plan that works for you is not a difficult or complicated task, but it requires some planning, research, and experimentation. By following the steps and principles outlined in this blog, you can design your own cycling training plan that suits your goals, your level, and your schedule. Remember, a cycling training plan is not a fixed or rigid document, but a dynamic and flexible guide that you can modify and improve as you go. The most important thing is to enjoy your cycling journey, and to have fun along the way. Happy cycling!
