Hi Dylan. Have you or are you planning to revise the base plans to add some intensity? Considering the 15hr + weights plan to provide some structure starting up next week. Thanks!
Hello Dylan, how long should zone 2 rides be for adaptations to kick in? Am one of those tight-schedule guys who can't allocate 3-4 hours in a row, but 1-2 every day will do. Will it be enough to make any sense?
Dylan Johnson, is probably the best source of useful academic/practical data for training. He is informed, accurate and inserts humor in such away that makes all of his videos interesting and beneficial to thos interested in creating beneficial training programs.
Very timely Dylan as I have been looking at exactly this question compiling my training plan for next year. I am a 66 year old, recreational cyclist who has been seriously cycling for over 30 years. I have entered La Marmotte in the French Alps again for next year and this will be my third and probably last time of doing that event. I have been watching and re-watching a lot of your videos along with other coaches online like Stephen Seiler and I have been utilising a polarised training approach for a few years now. As a recreational cyclist I don't really do periodisation as such but naturally cut back because of the weather in the Winter here in the UK. I usually try to do one higher intensity ride a week at this time of year on Zwift and a couple of outside social rides with friends. I have also started weight training as well, all down to you! I'll do that for the first couple of months of the year as my Base phase increasing the mileage week-on-week and then probably add another higher intensity workout in the second two month Build phase whilst still trying to increase the mileage. Thanks very much for all the help and suggestions you provide, much appreciated 👍👍👍
67 here, former road and track racer way way back in the ancient days of yore (it was still the Amateur Bicycle League Of America when I started, and it was still the USCF when I stopped!!), and just 2 months back from an almost 25 year total absence of cycling, or really any aerobic/anaerobic endurance sports. It is great that you are addressing HIT session work being incorporated into the 'base' training of those who were already VERY VERY fit for YEARS on end, with NO layoffs whatsoever (save for some off season 'slacking' while doing said gym/weight work). But, what exactly should I be doing for an actual base after all of those years away, considering that (very much unlike all of you) I've lost every and ALL trace(s)of any aerobic/anaerobic fitness altogether, and my 'base' is NOT the same as all of your 'maintenance' bases?? I am still quite unsure about what exactly I should be doing as a said 'base' as far as volumes go, and even type of riding (according to modern day training mindsets/methodologies) as I do know what we did back in the fossil days as a base. Avoid major climbs, spin my azz off at 110 revs in tiny gears, easily windmill on the big ring, etc.??????? Are there any hints as to generally what should be doing, especially since I lack both any form of power meter, OR heart rate monitor (i.e.; what gearing at what RPM, just like the good ol' very low tech days), since talking about what 'zones' I should be in is meaningless without an accurate power meter???? Then there is the question, given my situation of no substantial former fitness (after THAT long of a layoff), of just how long should I be working on/staying in a 'base' mode before even attempting any HIT/intervals/etc. I am REALLY confused here! 😕
As always enjoy your videos. Whenever I consider the "science" you're presenting I always have to consider that I don't race, never did and am older (70). For me the off season is actually a good time to throw in 1-2 high intensity training sessions each week. This is particularly helpful since my mileage drops considerably as winter approaches and I've already gotten a good rest. Just comparing my HIT sessions over the past few weeks I can already see improved heart rate and power numbers. The point is that science can mean different things to different types of riders. In this case at least for me racers vs non-racers.
This makes sense. I think it’s related more to neural training than physical training. After doing lots of low intensity work, HIIT is daunting and uncomfortable. We want HIIT to feel normal and comfortable, not odd and foreign. So, it’s for the mind and nerves, not for physical stress and development.
You are basically asking people to possibly sacrifice gains for the sake of science....and almost all the time you don't get paid. Furthermore, getting a study to run long enough (e.g. 12 months) would be incredibly hard to sustain and fund. So it really isn't baffling...it is common sense.
Perfect timing! Love ur videos, started gym in october following your advice and already have good results on the bike. Plus I feel lucky to hear this content as here in France people mostly have garbage content on UA-cam (like french GCN leg shaving tutorials) and rarely watch US content. Keep going!
It's not so different that what you used to recommend iirc. You used to recommend doing one base block without intensity, then include one threshold session per week during one block, then two per week on the third. (That's what I did last year) After three blocks you'll probably go on with your build training. Thank you for your content as always
Happy Holidays! This is exactly what i needed to see today! I signed up for the Leadville 100 MTB in August, and until earlier this year I had never cycled or mountain biked. Granted, you're on whole other level, but this information is really helpful even for a beginner like me! Thanks!
Everyone has finally figured out that the intensity of CX racing (intervals) during the traditional roadie off-season has helped MvdP, Wout, and Tom Pidcock reach phenomenal levels of fitness during the road season.
As a mtn biker, I feel like you absolutely have to get in an occasional fun high intensity ride during the 5+ months of offseason and base training. Fitness aside, keeping your technical skills and vision fresh will put you in a better state for trail riding when the specific training starts.
I have been experimenting with polarized training but in a very different way. When I go riding in the off-season I usually try to make it a three hour ride. I always start out with low intensity and then go to a medium intensity ride for a shorter time(usually half) then ill ride hard intensity for half of the medium intensity. This seems to give me all the training zones in one ride. I do this without taking a break as I seem to cool off way too much when I stop for any length of time. So far it seems to be working for me. My time to exhaustion has increased quite a bit. Ive also incorporated some weight training and running to my training to add extra strength and cardio. Ive also put in plenty of recovery time in between workouts. 👍
How do cyclists like van der Poel and van Aert, and I guess you can throw in Pidcock, manage to peak 3 different times a year; spring classics, grand tours and full cyclocross seasons?
Follow the requirements for a taper/peak: Drive up TSS/volume -> decrease volume while increasing intensity -> recover Nobody is peaking for an entire grand tour, maybe 3-7 stages tops. Most guys aren’t peaking at 100% either, they are performing at 95-98% of their peak for most of the season. For a lot of guys, grand tours are the only way to get the volume to create a taper effect (recovering while also racing) since you are basically racing year round and can’t truly peak for a race. The spring classics are probably the only races that get true peaks, and for these racers the grand tours can serve as base building for the next classics season!
This is revealing news. I would go nuts if I couldn’t do the occational harder interval sesson duing off/base season. As a roadie in Sweden now is not the season for reaching the peak. The main problem I have is that now is the time for longer slower rides (60-65% of ftp) but due to freezing temperatures and sunsets before 15:00 this is only possible on the trainer. Long sessons on the trainer is just boring. It will be a little easier enduring the hours on the trainer when knowing you’re allowed to gently blend in some HIT workouts already at the start of base training. Thank’s for this update and all the other science based insights that have helped me alot structuring my training/racing.
Thanks for another year of great content. My opinion on these topics immediately changes when I watch one of your videos as I don't have time or the desire to read any research on these topics. Keep it up!
Great discussion -- It's very difficult for me to mix in high intensity rides with heavy gym training this time of year. There just isn't enough recovery time to do that every week. But doing a high intensity ride once every two weeks sounds more doable. I'm wondering if you have or will have an off-season training plan that incorporates gym work, endurance rides, plus a high intensity ride every so often?
Just bought your XC and Marathon MTB Build, 15 hours (8 weeks) training plan, very excited to get started. I have previously used Trainerroad, however it was all intensity and not enough volume, I was hopeful when they bought out adaptive training as I thought I could do 2-3 TR workouts a week and then do endurances rides! Only to find that non TR workouts are not taken in to account. After looking at your plan it seems to have everything I want, not sure I will get all the hours in every week but I'll have a good try.👍👍
That's interesting. I have used successfully Trainerroad for almost 2 years and I achieved a really high boost in performance (like 212 to 335W of FTP). Did you feel any burnout doing too much intensity as well? Adaptative Training is great to adapt to my workout results (so is the AI to estimate FTP) but on top of too much intensity, it's like I am repeating the same thing over and over. I give a coach I met a try like you do, how is it so far?
Dylan, I have been pondering on this question for a while, and my favorite races are time trials. I wasnt satisfied with the common wisdom of no intensity during base. So i turned toward runners and how they do it. World class tend to use pyramidal approach year round. Their high intensity efforts are short. However, they try to keep max HR below 90%
I would love to hear what you think about pros on the road doing cyclocross in the winter (MVP, WVA, Picock). They seem to not really have a base season, or at least a very unconventional one.
@Seppe De Vos They're base season is way shorter than most roadies. Wout's "base" season was from the end of Paris Roubaix this fall until his first CX race in December. He raced two weekends then went to Spain for 9 days of trainings which included road, running, and CX practice. Now he's coming back to jump back into CX racing on 12/26. He certainly doesn't do the old style roadie boring base trainings.
@Seppe De Vos indeed.. the sarcasm of my post must have been lost :) I do high intensity all year, just less volume in winter cause it's crap outside, and also psychologically i prefer short and intense over long and low intensity most of the time anyway.... :)
WAY, way back, a lot of road pros used to do the winter 6 Day circuit on the Euro indoor board tracks. Probably did not build their strength quite like riding CX, but it damn sure well got their speed up, if they were lacking that factor.
I personally find winter in the UK quite 'stressful' and adding too much high intensity training just adds to that stress! Plus in general people don't eat as well in winter and the lack of Vitamin D means recovery isn't as good as in summer.
I love your channel (even though I am a "gasp" triathlete). You do a great job of breaking down research. How soon before you announce that you are going back to grad school to do your own? You'd be good at it.
Reverse periodization is a way to take advantage of the available daytime that is much shorter during winter in the northern hemisphere, providing you can find time to train, you may find that kind of training programme might not yield as good results as traditional periodization. Pros don't have to deal with such a busy schedule where you go to work and it's night out there, and you go back home and it's already night too.
Regarding the study by Ronnestad, Askestad and Hansen on HIT during transition, it looks on the graphic result display that the 40 minute all out power for the traditional, non-HIT group DID pretty much catch up to that metric for the HIT group at the end of the study - 3.8 w/kg vs. 4.0 w/kg, estimated by eyeballing the graph. Given the “N’s” of 6 & 7 for the groups, I’m guessing that the 0.2w/kg difference between the groups was not statistically significant, even though a persistent improvement of that magnitude would be quite significant for an individual during the course of training. On the other hand, the VO2 data wasn’t displayed, and maybe that’s what showed the significant benefit of HIT during transition. Really like your podcast, though!
Hey Dylan, great job, I like your videos. One thing though: I like to actually look at the plots and figures you post, not just hear you summarize them. I freeze the video and try to understand what the data are telling us. I think you are really just posting these little snippets so we can see that there really are data, or maybe just to give us something to look at other than a talking head, but I like 'em. Sometimes (as in this video, with at least one of the figures) I can't interpret some of them because of a missing caption or legend. Not a big deal but if you did manage to include captions and legends where needed, the few of us who care about this stuff would appreciate it!
I have been following your Off Season Plan (that I just finished a week or so ago) and now your Base Training Plan to the letter. Since I have plenty of climbs in my area a few extra efforts once in a while added to the plan is about all I will need, IMHO. Will you be updating your plans now or just let guys like me make the call on when and when to do a bit of harder efforts? I will be ordering up the Fast plan soon. Having a plan to follow works well for me...much better than winging it.
You can get pretty good intensity the day after heavy squats, sometimes better. Maybe the hormones? But then you'll pay dearly on day three, day four, or maybe for a whole week. Was hoping this video would explain what base training is, and why anyone would need it.
Awesome video Dylan. Currently following one of your base phase training plans. Do you have any strategies on what to do if you miss a workout or two? During the holiday season, external factors can interrupt my training plan. Keep up the great content.
As a track/road cyclist i do track all the year for high intensity and i do low intesity and mid intensity on the road all the year with only low intensity during the road's off-season, and progressively more mid intensity in january... I'm sometimes '' burn '' during the middle of road season and i do one week off ( literaly 0 road and 0 track ) every time i'm coocked, the problem with track races is that it Never stop during the year AND the best races are during the road's off season 😅
Hi all, Hi Dylan; great content as always. For the long course triathletes out there, if we take your advice about raising specificity as we get closer to events, would it be right to stay polarized (80/20) and work 15% Vo2max / 5% tempo in the base season, then switch to more specificity with 15% tempo / 5% Vo2max in the build/race phase ? Thanks !
I don't think it matters how you spread the polarisation out, providing you are doing a 90/10 - 80/20 split of low/high intensity. I simply like to do 1-2 higher intensity rides per week and the rest at zone 2 (6-7 zone model). I included zone 2 rides over 4 hours as 'high'.
I am a scientist first and a cyclist 2nd ... i was the first person to ever say the books are wrong ... I said this on UA-cam channels and on my strava not so long ago
I really appreciate your literature based approach to your videos. It would be awesome if you could do a video on how a 6’4, 260 pound middle aged guy like me should approach cycling training and nutrition when I am using cycling for weight loss but also have some endurance cycling events planned throughout 2022. Is there benefit to fasted training? Do the recommendations in your cycling nutrition video from 2 years back apply to my goals? Also, can your training plans be uploaded to Zwift? Thanks.
Hey Dylan, great video! Just wondering how strict the Z2 should be for the endurance rides? I live in quite a hilly area and it's not really possible to climb 12-14% gradients in HR Z2 (I don't have a power meter so train by HR). I usually dip into mid - high Z3 (HR) for 5-7 mins a few times a ride, else it would be literal snail pace for the climbs. Cheers!
Hy Dylan, That's an interresting point. Do you think there can be a caveat for riders participating in a lot of races throughout the season ? If you are racing from february to september (usual federal calender), adding intensity into the winter seems to be a bit to much mentaly. Maybe keeping it unstuctured could help ? Great content as allways !
Anyone shed any light on what volume do you need for zone 2 to be beneficial? I have an roughly an hour a night Monday to Friday, plus a long ride on Sundays - that gives me 8-10 hours per week My ‘plan’ for 2022 started in December. I’ve been in the gym 3x a week doing strength work, and then all zone 2 cardio on top which was gonna last till end of feb. 45 mins treadmill after every weight session, hour on treadmill on off days, keeping with a long ride on Sundays I’ll get back on the trainer for intensity/intervals through March/April doing a Sufferfest plan and hopefully be ‘fit’ going into may/June for the summer Just feel like I’m wasting my time atm. Hour on a treadmill in zone 2 and I’m barely sweating 😅 I don’t want to look back in may and feel like the last 6 months have been a complete waste of time. Should I just do the usual and follow the Sufferfest with gym 3x a week like every other year? 😅🤷🏻♂️
Hi Dylan, question; Would you expect rider type aerobic vs. anaerobic will have a significant impact on the response to high intensity workouts and recovery? As a natural sprinter type, that has played footbal (soccer for the average American) for very long, the couple of sprints in a once a week high intensity workout feel like 'nothing'. I feel it would be worth it to incorporate these characteristics in a multifactorial analysis like a GLMM. Thanks for sharing your content freely. Much appeciated by me (as a scientist) saves me from digging up these papers. Keep up the good content. E
The big question is, what VOLUME do you need for traditional base training to be beneficial heading into next season. Only riding 6-7hrs a week, I've found that maintaining intensity throughout the "off-season" isn't that challenging. In fact, I prefer it. If you're riding 12-14hrs a week, I could see how adaptations could be made to your aerobic base by sticking to less intense work. This is just an anecdotal take on this.
I have the same question. What volume is required for a recreational cyclist that don’t compete but does not want to slow a group during a long endurance ride and be confortable at a sustained endurance power. For 7ish hours a week of low intensity, my perception is that I am not gaining any benefits. I am trying something different for 2022. 2hours a day with the blue pace partner in Zwift. No surging and keeping endurance level work. Take one day off per week. Then towards March add HIIT intervals. I have been at it in Zwift for a month and I’m surprised. Reating HR went down, which is a good sign.
If we are crunched on time is it more beneficial to train zone 2 or high intensity. Say we can only put in 4 hours a week of structured time, not including daily life moving around.
So sprinkle in some higher intensity to support the zone 2 work got it but if time doesn't allow for a decent zone 2 duration is sweet spot the next best thing? Obviously it's better than nothing.
Speaking of not clinging on to entrenched ideas: Is the 7-day week the optimal cyclic time block for training programs? Some middle-distance track athletes (or their coaches) used to apply a 9-day "week" as a more optimal cyclic block. Rationale being that middle distance athletes need to train for cardiovascular capacity (endurance), speed endurance, sprinting, and strength training. That's a lot to fit into 7 days, so the 9 day block allowed for more programing flexibility. Clearly more ideal for full-time athletes. Thoughts?
As a road and track rider, i haven't really had a offseason... What can i do to be fresh for the road season after the track season is finished, while not lose to much.
Thanks for the video So how would a typical endurance ride look like? Is it a case of riding at the same pace for let's say 3 hours without adding any intervals in between? I am asking this because I am using zwift predominantly and I don't see any plans there that would specifically fit this purpose. Thanks
TR cited some research that supports doing your interval sessions before your lifting session, provided there is 3+ hours between the interval session and lifting. Anecdotally, this seems to jive with what I've experimented with, but I'm curious what your thoughts are on it @Dylan? Did I misunderstand what TR concluded? With such a small amount of training stress from the shorter, maintenance focused intensity sessions it seems reasonable that your body can absorb that stress without negatively impacting the gym work.
Hi Dylan, how is "long zone 2 rides" defined? can that be 2 times 90 min on a day or does that have a different effect than doing 180 in one long one? Greetings from Denmark
A question i wish someone would address... I've been doing nothing but endurance and recovery along with dedicated weight lifting twice a week this past month. My power at endurance hr has done nothing but decrease. I did 180w at first and now I'm in the 130-140w range.. I'm pretty sure it's because I've completely lost my engine. I think I'm going to quit.. maybe gain another 100 along the way.
I m on the off season but there is a KOM that i would rely like to get. Is doing some openers and a 3 min full effort in the second week of off season detrimental? Should I wait 1 week more and doi it during base training and risk not getting them KOM due to løs of fitness or can 1 do it before the base?
Dylan Is there any data on smart trainer vs training outside I all ways train outside because in my mind Smart training makes you good at riding on a smart trainer
As always great info. If you do 100 min of training. 80 min easy 15 min moderate and 5 min intense. Does that count for pyramidal training or do you have to do it on seperate days?
Dylan, I watched and am following your training on 10 hours a week vid, very interested in what happens. Any idea what sort of gains are expected for different levels of cyclists? This'll be my first year actually training + more volume than before.
You'll see huge improvements relatively quickly If you follow the structure properly and are honest with yourself if this is your first year, you'll gain a lot of cardiovascular endurance and power output, some years down the line it may become harder to keep making Improvements without dedicating more and more time to training.
Thanks for another video but what could be real popular and gain you lots of subs and likes would be a video...the title could be something like PEDs, TUEs, politics, the UCI and WADA...the current situation in the road, gravel and mtb scene...whattda reckon? Does anyone got the balls to break the omerta?
@@smgyn riding with a weighted backpack only injury's your back. You'll be putting out the same wattage and going slower. If you were running that's a different story. Being in an upright position it strengthens your core. But in cycling because of the extreme position you'll be doing more damage than good
Yes, it's really helpful. And, as well as bodyweight exercises as mentioned below, you could potentially invest in some weights you could use at home, such as kettlebells. For e.g., prior to getting in the gym I was doing goblet squats with a kettlebell. Obviously, they're not going to be heavy weights as required, but potentially it's better than nothing.
Need more help with your training? I have online training plans available here: www.trainingpeaks.com/coach/dylanjohnsontraining#plans
Hi Dylan. Have you or are you planning to revise the base plans to add some intensity? Considering the 15hr + weights plan to provide some structure starting up next week. Thanks!
Hello Dylan, how long should zone 2 rides be for adaptations to kick in? Am one of those tight-schedule guys who can't allocate 3-4 hours in a row, but 1-2 every day will do. Will it be enough to make any sense?
Did you check all new 2-zone studies?..
Why in your plans There is the
Monday rest? I would like to train every day and I am used to high volumes
Great info. I find the occasional unstructured hard ride to be just mentally refreshing at this time of year.
Dylan Johnson, is probably the best source of useful academic/practical data for training. He is informed, accurate and inserts humor in such away that makes all of his videos interesting and beneficial to thos interested in creating beneficial training programs.
I fully agree!
By the way, is there any other similar channel with a good mix of science/training/ humor? 😀
Try Stephen Seiler
Very timely Dylan as I have been looking at exactly this question compiling my training plan for next year. I am a 66 year old, recreational cyclist who has been seriously cycling for over 30 years. I have entered La Marmotte in the French Alps again for next year and this will be my third and probably last time of doing that event. I have been watching and re-watching a lot of your videos along with other coaches online like Stephen Seiler and I have been utilising a polarised training approach for a few years now.
As a recreational cyclist I don't really do periodisation as such but naturally cut back because of the weather in the Winter here in the UK. I usually try to do one higher intensity ride a week at this time of year on Zwift and a couple of outside social rides with friends. I have also started weight training as well, all down to you!
I'll do that for the first couple of months of the year as my Base phase increasing the mileage week-on-week and then probably add another higher intensity workout in the second two month Build phase whilst still trying to increase the mileage.
Thanks very much for all the help and suggestions you provide, much appreciated 👍👍👍
I think it's really important for masters athletes to keep a weekly high intensity session as we lose our VO2max much faster than younger cyclists.
Yes, good point
Love this. I'm a few years behind you (will turn 60 this year) and am impressed by your training. Thanks for the inspiration!
67 here, former road and track racer way way back in the ancient days of yore (it was still the Amateur Bicycle League Of America when I started, and it was still the USCF when I stopped!!), and just 2 months back from an almost 25 year total absence of cycling, or really any aerobic/anaerobic endurance sports.
It is great that you are addressing HIT session work being incorporated into the 'base' training of those who were already VERY VERY fit for YEARS on end, with NO layoffs whatsoever (save for some off season 'slacking' while doing said gym/weight work).
But, what exactly should I be doing for an actual base after all of those years away, considering that (very much unlike all of you) I've lost every and ALL trace(s)of any aerobic/anaerobic fitness altogether, and my 'base' is NOT the same as all of your 'maintenance' bases??
I am still quite unsure about what exactly I should be doing as a said 'base' as far as volumes go, and even type of riding (according to modern day training mindsets/methodologies) as I do know what we did back in the fossil days as a base.
Avoid major climbs, spin my azz off at 110 revs in tiny gears, easily windmill on the big ring, etc.???????
Are there any hints as to generally what should be doing, especially since I lack both any form of power meter, OR heart rate monitor (i.e.; what gearing at what RPM, just like the good ol' very low tech days), since talking about what 'zones' I should be in is meaningless without an accurate power meter????
Then there is the question, given my situation of no substantial former fitness (after THAT long of a layoff), of just how long should I be working on/staying in a 'base' mode before even attempting any HIT/intervals/etc.
I am REALLY confused here! 😕
“Gravel has been ruined”. For some reason, that resonates with me.
As always enjoy your videos. Whenever I consider the "science" you're presenting I always have to consider that I don't race, never did and am older (70). For me the off season is actually a good time to throw in 1-2 high intensity training sessions each week. This is particularly helpful since my mileage drops considerably as winter approaches and I've already gotten a good rest. Just comparing my HIT sessions over the past few weeks I can already see improved heart rate and power numbers. The point is that science can mean different things to different types of riders. In this case at least for me racers vs non-racers.
This makes sense. I think it’s related more to neural training than physical training. After doing lots of low intensity work, HIIT is daunting and uncomfortable. We want HIIT to feel normal and comfortable, not odd and foreign. So, it’s for the mind and nerves, not for physical stress and development.
Holy crap. This is so helpful and perfect timing. Just getting back into that time of year for build and this is the exact info I want to hear!!!
its baffling that there is not more studies on this topic, this seems to be a basic foundational question for endurance sports in the off-season
You are basically asking people to possibly sacrifice gains for the sake of science....and almost all the time you don't get paid. Furthermore, getting a study to run long enough (e.g. 12 months) would be incredibly hard to sustain and fund. So it really isn't baffling...it is common sense.
Perfect timing! Love ur videos, started gym in october following your advice and already have good results on the bike. Plus I feel lucky to hear this content as here in France people mostly have garbage content on UA-cam (like french GCN leg shaving tutorials) and rarely watch US content. Keep going!
Thank you for the work Dylan !
Base training + the saturday 3h ride with the old boys (really strong riders) is the way to go
It's not so different that what you used to recommend iirc.
You used to recommend doing one base block without intensity, then include one threshold session per week during one block, then two per week on the third. (That's what I did last year) After three blocks you'll probably go on with your build training.
Thank you for your content as always
well said!
Happy Holidays! This is exactly what i needed to see today! I signed up for the Leadville 100 MTB in August, and until earlier this year I had never cycled or mountain biked. Granted, you're on whole other level, but this information is really helpful even for a beginner like me! Thanks!
Everyone has finally figured out that the intensity of CX racing (intervals) during the traditional roadie off-season has helped MvdP, Wout, and Tom Pidcock reach phenomenal levels of fitness during the road season.
And they do a ton of sweet spot, which is a feuded topic.
Agreed
As a mtn biker, I feel like you absolutely have to get in an occasional fun high intensity ride during the 5+ months of offseason and base training.
Fitness aside, keeping your technical skills and vision fresh will put you in a better state for trail riding when the specific training starts.
I have been experimenting with polarized training but in a very different way. When I go riding in the off-season I usually try to make it a three hour ride. I always start out with low intensity and then go to a medium intensity ride for a shorter time(usually half) then ill ride hard intensity for half of the medium intensity. This seems to give me all the training zones in one ride. I do this without taking a break as I seem to cool off way too much when I stop for any length of time. So far it seems to be working for me. My time to exhaustion has increased quite a bit. Ive also incorporated some weight training and running to my training to add extra strength and cardio. Ive also put in plenty of recovery time in between workouts. 👍
Excellent video/information. BH Dylan is hilarious, as usual …
Thanks for all the great videos Dylan. I wish you happy holidays.
I don't wish you happy holidays
Excellent as usual Dylan. back to endurance rides and the gym workouts for Mr W
How do cyclists like van der Poel and van Aert, and I guess you can throw in Pidcock, manage to peak 3 different times a year; spring classics, grand tours and full cyclocross seasons?
They go hard all year round and after a few years they collapse. You can't do that for long.
Follow the requirements for a taper/peak: Drive up TSS/volume -> decrease volume while increasing intensity -> recover
Nobody is peaking for an entire grand tour, maybe 3-7 stages tops. Most guys aren’t peaking at 100% either, they are performing at 95-98% of their peak for most of the season. For a lot of guys, grand tours are the only way to get the volume to create a taper effect (recovering while also racing) since you are basically racing year round and can’t truly peak for a race.
The spring classics are probably the only races that get true peaks, and for these racers the grand tours can serve as base building for the next classics season!
They take mini breaks during the year...but they're levels never go too low so it doesn't take them long to get back close to peak fitness.
Honestly, doping cycles.
To know that, you would have to know what their doctors prescribe. What their doctors prescribe isn't available for normal folks.
This is exactly the info I'm looking for these days, thx Dylan
I'm with the backward hat dude on disc brake road bikes.
This is revealing news. I would go nuts if I couldn’t do the occational harder interval sesson duing off/base season.
As a roadie in Sweden now is not the season for reaching the peak. The main problem I have is that now is the time for longer slower rides (60-65% of ftp) but due to freezing temperatures and sunsets before 15:00 this is only possible on the trainer. Long sessons on the trainer is just boring. It will be a little easier enduring the hours on the trainer when knowing you’re allowed to gently blend in some HIT workouts already at the start of base training.
Thank’s for this update and all the other science based insights that have helped me alot structuring my training/racing.
Thanks for another year of great content. My opinion on these topics immediately changes when I watch one of your videos as I don't have time or the desire to read any research on these topics. Keep it up!
My issue this time of year is avoiding intensity so it's good to know I can have the occasional "fun ride" and not mess things up.
11:54 Thank you! It can't be said often enough!
Insanely good channel.
This is your best video yet, Dylan. I've always pondered this question myself. Thank you so much!
Love your research based advice. It definitely helps me adjust my training as necessary.
I was just wondering about this. Thanks Dylan!
you are the bible and go to person for all cycling info. keep it up and thank you very much!
Great discussion -- It's very difficult for me to mix in high intensity rides with heavy gym training this time of year. There just isn't enough recovery time to do that every week. But doing a high intensity ride once every two weeks sounds more doable. I'm wondering if you have or will have an off-season training plan that incorporates gym work, endurance rides, plus a high intensity ride every so often?
Quality content, and to the point. Appreciate your videos dude
Just bought your XC and Marathon MTB Build, 15 hours (8 weeks) training plan, very excited to get started. I have previously used Trainerroad, however it was all intensity and not enough volume, I was hopeful when they bought out adaptive training as I thought I could do 2-3 TR workouts a week and then do endurances rides! Only to find that non TR workouts are not taken in to account. After looking at your plan it seems to have everything I want, not sure I will get all the hours in every week but I'll have a good try.👍👍
That's interesting. I have used successfully Trainerroad for almost 2 years and I achieved a really high boost in performance (like 212 to 335W of FTP). Did you feel any burnout doing too much intensity as well? Adaptative Training is great to adapt to my workout results (so is the AI to estimate FTP) but on top of too much intensity, it's like I am repeating the same thing over and over. I give a coach I met a try like you do, how is it so far?
Good timing for this info. Thank you!
Dylan,
I have been pondering on this question for a while, and my favorite races are time trials. I wasnt satisfied with the common wisdom of no intensity during base. So i turned toward runners and how they do it.
World class tend to use pyramidal approach year round. Their high intensity efforts are short. However, they try to keep max HR below 90%
Thanks from Australia.
As always, excellent info!
Excellent advice as always
I would love to hear what you think about pros on the road doing cyclocross in the winter (MVP, WVA, Picock). They seem to not really have a base season, or at least a very unconventional one.
@Seppe De Vos They're base season is way shorter than most roadies. Wout's "base" season was from the end of Paris Roubaix this fall until his first CX race in December. He raced two weekends then went to Spain for 9 days of trainings which included road, running, and CX practice. Now he's coming back to jump back into CX racing on 12/26. He certainly doesn't do the old style roadie boring base trainings.
Yep, just imagine how much better they'd be if they didn't do all that "nasty high intensity" pretty much all the year round..... ;)
@Seppe De Vos indeed.. the sarcasm of my post must have been lost :) I do high intensity all year, just less volume in winter cause it's crap outside, and also psychologically i prefer short and intense over long and low intensity most of the time anyway.... :)
WAY, way back, a lot of road pros used to do the winter 6 Day circuit on the Euro indoor board tracks.
Probably did not build their strength quite like riding CX, but it damn sure well got their speed up, if they were lacking that factor.
Superb, many thanks!
Good info, still hope to hear from you about variable/shift work schedules and structured training.
Thank you for sharing!
Maintenance intensity is why WVA & MVDP smash each other for an hour a week during Cross season and enter Classics season on God Mode
good video! great info
I personally find winter in the UK quite 'stressful' and adding too much high intensity training just adds to that stress! Plus in general people don't eat as well in winter and the lack of Vitamin D means recovery isn't as good as in summer.
I love your channel (even though I am a "gasp" triathlete). You do a great job of breaking down research. How soon before you announce that you are going back to grad school to do your own? You'd be good at it.
Good video. Thanks 👍
Reverse periodization is a way to take advantage of the available daytime that is much shorter during winter in the northern hemisphere, providing you can find time to train, you may find that kind of training programme might not yield as good results as traditional periodization. Pros don't have to deal with such a busy schedule where you go to work and it's night out there, and you go back home and it's already night too.
Regarding the study by Ronnestad, Askestad and Hansen on HIT during transition, it looks on the graphic result display that the 40 minute all out power for the traditional, non-HIT group DID pretty much catch up to that metric for the HIT group at the end of the study - 3.8 w/kg vs. 4.0 w/kg, estimated by eyeballing the graph. Given the “N’s” of 6 & 7 for the groups, I’m guessing that the 0.2w/kg difference between the groups was not statistically significant, even though a persistent improvement of that magnitude would be quite significant for an individual during the course of training. On the other hand, the VO2 data wasn’t displayed, and maybe that’s what showed the significant benefit of HIT during transition.
Really like your podcast, though!
Hey Dylan, great job, I like your videos. One thing though: I like to actually look at the plots and figures you post, not just hear you summarize them. I freeze the video and try to understand what the data are telling us. I think you are really just posting these little snippets so we can see that there really are data, or maybe just to give us something to look at other than a talking head, but I like 'em. Sometimes (as in this video, with at least one of the figures) I can't interpret some of them because of a missing caption or legend. Not a big deal but if you did manage to include captions and legends where needed, the few of us who care about this stuff would appreciate it!
check the video description! the study links are in there
I have been following your Off Season Plan (that I just finished a week or so ago) and now your Base Training Plan to the letter. Since I have plenty of climbs in my area a few extra efforts once in a while added to the plan is about all I will need, IMHO. Will you be updating your plans now or just let guys like me make the call on when and when to do a bit of harder efforts? I will be ordering up the Fast plan soon. Having a plan to follow works well for me...much better than winging it.
You can get pretty good intensity the day after heavy squats, sometimes better. Maybe the hormones? But then you'll pay dearly on day three, day four, or maybe for a whole week. Was hoping this video would explain what base training is, and why anyone would need it.
Awesome video Dylan. Currently following one of your base phase training plans. Do you have any strategies on what to do if you miss a workout or two? During the holiday season, external factors can interrupt my training plan. Keep up the great content.
I’ve been messing around with this a little bit as well
Yeah but the problem is that if you have training weeks between 7-9 hours per week, only doing low intensity wont cause enough training stress.
Mine are under 7hrs!
Depends on your level. But sure enough, if you're watching this video, then 7-9h/w isn't enough for you.
@@GeorgianGrec damn, got hit by a car and broke my pelvis in two places. Guess I can't watch this video then.
As a track/road cyclist i do track all the year for high intensity and i do low intesity and mid intensity on the road all the year with only low intensity during the road's off-season, and progressively more mid intensity in january... I'm sometimes '' burn '' during the middle of road season and i do one week off ( literaly 0 road and 0 track ) every time i'm coocked, the problem with track races is that it Never stop during the year AND the best races are during the road's off season 😅
great information.
Hi all, Hi Dylan; great content as always. For the long course triathletes out there, if we take your advice about raising specificity as we get closer to events, would it be right to stay polarized (80/20) and work 15% Vo2max / 5% tempo in the base season, then switch to more specificity with 15% tempo / 5% Vo2max in the build/race phase ? Thanks !
effing love BWHD ...so funny every time!
Not really grown-up
thanks
I don't think it matters how you spread the polarisation out, providing you are doing a 90/10 - 80/20 split of low/high intensity. I simply like to do 1-2 higher intensity rides per week and the rest at zone 2 (6-7 zone model). I included zone 2 rides over 4 hours as 'high'.
I am a scientist first and a cyclist 2nd ... i was the first person to ever say the books are wrong ... I said this on UA-cam channels and on my strava not so long ago
Who asked
@@luke3491 you should act like the 😽 you were born to be ..
Cry about it.
I really appreciate your literature based approach to your videos. It would be awesome if you could do a video on how a 6’4, 260 pound middle aged guy like me should approach cycling training and nutrition when I am using cycling for weight loss but also have some endurance cycling events planned throughout 2022. Is there benefit to fasted training? Do the recommendations in your cycling nutrition video from 2 years back apply to my goals?
Also, can your training plans be uploaded to Zwift? Thanks.
Hey Dylan, great video! Just wondering how strict the Z2 should be for the endurance rides? I live in quite a hilly area and it's not really possible to climb 12-14% gradients in HR Z2 (I don't have a power meter so train by HR). I usually dip into mid - high Z3 (HR) for 5-7 mins a few times a ride, else it would be literal snail pace for the climbs. Cheers!
I have climbs like that too. I tough it out and avoid them completely on z2 rides.
My offseason lasts for 51 weeks
Hy Dylan,
That's an interresting point. Do you think there can be a caveat for riders participating in a lot of races throughout the season ? If you are racing from february to september (usual federal calender), adding intensity into the winter seems to be a bit to much mentaly. Maybe keeping it unstuctured could help ?
Great content as allways !
Anyone shed any light on what volume do you need for zone 2 to be beneficial? I have an roughly an hour a night Monday to Friday, plus a long ride on Sundays - that gives me 8-10 hours per week
My ‘plan’ for 2022 started in December. I’ve been in the gym 3x a week doing strength work, and then all zone 2 cardio on top which was gonna last till end of feb. 45 mins treadmill after every weight session, hour on treadmill on off days, keeping with a long ride on Sundays
I’ll get back on the trainer for intensity/intervals through March/April doing a Sufferfest plan and hopefully be ‘fit’ going into may/June for the summer
Just feel like I’m wasting my time atm. Hour on a treadmill in zone 2 and I’m barely sweating 😅 I don’t want to look back in may and feel like the last 6 months have been a complete waste of time. Should I just do the usual and follow the Sufferfest with gym 3x a week like every other year? 😅🤷🏻♂️
Great video. Can you recommend a good plant base protein? Cannot consume dairy products ?
Hi Dylan, question; Would you expect rider type aerobic vs. anaerobic will have a significant impact on the response to high intensity workouts and recovery?
As a natural sprinter type, that has played footbal (soccer for the average American) for very long, the couple of sprints in a once a week high intensity workout feel like 'nothing'. I feel it would be worth it to incorporate these characteristics in a multifactorial analysis like a GLMM.
Thanks for sharing your content freely. Much appeciated by me (as a scientist) saves me from digging up these papers. Keep up the good content.
E
The big question is, what VOLUME do you need for traditional base training to be beneficial heading into next season. Only riding 6-7hrs a week, I've found that maintaining intensity throughout the "off-season" isn't that challenging. In fact, I prefer it. If you're riding 12-14hrs a week, I could see how adaptations could be made to your aerobic base by sticking to less intense work. This is just an anecdotal take on this.
I have the same question. What volume is required for a recreational cyclist that don’t compete but does not want to slow a group during a long endurance ride and be confortable at a sustained endurance power. For 7ish hours a week of low intensity, my perception is that I am not gaining any benefits. I am trying something different for 2022. 2hours a day with the blue pace partner in Zwift. No surging and keeping endurance level work. Take one day off per week. Then towards March add HIIT intervals. I have been at it in Zwift for a month and I’m surprised. Reating HR went down, which is a good sign.
If we are crunched on time is it more beneficial to train zone 2 or high intensity. Say we can only put in 4 hours a week of structured time, not including daily life moving around.
So sprinkle in some higher intensity to support the zone 2 work got it but if time doesn't allow for a decent zone 2 duration is sweet spot the next best thing? Obviously it's better than nothing.
Speaking of not clinging on to entrenched ideas: Is the 7-day week the optimal cyclic time block for training programs? Some middle-distance track athletes (or their coaches) used to apply a 9-day "week" as a more optimal cyclic block. Rationale being that middle distance athletes need to train for cardiovascular capacity (endurance), speed endurance, sprinting, and strength training. That's a lot to fit into 7 days, so the 9 day block allowed for more programing flexibility. Clearly more ideal for full-time athletes. Thoughts?
Thx so much Dylan these video really help me sleep
BHD would agree, too much boring, sleep inducing science
@@roebbiej I would
As a road and track rider, i haven't really had a offseason... What can i do to be fresh for the road season after the track season is finished, while not lose to much.
Train harder stop being a wimp
Thanks for the video
So how would a typical endurance ride look like? Is it a case of riding at the same pace for let's say 3 hours without adding any intervals in between?
I am asking this because I am using zwift predominantly and I don't see any plans there that would specifically fit this purpose.
Thanks
TR cited some research that supports doing your interval sessions before your lifting session, provided there is 3+ hours between the interval session and lifting. Anecdotally, this seems to jive with what I've experimented with, but I'm curious what your thoughts are on it @Dylan? Did I misunderstand what TR concluded? With such a small amount of training stress from the shorter, maintenance focused intensity sessions it seems reasonable that your body can absorb that stress without negatively impacting the gym work.
at 4.45 when you said cutting out intensity completely does that include cutting out weight training?
Hi Dylan,
how is "long zone 2 rides" defined? can that be 2 times 90 min on a day or does that have a different effect than doing 180 in one long one?
Greetings from Denmark
Hey dylan could you do a video about lung training like holding the breath would it helt performance?
its garbage- your lung capacity is not a limiter to performance.
@@gte534j *if your lungs are healthy and fully functional.
Johnny one plate
A question i wish someone would address... I've been doing nothing but endurance and recovery along with dedicated weight lifting twice a week this past month. My power at endurance hr has done nothing but decrease. I did 180w at first and now I'm in the 130-140w range.. I'm pretty sure it's because I've completely lost my engine. I think I'm going to quit.. maybe gain another 100 along the way.
I m on the off season but there is a KOM that i would rely like to get. Is doing some openers and a 3 min full effort in the second week of off season detrimental? Should I wait 1 week more and doi it during base training and risk not getting them KOM due to løs of fitness or can 1 do it before the base?
Dylan Is there any data on smart trainer vs training outside I all ways train outside because in my mind Smart training makes you good at riding on a smart trainer
Best winter training are 7 zwift races a week
I wonder if his recommendations would be different for crit cyclist.
As always great info.
If you do 100 min of training. 80 min easy 15 min moderate and 5 min intense.
Does that count for pyramidal training or do you have to do it on seperate days?
Separate sessions. Any high intensity session is going to have lower intensity periods within it but it counts as a high intensity session.
Did I see a CTL of 23? This makes BHD sad..
I like Chris Horners approach, never do intervals, just ride hard all the time. It's simple and fun
Dylan, I watched and am following your training on 10 hours a week vid, very interested in what happens. Any idea what sort of gains are expected for different levels of cyclists? This'll be my first year actually training + more volume than before.
You'll see huge improvements relatively quickly If you follow the structure properly and are honest with yourself if this is your first year, you'll gain a lot of cardiovascular endurance and power output, some years down the line it may become harder to keep making Improvements without dedicating more and more time to training.
Will you update your training plans matching this new approach?
Yes!
Just get better
Wait so followings VCs train like a Pro wont get me Pro numbers ?? 😩Lol
Thanks for another video but what could be real popular and gain you lots of subs and likes would be a video...the title could be something like PEDs, TUEs, politics, the UCI and WADA...the current situation in the road, gravel and mtb scene...whattda reckon? Does anyone got the balls to break the omerta?
Is climbing with a 5kg backpack a great idea for training?
Just ride at a higher wattage
@@samgordon4615 Yep, didn't think of that🤦🏼♂️
@@smgyn riding with a weighted backpack only injury's your back. You'll be putting out the same wattage and going slower. If you were running that's a different story. Being in an upright position it strengthens your core. But in cycling because of the extreme position you'll be doing more damage than good
WVA >>> MVDP 🚴💨
WVA is More stable and more universal. But not better at all than MVDP
How to execute a base training ride: good topic for a video. Just saying.
Gyms are closed in my area. Do I really need to do gym work?
I started gym work for a month but stopped, gym's have to be one of the worst breeding ground for Covid.
No, just do some push-ups, pull-ups, box jumps, lunges, and planks twice a week and you will be good to go. No fancy or expensive equipment required.
Yes, it's really helpful. And, as well as bodyweight exercises as mentioned below, you could potentially invest in some weights you could use at home, such as kettlebells. For e.g., prior to getting in the gym I was doing goblet squats with a kettlebell. Obviously, they're not going to be heavy weights as required, but potentially it's better than nothing.
You is riding is cold too much i guess. Your voice is a bit different