These are the main concepts/principles I use for every athlete I coach. Anytime I ask myself, “what is best for this athlete”, I go back to these three concepts:
Concept #1: Progressive Overload
To improve, you have to overload your body. Meaning, make things tougher in order to improve. This “overloads” your body, and then with the right amount of rest your body supercompensates and gets faster!
Two main ways to make things tougher and lead you to getting faster:
- Volume: simple; make rides longer (i.e. Base training)
- Intensity: makes things tougher (i.e. intervals)
Volume: yes, good, but maybe not always… “Linear Periodization” and Traditional Base training are very much based off this “Volume Concept”. There are advantages to doing straight base miles (long rides, zones 1–3 and steady): increased fat utilization, increased threshold, increased mitochondrial density, increased cardiac output, etc… but the biggest downside is the amount of volume you have to do in order to achieve this. On top of that, there are other ways to get these adaptations.
So, going back to Progressive Overload — if you don’t make it harder than previous years (meaning more time on the bike), then it most likely will lead to you coming back into the season in the exact same shape as last year… because you gave it the exact same overload. If you are a Pro rider, maybe that 20–30 hour week set you up well and you want to repeat it. Fantastic! You are Pro and that’s all you do!
Getting to the majority of riders out there… do what works for you. Meaning, if you spent 14 hours a week training last year during base zones 1–3 rides, if you do the same this year you are producing a very similar overload and most likely will see a similar state of fitness come time to race.
The average rider does not have the time, especially in the winter, to put in the time to progressively make this tougher. 12–16 hours is the typical max for most riders per week. If you are not the “average” rider: great! Add more time to the training plans! Maybe more Base is good for you. But, the plans I put together take into account what I feel is best for the average rider for the specific racing you are doing, and apply the best concepts possible.
Many times this means we are overloading the weekend rides with volume because you have more time to train on the weekends. Overloading the weekends still gets you these volume benefits that I mentioned earlier. And it fits most riders’ schedules better.
And during the week we are overloading with intensity, because many athletes have full time jobs and other commitments. So time is an issue during the week. 2–5 hour rides are tough to get in, and that’s what traditional Base training is about… long, steady rides!
Intensity: Why?
High intensity short efforts are specific to Florida racing, and they are race proven and scientifically proven methods of improvement. Google the term HIIT, and look over the multiple research articles you find. They give you a lot of bang for your buck: less time on the bike, with a lot of results! Do these right, and you will come into the early season riding very good. On top of that, you can easily overload your body every week in the same amount of time. You don’t need that extra time. And you get great benefits!
Going back to the main concept: Progressive Overload. Pick either Intensity or Volume, and focus each ride, week, or month on building this specific energy system. The effort needs to be longer or harder (higher power is fine) than previously. With the proper rest, your athletes will improve and continue to get better.
Concept #2: Individualization
The training plan should be specific to the individual you are training. Here’s a few areas you need to consider:
- Age
- Past fitness and sports background
- Time to Train
- Type of athlete: what drives them
- Strengths/Weaknesses
- Goals
Evaluate these by asking lots of questions and getting to know your athlete as well as possible. Try to determine what drives them, especially for younger athletes, and how to manipulate the training to best suit that need.
Concept #3: Specificity
Get specific to the event your athlete is getting ready for.
The timing of this is important also. Typically, starting 2–3 months before the athlete’s key event(s), you will want to start to make sure a majority of their workouts are specific to that event(s). I.E. If you are expecting lots of 1–3 minute climbs, then incorporate training designed around that.
If your athletes are getting ready for Florida racing, make sure they are very good both technically (turns especially!), in passing on singletrack (critical in Florida), and also have a good fitness base. Florida is unique in racing, so design the workouts to work best for this!
These concepts are the main ones I focus on when looking at an athlete, and will continue to do so throughout the year(s) I work with them. If you nail these down, it will help you analyze each athlete independently and help them continue to improve throughout the season.