It\u2019s easy to choose which plan to follow based on your upcoming event. Deciding how much training your plan should consist of, however, isn\u2019t always so obvious.<\/p>\n
There are three aspects of your training that can tell you if you\u2019re on the right path: the type of workouts you\u2019re doing, the intensity of your workouts and often much you\u2019re training.<\/p>\n
Every workout you do should get you closer to your goals. For that to happen, the workouts in your training plan should increase strength and endurance, build specific types of fitness to help you succeed in your event and enhance your cycling formwork. Every TrainerRoad training plan handcrafted by our Head Coach Chad Timmerman supports these objectives (take a look at his training process that makes cyclists faster<\/a>).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not following a TrainerRoad plan, you can examine your own workouts to ensure they follow Coach Chad\u2019s recommendations. These are the basic types of workouts you should complete as you get closer to your specific cycling events.<\/p>\n Road Racers: <\/strong>Endurance, Sustained Power, VO2 max, High Power, Burst Power<\/em><\/p>\n Triathletes: <\/strong>Endurance, Sustained Power, Threshold, VO2 max<\/em><\/p>\n Off Road Racers: <\/strong>Threshold, VO2 max, High Power, Burst Power<\/em><\/p>\n Gran Fondo Riders: <\/strong>Endurance, Sustained Power, Threshold<\/em><\/p>\n Power is the most effective way to measure your training<\/a> because it\u2019s a purely objective metric. By testing your Functional Threshold Power, you can determine the intensity of every workout you complete in your plan. This helps ensure all your workouts fall within the correct power zones.<\/p>\n Each of the seven power zones (as defined by Andrew Coggan<\/a>) is defined by a percentage of your FTP and a specific training adaptation. Power zones allow you to measure the amount of training stress your body is undergoing while you train based on a percentage of your FTP. Together, your FTP and the power zone<\/a> of each workout can show you whether you\u2019re training at the right intensity.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t already know your FTP, you can take a TrainerRoad FTP test with an indoor trainer. If you don\u2019t have an indoor trainer or a power meter, you can estimate your FTP with a TT assessment. You can also look at a power file or analyze training data from your power-meter software.<\/p>\n Your training volume is just as important as the type and intensity of your training. Training schedules are among the most common areas where cyclists over or underestimate their abilities, especially when they\u2019re new to indoor training.<\/p>\n Just like TrainerRoad training plans<\/a>, you can break up your training schedule into low, mid and high volumes. Based on your available training time and cycling fitness level, here\u2019s what you should be shooting for:<\/p>\n Low-volume plans: three high-intensity workouts\/week<\/strong> Mid-volume plans: three high-intensity workouts and two aerobic workouts\/week<\/strong> High-volume plans: three high-intensity workouts and two aerobic workouts\/week<\/strong> Training too little or too much\u00a0can negatively impact your training. There\u2019s no single way to say whether you\u2019re training too much or training too little, but there are a few signs that indicate your body isn\u2019t handling your current amount of training stress as well as it should be.<\/p>\n Workouts seem too easy or boring.<\/strong> Not every workout has to be painful, but some form of discomfort is part of almost every type of workout whether it\u2019s due to intensity, the duration of the intervals or the entire workout. Unless you\u2019re riding for recovery, a little bit of discomfort is generally necessary.<\/p>\n Your fitness isn\u2019t increasing.<\/strong> FTP changes don\u2019t often come in leaps and bounds, but subtle increases in fitness should be evident week-in and week-out. If your power numbers have plateaued then you probably aren\u2019t challenging yourself enough. Consider a greater challenge, whether it\u2019s a higher-volume plan, an extra interval or two tacked onto your harder workouts, or a 3-5% increase in workout intensity. In all cases, successful completion of the workouts is still a key concern.<\/p>\n You\u2019re skipping recovery weeks.<\/strong> The stress of a training plan should\u00a0walk a narrow line of difficulty. If you\u2019re ending several weeks of difficult training with no need for a rest week, you could probably turn up the intensity of your harder workouts by the same 3-5% \u2014 nothing too crazy. This could also be a time to reassess your FTP to check if your fitness has improved.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t finish a workout.<\/strong> Training sessions should be hard, and they should definitely push you to your limits \u2014 but they shouldn\u2019t be impossible. In some instances you may need to bail on a workout, but If you\u2019re having trouble completing anything harder than an easy recovery ride you need to stop and evaluate what\u2019s going on. Nutrition, sleep, injury and other physical demands outside of training might also be playing a role in this area.<\/p>\n You\u2019re missing your power targets.<\/strong> Okay, so you\u2019re making it through your workout. But how\u2019s the quality? On average, you should expect to hit about 90% of your power targets for a workout to be successful. If you\u2019re hitting around 80% of your power targets, you\u2019re doing okay but there\u2019s room for improvement, and if you\u2019re hitting 70% or less, your power targets are too high. In this case, try dropping the workout intensity by 5%.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t enough to drastically change the nature of any workout, but it\u2019s often enough to get you through a rough day.\u00a0If \u201crough days\u201d are a routine for you, it might be time to take a few easy days, perhaps even a full recovery week and see if the added recovery gets you back on track.<\/p>\n You\u2019re really looking forward to recovery weeks.<\/strong> Your body doesn\u2019t only recover during recovery weeks \u2014 it\u2019s recovering any time you\u2019re not training. Longing for recovery weeks is one sign that your body might not be getting the recovery it needs between training sessions, and is entering a recovery deficit. If you\u2019re in this position, the prescribed recovery week may not be light enough to facilitate thorough recovery. Instead, keep the entire week easy \u2014 only endurance rides with no high-intensity intervals. Maintain your regular routine (workout duration, workout schedule) but ease up on the intensity.<\/p>\n You\u2019re seeing negative results.<\/strong> The last thing you want to see is that you\u2019re getting worse after a month training, but this can be a telltale sign you\u2019re not training correctly. If you\u2019re getting the proper amount of sleep and nourishing your body well but failing to see any performance improvements, look to your training plan \u2014 it\u2019s time to consider a lower volume that better suits your fitness level.<\/p>\n Choosing the right training plan requires more than just consistent training. Depending on your event, your schedule and your fitness level, your training plan can vary drastically. When you follow a structured TrainerRoad training plan<\/a> designed by Chad Timmerman, you can train assured that you’re on schedule with the right type workouts and intensity. If you’re unsure about your training plan, use the three elements in this post to assess whether or not you’re on the right plan and to make adjustments accordingly.<\/p>\n The cycling experts at TrainerRoad discussed how to evaluate your training plan during episode\u00a051 of the Ask a Cycling Coach<\/em> podcast<\/a>. Listen below to hear exactly what they had to say.Gauge The Intensity of Your Workouts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Find the Right Training Schedule for You<\/h2>\n
\nPerfect for new cyclists, returning cyclists or cyclists recently recovered from an injury<\/p>\n
\nPerfect for intermediate cyclists familiar to the increased intensity of indoor training.<\/p>\n
\nPerfect for advanced cyclists with many available weekly training hours<\/p>\nSigns You\u2019re Not Training Enough<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Signs You\u2019re Training Too Much<\/h3>\n
Listen to Experts Discuss This Training Topic and More on the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast<\/h2>\n
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