Here at TrainerRoad, we\u2019re a little biased in favor of structured training. It\u2019s at the heart of everything we do, and it\u2019s how we\u2019ve helped tens of thousands of athletes to Get Faster. Quite simply, it\u2019s the most effective way to train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naturally, we get a little defensive when we hear some of the things people say about structure. We take it personally, because structured training is what we do and we know it can benefit any athlete. So let\u2019s clear the air and set things straight. In the name of truth, we present the Top 10 Misconceptions About Structured Training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power<\/a> is the only objective way to measure cycling performance, and all TrainerRoad workouts and plans are power-based. While power meters and Smart Trainers are more affordable than ever before, you don\u2019t actually need a power meter to use TrainerRoad. All you need is an indoor trainer and a speed sensor, and VirtualPower<\/a> can calculate power data and guide your training! It\u2019s a cost-effective and easy way to experience the precision of power-based training, without expensive equipment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you take a ramp test and get a feel for training with power indoors, you can even bring your workouts outdoors without a power meter. All TrainerRoad Outside Workouts offer an RPE (rate of perceived exertion) variant<\/a>, so you can complete power-based workouts outdoors by feel. It\u2019s surprisingly accurate<\/a> and amazingly effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes you hear cyclists complain that training \u201ctakes the fun out of riding.\u201d Well excuse us, but we beg to differ. Structure adds a sense of purpose to cycling; each ride has a reason, and each workout is its own challenge to overcome. You\u2019ll feel a sense of achievement with every competed interval, and it\u2019s fun to see yourself progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are training indoors, TrainerRoad lets you choose whatever entertainment you want to accompany your ride. Check out one of our full race videos<\/a>, or listen to music while the TrainerRoad app runs in the background. If you ride outdoors, you can use Outside Workouts <\/a>to add structure to your existing routine. However you go about it, structured training makes you a better cyclist, and let\u2019s face it: it’s fun to get faster. Boring? No way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, virtually every bike racer uses some type of structured training. Athletes have used TrainerRoad to dominate all kinds of races, from local criteriums to Ironman Triathlons<\/a>. But structure isn\u2019t just for competitive athletes, it\u2019s for any cyclist working towards a goal, and that goal might just be self-improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However big or small your goals happen to be, structured training<\/a> will help you get there. The gains in aerobic fitness<\/a> that come with training not only make you faster, but also make you a healthier human. Finish line or not, that sounds like a win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many people wrongly think of training as a house of cards, with each workout perilously stacked on the next and the whole thing at risk of tumbling down over a single missed interval. In reality, training builds a resilient foundation of fitness over time. Perfection is almost impossible in the face of our busy real lives, but perfect isn\u2019t necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our data shows that the vast majority of TrainerRoad athletes deal with training interruptions<\/a>. This is one of the reasons we created Adaptive Training<\/a>\u2014it responds to your performance and adjusts to your needs. If you struggle with a workout now and then or real life forces you to skip a ride, you\u2019re not alone. Adaptive Training will adjust your<\/a> plan to keep you on track and make sure your training is optimal for you and your goal. Keep your eyes on the prize, let Adaptive Training do the rest, and you\u2019ll see results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it\u2019s more miles, more intervals, or more watts, cyclists love to do the most of something and tell their friends about it afterward. For many athletes, this simply isn\u2019t practical. We have busy lives and our bodies have limitations, and training for long hours isn\u2019t logistically or physically possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TrainerRoad is designed to be the most time-effective way to get faster. Most athletes find lower training volumes productive even for long events<\/a>, and you can always add an extra workout here and there if you find yourself with extra time. Every TrainerRoad plan is offered in Low-, Mid-, and High-volume versions, so structure can work with any schedule. Time is not a limitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some athletes fear that structured training will lock them into an inflexible routine, but let\u2019s set the record straight right now. If your training plan is forcing you to do lots of inconvenient workouts that don\u2019t fit your schedule, then you\u2019re on the wrong plan! Structured training can be as flexible as you need it to be with Adaptive Training<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any time you schedule a TrainerRoad plan, you can customize your training volume as well as what days you need off each week. Our Calendar allows you to easily drag and reschedule workouts <\/a>to make adjustments as you need. And if you end up missing a workout, don\u2019t worry about it- Adaptive Training will adjust and keep you on track. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adaptive Training<\/p>\n Get the right workout, every time<\/strong>\n with training that adapts to you.<\/p>\n Check Out TrainerRoad<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Cycling has a justified reputation of being expensive. Between the cost of the equipment, event registration, and travel, costs can rapidly spiral out of control. Traditional coaching services don\u2019t help either, often costing at least $200- $400 a month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Structured Training with TrainerRoad is a different story. Billed annually, TrainerRoad costs $15.75\/month<\/a>. That\u2019s about the same cost as 2 burritos, or 1\/13th an average cable bill. A year of TrainerRoad costs about 1\/12 of the average private coach, and you could subscribe to TrainerRoad for over 10 years for the cost of a set of mid-range race wheels. Cycling can be expensive, but getting faster is amazingly affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s just no way around the fact that training is hard work. If you want to improve, you need to put your body through a certain amount of discomfort to stimulate adaptation. But there\u2019s a difference between hard and too<\/em> hard. If your workouts are impossible and you\u2019re overwhelming your ability to recover, you\u2019re not training- you\u2019re running yourself into the ground<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Good training plans are just hard enough to push you but build in lots of productive recovery<\/a> time, and Adaptive Training tunes every workout to your abilities. This keeps your training challenging but sustainable, so you see bigger results without burnout or too much fatigue. It won\u2019t be easy, but if it\u2019s too <\/em>hard we\u2019re doing something wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have your own unique strengths and weaknesses, and your scheduling limitations are specific to you and your busy life. But you\u2019re also a human that wants to get faster at riding a bike, and that means structured training will<\/em> work for you. Adaptive Training tailors your plan to your abilities, schedule, and goals to make you faster\u2014and it works. This applies to you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ok, we admit, this isn\u2019t really a misconception. Properly structured training is<\/em> complicated, nurturing your existing capabilities while developing the specific skills and abilities your goal event demands. It\u2019s a question of the right workout, at the right intensity, at just the right time. When it works, it\u2019s an amazing thing, but the challenge is striking that perfect alchemical balance of stress and recovery. It\u2019s a confusing thing to manage on your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, we take care of that complexity for you with every Adaptive Training plan<\/a>. We automatically customize your workouts to your FTP and continually fine-tune your training with Progression Levels<\/a>. You\u2019ll get just the workouts you need, efficiently structured with no time or effort wasted. Yes, it\u2019s complicated, but you can leave that part to us. You\u2019ll be too busy getting faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n9. Structured Training is Boring<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. Training Plans Are<\/strong><\/strong> Only for Racers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. Training Requires Perfect Execution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Structured Training<\/strong> Requires Lots of Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Training Plans are Inflexible\/ Inconvenient<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Training Plans Are<\/strong><\/strong> Too Expensive <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Structured Training<\/strong> is Too Hard<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. Structured Training<\/strong> won\u2019t work for me<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Structured Training<\/strong><\/strong> is Too Complicated<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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