Are you feeling nervous or hesitant about starting a training plan? It\u2019s totally understandable, especially if you\u2019ve been off the bike for a while and feel out of shape. Or maybe you\u2019ve never tried structured cycling training at all, and you aren\u2019t sure where to start. If either of these describe you, you\u2019re not alone, and we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s start with the most important point- no matter who you are, no matter your current fitness, and no matter your level of experience, you are ready to start getting faster. You don\u2019t need any prior training to train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TrainerRoad\u2019s training plans meet you wherever you\u2019re at, in two important ways. First, the intensity of every workout is matched to your abilities. A Ramp Test<\/a> at the beginning of each training plan quickly assesses your fitness, and Adaptive Training<\/a> further analyzes your abilities to ensure your workouts are productive and sustainable. And while your early-season Ramp Test results and Progression Levels<\/a> probably won\u2019t break any records, that\u2019s ok. Take it as a sign that you\u2019re well-rested and ready to start getting faster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The second key to matching training to your ability is the design of the training itself. We\u2019re big fans of a 3-phase approach<\/a>, which divides your season into Base<\/a>, Build<\/a>, and Specialty<\/a> phases. This method starts your season with comparatively easy workouts that develop your aerobic system<\/a>, and it gradually increases intensity and specificity as the season progresses. It\u2019s a proven<\/a>, long-term strategy that makes you a more effective and resilient athlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing you\u2019re ready to start training is encouraging, but picking an appropriate plan can still be a daunting task. So what TrainerRoad training plan should you choose to start your season? The easiest way to pick a training plan is to let TrainerRoad do it for you with Plan Builder<\/a>. Think of Plan Builder as a digital version of our head coach Chad Timmerman<\/a>, distilling his wisdom and experience into a flexible, easy-to-use tool that automatically designs your custom training plan up to two years into the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We trust Plan Builder so much that we use it ourselves<\/a>, and we recommend it for every athlete. But maybe, for whatever reason, you don\u2019t want to use Plan Builder and you\u2019d rather schedule your season yourself. What training plan should you choose then? <\/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 No matter your starting point, you should begin your season with base training<\/a>. Base training consists of relatively low-intensity workouts that develop aerobic fitness and establish muscular endurance and sustained power capabilities. The fitness developed during base training serves as a foundation for more intense efforts in the coming months, and the more robust your aerobic base the higher you\u2019ll be able to push your fitness as the season progresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TrainerRoad offers three main variations on the base phase. Triathlon-specific base training plans include running and swimming and are the best option for triathletes. But cyclists have two proven approaches to choose from: Sweet Spot training <\/a>and Traditional Base. We recommend Sweet Spot Base for the vast majority of athletes, but let\u2019s consider the merits of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By convention, base training is associated with many hours of long, easy rides that slowly build your aerobic fitness. Sweet Spot<\/a> Base plans incorporate a mix of slightly higher intensity workouts that achieve a similar aerobic effect, with a drastically reduced time commitment. For most amateur athletes with busy lives and limited training time, it\u2019s the most time-effective method of base training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sweet Spot Base has other advantages over Traditional Base. The workouts are more varied than just long easy spins, and they immediately help develop fitness beyond aerobic endurance. If you\u2019re interested in entering some early-season races or group rides, Sweet Spot Base can help prepare you for these efforts quite effectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The only major downside of sweet spot is its comparative challenge. Sweet spot training is more intense than more conventional base training, so some sweet spot workouts demand considerable focus and grit to complete. But Adaptive Training ensures it won’t outpace your ability, and for the majority of athletes it\u2019s the approach we recommend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As its name suggests, Traditional Base follows a time-tested, long and slow approach to base training. This is the method most pro riders employ, but if you\u2019re a working athlete with commitments off the bike, it\u2019s probably not the best approach for you. This is because Traditional Base requires an enormous time commitment, and unless you have ten or more hours available each week to train Sweet Spot Base is likely to be more effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An upside of traditional base is that the workouts are low-intensity and easy to sustain, but this can also make them somewhat monotonous. Another consideration is that Traditional Base almost exclusively addresses the aerobic system, and isn\u2019t likely to equip you with much speed for early season races. However, if you\u2019re recovering from injury and want to avoid intense rides, or if you have unlimited time available to train, Traditional Base can be worth considering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last important consideration for starting your training season is volume. All TrainerRoad plans are offered in Low, Medium, and High-Volume versions, and there are important differences in each that you should consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Low volume plans normally consist of three intense workouts per week, which for Sweet Spot Base works out to about 3.5 hours each week. By comparison, mid- and high-volume plans add additional aerobic workouts, requiring around 6 and 10 hours per week, respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Choosing a training volume involves more than just considering how much time you have available. While higher volumes and more workouts can be beneficial for some athletes, it\u2019s easy to overdo it, so we recommend you follow the principle of minimum effective dose<\/a>. Choose a low or mid-volume plan unless you have lots of experience and know your body can handle high training loads. Plan Builder does this for you, recommending a volume based on your recent training history. You\u2019re always better off adding workouts<\/a> to a low-volume plan than skipping workouts at high volume. TrainNow<\/a> is an easy way to add workouts that are intelligently matched to your abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve chosen a plan and volume, the only thing left is to actually get started. We all find it hard to get motivated for the first few workouts of each season, so make the process as easy as possible. Developing a routine helps maintain consistency<\/a>, and that\u2019s the real key to getting faster. It\u2019s time to get to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s common to feel nervous about starting a training plan, especially after a long break or if you’re new to structured training. But it’s easy to find the right plan and start getting faster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":68054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3243],"tags":[2960,59,864,174,3492,3657,2801,3704,643,689,3200],"class_list":["post-67478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trainerroad-basics","tag-aerobic-base-training","tag-base-training","tag-choose-a-training-plan","tag-cycling-training-plan","tag-early-season","tag-new-season","tag-plan-builder","tag-start-your-season","tag-sweet-spot-base","tag-traditional-base","tag-training-volume"],"cc_featured_image_caption":{"caption_text":"","source_text":"P.C. @kokody, M.C. @TheAlpineStylist","source_url":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67478\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trainerroad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Choosing a Training Plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nUse Plan Builder<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Start Your Season With Base Training<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sweet Spot Base<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Traditional Base<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Pick a Sustainable Training Volume<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Get To Work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Further Reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n