So this is less of an advice post more of a vent as it covers both cycling and weight training.
Plenty of years data into tracking and plenty of TR workouts, kettlebell workouts and lots of outside miles but excluding the 160w as that was the start I’m as near as dammit in the same place ftp and although I can move bigger kb (20kg for cleans now instead of the starting 16kg for example) I look just as soft around the edges as someone who does sweet FA!
I get that I could be more consistent with my TR plan and I’m pretty damn close to 44 where muscle is hard to gain and easy to loose but I eat mostly well (no one is perfect), train more often than not but seeing minimal improvments across multiple disapline is really annoying. I seriously doubt I’m at a gentic limit, just average.
Hard to say what is really going on, but there is hope. I picked up cycling and TR at age 42 (since you mention 43 as a possible cause), and have seen massive massive gains. I started around 190w FTP and now am around 340 (TR AI) at 45, and coming up on 3 years of structured training this fall. I have lost weight, goign from 225 to 165. That being said, i have been very consistent with training, its a non negotiable. I think its key to be consistent so you dont take a step forward and and then one back. Anyway I would take an honest look at your compliance, there are some red flags in your post, the good news: I don’t believe age is the issue.
I’m in essentially the same boat as napoleon1981 but at 52. I found cycling in 2021 and started training consistently on the bike and in the weight room in 2023 at 49 and its been a non-negotiable ever since. I get a lot of eye rolls from family and a few from friends. “What are you training for, the Olympics?”. I don’t care. Its church. My Zone 2 now is higher than my FTP used to be. My deadlift is back where it was when I was 30. But I have given up plenty to be this consistent, it is not easy. And I have dips and swerves throughout the year too. Whatever fitness we are now at, we’re only visiting.
I’m curious to know more about what you mean by “I eat mostly well (no one is perfect)” and “I get that I could be more consistent with my TR plan”. Reason I ask is that people come through here very very frequently with complaints about the effectiveness of TR and this or that and they say “oh I’m consistent” but then in reality they really aren’t. They make their calendar public and this becomes immediately clear. I fell into this trap the first year. When I look back at my calendar I have no idea why i thought I would get results doing what I was doing I think its easy to tell ourselves a story and lose track of what we’re really doing in the little moments throughout the day. And I think that a lot of people don’t realize what REAL consistency means and how much the little things accumulate, especially with diet.
Do you track your food? Do you read labels to make sure you know what you’re actually eating? Are you snacking? And when I ask I mean REALLY read the labels. Every label. Personally I eat the same food every single day. End of story. I know what goes in my mouth.
When you say you train more often than not… what does that mean? Do you really push yourself? Do you skip days regularly? What plan are you running in the gym and what results are you looking for?
Anyway, sorry for all the questions, you did say it was just a vent post. But just throwing out some things to think about and a little from my experience since you’re struggling to see results.
Hate to say it… but age is absolutely a factor (I’m there with you). Physiologically we can get better for today’s fitness but the ceiling is constantly lowering for us.
As a personal example, at 12 I did a local 5k race with no training outside of little league baseball. Literally entered on a whim and ran 19:06. Went in to run 14:48 in college (long before the super shoe era). Well…I just did a 5k with my kids at 49, and despite solid cycling fitness only managed a 23 min 5k. With extensive training maybe I’d get a sub 20 (but probably not). We are on the other end of the bell curve sadly.
Like I said, we can get better for the present but at this age if you can maintain, or at least lose less than the other guy, that’s a win.
For the record im not saying 43 is peak performance years. However if you are untrained and start structured training at 43, you can fully expect massive gains if there are not medical issues holding you back. I think thats what the question is here. And just to show age is just a number at 45, i just competed the lutsen 99er as my 2nd marathon mtb event and was riding with a female pro for quite a while. Would I have been faster with this amount of training when 20, probably… but I didn’t train, so i wasnt.
I took up cycling around 32 years of age but never actually trained until I was around 40years. Im nearly 51 now Ive stopped improving TT wise about 3 years ago mainly because I gave up racing then (I restarted club racing this year doing road bike TTs) but I saw improvement throughout my 40s
Can you share what your CTL and weekly volume has been over this time period? One of the more common reasons people stop progressing is that they aren’t progressing the training stimuli.
I’ve been holding steady at 54yo, low volume masters XCO plan. This season has had a few viruses and life stressors to interrupt smooth progression. AI will dangle 6 watt gain for me in a training block, then a virus sidelines me or a big week of life demands. So I think I’ll make some great progress if I can just protect my consistency.
Past 4 years, it has peaks and troughs but that is life. I do think I must be doing some parts right but something less right as I’d expect to at least not be as consistent in body fat (same scales) as I’ve had periods of being really calory strict with no visible change. Does also slightly rankle when you see other people do less and improve quicker but again that’s life and everyone is different.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but looking at that CTL chart (mine has the similar pattern from knee issues) I wouldn’t expect you to see any improvement over the period in question. Whatever fitness you gain from the increasing CTL you are giving back - or more - in the long decreasing CTL periods and values.
From the outside, the CTL chart shows either that you aren’t consistently following a plan, not on a plan, or not on a solid plan. It doesn’t appear that your training has any progressive overload built into it.
My suggestion to you would be to do a serious and honest assessment of your training:
What percent of your assigned rides are you doing?
What percent are you completing “successfully”?
I would look at these two metrics over the last year or two as a whole, and then in 4 week chunks.
I’d echo the other comment - the CTL here provides a good explanation for what you’re noticing.
If you want an analogy with weightlifting, it’s like you’re forever lifting only 10lb weights. Every once in a while you make your way up to 15lb for a short period of time, but then go back to 10lb. And then are wondering why you’re never able to lift more than 15lb.
There’s nothing wrong with not going harder with cycling. Everyone has a different balance in their life and a different way cycling fits into that.
But if you wanna progress past your plateau, you’re gonna need to start “lifting heavier weights” regularly - get that CTL up higher and keep it higher for as much of the year as you can.
Whether this increased time and motivation commitment is worth it to you/possible or not is ultimately a personal values question.
Thats the CTL from Jan 2025, which thinking about it is prob more relevant as due to bereavment in July '24 everything fell off a clif. Much more consistent IMO.
I’d say 85% over a month and very few a failures, some are all out but generally they’re completed.
Looking from May I missed just 4 scheduled sessions which isn’t a bad amount, there’s a couple of blocks of holiday but they’re accounted for in the calendar.
The KB stuff was improving in what I could do, able to press the 20kg now as an example but if you saw me you’d never know. My arms/shoulders never really changed, thighs might have got my trunky but that’s about it. Frustating.
I am starting to trial adding a couple extra 30min z2/tempo workouts before work a couple days to add time in the saddle. I’m not sure with the KBs if using my heavy (for me) bells more would help or if I’d just be able to do less! Guess I’ll see how upping the time works out.
Motivation is mostly good more life gets in the way!
In that chart, it looks like you did some building and then peaked in June 2025. After that training just diminished all year. It looks like you’ve done less building in 2026.
If you ever have seen a proper build chart from a top athlete, it looks like a saw tooth pattern that keeps increasing until race season. They start their build around October or November which will give them 4 or 5 cycles to come into peak form.
We all only have so much time. I’ve been guilty of a similar looking chart!
The only solution is more saddle time, more time for your build and then maintaining volume. It’s a lot to commit to.
I follow the custom plan builder with 3 hard days. Last year i was around 290ftp probably around 8h of training a week on average. This year i have upped the volume, with a significant long ride on Sundays ~5h z2. So a total of around 12-13 on average, but sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less. So yeah significant commitment, the gains didnt come easy, but they did come at 45 y/o.
Not to oversimplify, but they provide a good visualization, in the form of Ramp rates/Form plots. When your ramp chart is in the blue, you’re likely not making progress (or should be recovering). Likewise, when you’re constantly in the fresh/gray zones, you’re not progressing. Looking at your plot, I only see a few weeks of unencumbered progress being made, the rest is maintenance.
What you’re doing is unstructured training (that I assume) is loosely based around the assigned plan. When you don’t execute the plan, you can’t really expect the results.
Don’t take it as a criticism, I have been “maintaining” for a while as well.
Spend the summer learning how to do pistol squats, full depth ass to ankle, 3 sets of 15 with each leg. You’ll need to start by using doorframe, desk, etc. for stability, but over time you’ll learn the movement. Work up to 15 reps however long it takes. You can find YouTube videos for tips - one I will give you is to focus on lowering yourself down with high tension and control.
When you can do 3x15 with each leg, drop back to 6 or 8 and incorporate your lightest KB, working up to 15 reps, then dropping back to 6 or 8 and going up to a heavier KB. My guess is you’ll be using the KBs come fall, which fits perfectly into the off-season, so focus on doing your KB pistol squats FIRST, then riding, and set your base training to incorporate higher volume and some tempo based on TR offerings (but nothing more intense than tempo - the KB pistol squats will provide plenty of intensity for this time period and will shred your legs). Note that 3x15 is just a guide - if you can do 5 sets, and even as much as 20 reps, you’ll see amazing gains.
Pistol squats take time, don’t rush the process, just be consistent and let the gains come to you.
I think its easy to tell ourselves a story and lose track of what we’re really doing in the little moments throughout the day. And I think that a lot of people don’t realize what REAL consistency means and how much the little things accumulate, especially with diet.
