Any training plan is built upon a basic, underlying foundation of fitness: Cultivating endurance and cycling skills required for further specialization. There are two approaches for your Base conditioning; each allowing you to fine-tune your training regimen to meet your schedule and cycling goals.

Base

The low-volume version of the Traditional Base I training phase will have you on the bike 3 times each week for somewhere between 1 hour &amp; 15 minutes to 1 hour &amp; 45 minutes with Recovery Week rides only lasting an hour.

The primary goal of this phase of training is to develop or improve your aerobic endurance by shifting your body's fuel preference toward fat while working at low intensities; therefore, this training phase consists entirely of Aerobic Endurance (AE) workouts. There is also a heavy emphasis on pedal speed &amp; economy which will be addressed via several different types of drills tied to each workout.

New cyclists as well as those who are focused on weight loss may wish to repeat this phase back-to-back thereby extending it to twice its length for a total of 8 weeks. Intermediate riders along with ultra-endurance riders and riders recovering from injury should consider extending this phase by an extra 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.

Traditional Base - Low Volume I

The low-volume version of the Traditional Base II training phase will have you on the bike 3 times each week for somewhere between 1 hour to 2.5 hours with Recovery Week rides only lasting an hour.We have 3 main goals during this phase of training which are to continue the development of your aerobic endurance by further improving your fat-for-fuel preference via a fair amount of time still at low intensities. We'll also target improvements in your ability to generate higher amounts of force on the bike in a manner less likely to cause joint tissue damage or foster poor movement patterns when under heavy pedaling loads. Finally, with the addition of some Tempo riding we'll lay the basis for Base III's development of your muscular endurance. There remains an emphasis on pedal speed & economy which will be addressed via many of the same drills from Base I, each tied to particular workouts.Riders focused on improving their time trial performance, e.g. stage racers, multisport athletes, etc. should consider extending this training phase by 1 week for a total of 5 weeks. Ultra-endurance riders should again consider extending this phase by an extra 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.

Traditional Base - Low Volume II

The Sweet Spot Base plans are foundation training plans that can serve as the basis for all training tracks offered by TrainerRoad.The low-volume version of&nbsp;Sweet Spot Base I serves as annual opportunity to revisit the form work that often gets neglected as the cycling season progresses. &nbsp;It&nbsp;helps establish the aerobic fitness foundation upon which you'll build your season's top fitness in less than 4 hours each week. &nbsp;Following the initial fitness assessment, Sweet Spot Base I emphasizes pedal economy - via leg speed, speed endurance and varied cadence - as well as base aerobic fitness via a healthy dose of Sweet Spot training aimed at making every minute of your indoor endeavors count.

Sweet Spot Base - Low Volume I

The Sweet Spot Base plans are foundation training plans that can serve as the basis for all training tracks offered by TrainerRoad.The mid-volume version of&nbsp;Sweet Spot Base I serves as an opportunity to revisit the form work that often gets neglected as the cycling season progresses. &nbsp;It then&nbsp;helps establish the aerobic fitness foundation upon which you'll build your season's top fitness.Following the initial fitness assessment, Sweet Spot Base I emphasizes pedal economy - via leg speed, speed endurance, and&nbsp;cadence. &nbsp;&nbsp;It also targets&nbsp;base aerobic fitness via a healthy dose of Sweet Spot training aimed at making every minute of your indoor endeavors count.

Sweet Spot Base - Mid Volume I

The Sweet Spot Base plans are foundation training plans that can serve as the basis for all training tracks offered by TrainerRoad.The high-volume version of&nbsp;Sweet Spot Base I&nbsp;is much like its successor in the way that it's built almost exclusively of Sweet Spot workouts. These are&nbsp;aimed at increasing your ability to drive the pedals harder and longer, via improved muscle endurance and&nbsp;higher fatigue resistance, over demanding but not too exhausting workouts. This high-volume onslaught ranges from about 8-9 hours per week.Following the initial fitness assessment, you'll face 5 weeks of work targeted at a very narrow, specific range of power output except for the occasional recovery ride. Week 6 will bring this initial phase of high-end base conditioning to a close with a week of low-intensity, aerobic Endurance workouts.&nbsp;

Sweet Spot Base - High Volume I

The low-volume version of the Sprint Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming twice each week for up to 2200m, on the bike twice each week for less than 2 hours total (including a couple brick workouts), and running up to 1 hour each week.The primary aim is to provide time-constrained, multisport athletes looking to successfully complete a sprint triathlon some base fitness in all 3 disciplines in the minimum amount of time - 3.5 hours per week at the most.

Sprint Triathlon Base - Low Volume

The low-volume version of the Olympic Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming twice each week for up to 3000m, on the bike twice each week for about 2.5 hours total (including a few brick workouts), and running less than 2 hours each week.The central goal here is to provide time-constrained, Olympic-distance triathletes the necessary fitness to successfully complete a race at the international distance via sufficient base fitness in all 3 disciplines, all in the minimum amount of time - rarely more than 5 hours per week.

Olympic Triathlon Base - Low Volume

The low-volume version of the Half Distance Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming three times each week for up to 6000m, on the bike 3-4 times each week for no more than 5 hours total (including a few brick workouts), and running less than 3 hours each week.The main objective here is to provide time-constrained Half Distance triathletes the necessary fitness to successfully complete a race at these extended distances. Athletes will achieve&nbsp;sufficient base fitness in all 3 disciplines, utilizing&nbsp;the minimum amount of time - no more than 10 hours per week.Proficient swimmers are welcome to trim their 3 weekly swims down to 2 if their time constraints won’t allow 10 weekly hours.Note: Double-day workouts can be done in any order and separated by as little or as much time as you choose, as long as you can keep the quality of both workouts high.

Half Distance Triathlon Base - Low Volume

The low-volume version of the Full Distance Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming three times each week for up to 7700m, on the bike 3-4 times each week for slightly more than 6 hours total during the peak riding week (including a brick workout every other week) and running no more than 4 hours in the highest run-volume week.The main objective here get time-constrained Full Distance triathletes to and through a full-distance triathlon via the necessary base fitness in all 3 disciplines, all in the minimum amount of time - no more than 13 hours per week, often substantially less.Note: Double-day workouts can be done in any order and separated by as little or as much time as you choose as long as you can keep the quality of both workouts high.

Full Distance Triathlon Base - Low Volume

The mid-volume version of the Full Distance Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming three times each week for up to 9000m, on the bike 4 times each week for barely over 9 hours during the peak riding week (including a few brick workouts) and running just over 4 hours during the peak-volume running week.The aim with this intermediate-volume plan is to push experienced full-distance triathletes to new heights and help transitioning half-distance triathletes make the jump to ultra-endurance distances via sufficient base fitness in all 3 disciplines, all in 17 weekly training hours or less.Note: Double-day workouts can be done in any order and separated by as little or as much time as you choose as long as you can keep the quality of both workouts high.

Full Distance Triathlon Base - Mid Volume

The mid-volume version of the Half Distance Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming three times each week for up to 6600m, on the bike 4 times each week for up to 6.5 hours total (including a weekly brick workout), and running less than 3.5 hours each week.This version is aimed at reasonably experienced half distance triathletes looking to make substantial improvements over past performances at these distances - or even experienced Olympic distance triathletes looking to make the jump to long course racing - on no more than 12.5 weekly training hours.Note: Double-day workouts can be done in any order and separated by as little or as much time as you choose, as long as you can keep the quality of both workouts high.

Half Distance Triathlon Base - Mid Volume

The mid-volume version of the Olympic Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming three times each week for up to 6000m, on the bike three times each week for about 3.5 hours total (including a few brick workouts), and running up to 3 hours each week.This happy-medium plan is aimed at reasonably experienced Olympic-distance triathletes, or even very experienced sprint distance triathletes, ready to move up to the international distance. This plan is&nbsp;designed to help athletes develop a firm base of fitness in all 3 disciplines, in preparation for potential top-10 age group placings, on no more than 8 hours per week.Note: Double-day workouts can be done in any order and separated by as little or as much time as you choose, as long as you can keep the quality of both workouts high.

Olympic Triathlon Base - Mid Volume

The mid-volume version of the Sprint Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming 3 times each week for up to 5500m, on the bike three times each week for up to 3 hours total (including a couple brick workouts), and running up to 2 hours weekly.This 4-week plan is aimed at mildly experienced, multisport athletes looking to improve upon previous sprint triathlon results. The primary aim is to provide base fitness in all 3 disciplines, but this slightly higher-volume plan - 7.5 hours per week at its peak - aims for a higher level of performance than the low-volume plan.Note: Double-day workouts can be done in any order and separated by as little or as much time as you choose, as long as you can keep the quality of both workouts high.

Sprint Triathlon Base - Mid Volume

The Sweet Spot Base plans are foundation training plans that can serve as the basis for all training tracks offered by TrainerRoad.The high-volume version of&nbsp;Sweet Spot Base II&nbsp;varies little from its predecessor in terms of intensity level but does grow the weekly volume at the&nbsp;same rate achieved in the previous block of training. All workouts are still&nbsp;aimed at increasing your ability to keep power to the pedals&nbsp;via improved muscle endurance and&nbsp;higher fatigue resistance&nbsp;over longer, and still quite&nbsp;demanding, but not overly exhausting workouts. This round of Sweet Spot training&nbsp;ranges from about 10-11 hours per week.Much like last time, following your initial fitness assessment, you'll face&nbsp;5 weeks of work all targeted on that same&nbsp;narrow,&nbsp;specific range of power output except your Friday&nbsp;recovery ride. Week 6 again brings this phase of high-end&nbsp;base conditioning to a close with a week of low-intensity, aerobic Endurance workouts.&nbsp;

Sweet Spot Base - High Volume II

The Sweet Spot Base plans are foundation training plans that can serve as the basis for all training tracks offered by TrainerRoad.&nbsp;The mid-volume version of&nbsp;Sweet Spot Base II builds rather substantially on the preceding Base I plan in terms of workout types, but only marginally increases the stress from week to week in an attempt to&nbsp;gradually&nbsp;progress your fitness and raise the training benefit that comes with high-intensity intervals.&nbsp;An easy midweek ride has been added to offer an opportunity to accumulate up to&nbsp;an hour's worth of low-level, aerobic base work that's unlikely to affect the quality of your more intense work to follow over the course of the rest of each week. It&nbsp;can be done outdoors and can also&nbsp;be skipped if your fatigue is so high that a day off the bike is a safer bet than an easy one on the bike.Over the course&nbsp;of this 6-week training plan, you'll have the opportunity to face and conquer&nbsp;everything from long aerobic Endurance rides to high-intensity VO2max intervals and everything in between.

Sweet Spot Base - Mid Volume II

The Sweet Spot Base plans are foundation training plans that can serve as the basis for all training tracks offered by TrainerRoad.&nbsp;The low-volume version of&nbsp;Sweet Spot Base II&nbsp;builds rather substantially on the preceding Base I plan in terms of workout types but only marginally increases the stress from week to week all in the hopes of gradually progressing your fitness and raising&nbsp;the training benefit that comes with high-intensity intervals.&nbsp;Over the course&nbsp;of this 6-week training plan, you'll have&nbsp;opportunities to face and conquer&nbsp;everything from long aerobic Endurance rides to high-intensity VO2max intervals and everything in between.

Sweet Spot Base - Low Volume II

The low-volume version of the Traditional Base III training phase will have you on the bike 4 times each week for somewhere between 1 hour to 2.5 hours with Recovery Week rides only lasting an hour.The goals of this training phase expand to include a greater focus on muscular endurance as we focus on turning bigger gears for growing durations by simulating longer climbs, both in & out of the saddle, as well as more straightforward strength endurance work. We'll also combine the attributes of previous sprint drills - speed & force - into sprint drills which target rapid acceleration, i.e. power. We'll continue the development of your aerobic endurance by reaching the longest AE ride durations of the Traditional Base training plans, and we'll continue to practice the Base I & II efficiency drills.Again, riders focused on improving their time trial performance should consider extending this training phase by 1 week for a total of 5 weeks and ultra-endurance riders should again consider extending this phase by an extra 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.

Traditional Base - Low Volume III

The high-volume version of the Sprint Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming 4 times each week for up to 10,500m, on the bike four times each week for up to 5 hour in total (including a couple brick workouts), and running up to 3.5 hours weekly.This 4-week plan is aimed at experienced, multisport athletes looking to reach their full-potential and quite possibly the podium. While this is possible with less training time, these plans attempt to extract the peak level of performance improvement through a high amount of weekly time.&nbsp;At a&nbsp;maximum 12 hours per week, training time&nbsp;is relatively high when compared&nbsp;to the duration of these short, fast, and&nbsp;intense events but should still be manageable. The primary aim remains focused on establishing base fitness in all 3 disciplines.Note: Double-day workouts can be done in any order and separated by as little or as much time as you choose, as long as you can keep the quality of both workouts high.

Sprint Triathlon Base - High Volume

The high-volume version of the Half Distance Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming four times each week for up to 10,000m, on the bike 4 times each week for up to 8 hours total (including a weekly brick workout), and frequently running around 4 hours each week.This version is aimed at experienced half distance triathletes&nbsp;and evolving Olympic distance triathletes who have no real restrictions on training volume and know how their bodies respond to high levels of training stress. These triathletes are looking to finish in the top-tier of their age groups, with true ambitions of reaching the podium, and they’re willing and ready to train as much as 16 weekly hours.Note: Double-day workouts can be done in any order and separated by as little or as much time as you choose, as long as you can keep the quality of both workouts high.

Half Distance Triathlon Base - High Volume

The high-volume version of the Full Distance Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming four times each week for up to 12,000m, on the bike 4 times each week up to 10 hours total during the peak-volume cycling week (including a weekly brick workout) and running up to 5 hours during the peak running week.This volume version targets experienced full-distance triathletes with ample training time, a substantial training history, and ambitious goals along the lines of age-group podiums and Kona spots - on 20 hours per week at the high end of things.Note: Double-day workouts can be done in any order and separated by as little or as much time as you choose as long as you can keep the quality of both workouts high.

Full Distance Triathlon Base - High Volume

The high-volume version of the Olympic Triathlon Base plan has triathletes swimming four times each week for up to 9600m, on the bike four times each week for up to 6 hours total (including a few brick workouts), and running for right around 3 hours each week.This high-level plan is aimed at experienced Olympic distance triathletes who are intent on a top-10 placing, maybe a podium spot, perhaps even an age-group title. These 6 weeks will help you develop a firm base of fitness in all 3 disciplines relying on no more than 12 hours per week.Note: Double-day workouts can be done in any order and separated by as little or as much time as you choose, as long as you can keep the quality of both workouts high.

Olympic Triathlon Base - High Volume

The mid-volume version of the Traditional Base I training phase will have you on the bike 4 times each week for somewhere between 1 hour &amp; 30 minutes to 2 hours with Recovery Week rides only lasting 1 hour &amp; 15 minutes.The primary goal of this phase of training is to develop or improve your aerobic endurance by shifting your body's fuel preference toward fat while working at low intensities; therefore, this training phase consists entirely of Aerobic Endurance (AE) workouts. There is also a heavy emphasis on pedal speed &amp; economy which will be addressed via several different types of drills tied to each workout.New cyclists as well as those who are focused on weight loss may wish to repeat this phase back-to-back thereby extending it to twice its length for a total of 8 weeks. Intermediate riders along with ultra-endurance riders and riders recovering from injury should consider extending this phase by an extra 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.

Traditional Base - Mid Volume I

The mid-volume version of the Traditional Base II training phase will have you on the bike 4 times each week for somewhere between 1 hour to 2.75 hours with Recovery Week rides only lasting 1.25 hours.We have 3 main goals during this phase of training which are to continue the development of your aerobic endurance by further improving your fat-for-fuel preference via a fair amount of time still at low intensities. We'll also target improvements in your ability to generate higher amounts of force on the bike in a manner less likely to cause joint tissue damage or foster poor movement patterns when under heavy pedaling loads. Finally, with the addition of some Tempo riding we'll lay the basis for Base III's development of your muscular endurance. There remains an emphasis on pedal speed & economy which will be addressed via many of the same drills from Base I, each tied to particular workouts.Riders focused on improving their time trial performance, e.g. stage racers, multisport athletes, etc. should consider extending this training phase by 1 week for a total of 5 weeks. Ultra-endurance riders should again consider extending this phase by an extra 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.

Traditional Base - Mid Volume II

The mid-volume version of the Traditional Base III training phase will have you on the bike 5 times each week for somewhere between 1 hour to 3.5 hours with Recovery Week rides ranging from an hour to 1.75 hours.The goals of this training phase expand to include a greater focus on muscular endurance as we focus on turning bigger gears for growing durations by simulating longer climbs, both in & out of the saddle, as well as more straightforward strength endurance work. We'll also combine the attributes of previous sprint drills - speed & force - into sprint drills which target rapid acceleration, i.e. power. We'll continue the development of your aerobic endurance by reaching the longest AE ride durations of the Traditional Base training plans, and we'll continue to practice the Base I & II efficiency drills.Again, riders focused on improving their time trial performance should consider extending this training phase by 1 week for a total of 5 weeks and ultra-endurance riders should again consider extending this phase by an extra 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.

Traditional Base - Mid Volume III

The high-volume version of the Traditional Base I training phase will have you on the bike 4 times each week for somewhere between 2 hours &amp; 15 minutes to 2 hours &amp; 45 minutes with Recovery Week rides only lasting 2 hours.The primary goal of this phase of training is to develop or improve your aerobic endurance by shifting your body's fuel preference toward fat while working at low intensities; therefore, this training phase consists entirely of Aerobic Endurance (AE) workouts. There is also a heavy emphasis on pedal speed &amp; economy which will be addressed via several different types of drills tied to each workout.New cyclists as well as those who are focused on weight loss may wish to repeat this phase back-to-back thereby extending it to twice its length for a total of 8 weeks. Intermediate riders along with ultra-endurance riders and riders recovering from injury should consider extending this phase by an extra 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.

Traditional Base - High Volume I

The high-volume version of the Traditional Base II training phase will have you on the bike 5 times each week for somewhere between 1 hour to 3.5 hours with Recovery Week rides numbering only 4 and lasting 2 hours.We have 3 main goals during this phase of training which are to continue the development of your aerobic endurance by further improving your fat-for-fuel preference via a fair amount of time still at low intensities. We'll also target improvements in your ability to generate higher amounts of force on the bike in a manner less likely to cause joint tissue damage or foster poor movement patterns when under heavy pedaling loads. Finally, with the addition of some Tempo riding we'll lay the basis for Base III's development of your muscular endurance. There remains an emphasis on pedal speed & economy which will be addressed via many of the same drills from Base I, each tied to particular workouts.Riders focused on improving their time trial performance, e.g. stage racers, multisport athletes, etc. should consider extending this training phase by 1 week for a total of 5 weeks. Ultra-endurance riders should again consider extending this phase by an extra 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.

Traditional Base - High Volume II

The high-volume version of the Traditional Base III training phase will have you on the bike 6 times each week for somewhere between 1 to 4 hours with Recovery Week rides ranging from 1.5 to 2 hours.The goals of this training phase expand to include a greater focus on muscular endurance as we focus on turning bigger gears for growing durations by simulating longer climbs, both in & out of the saddle, as well as more straightforward strength endurance work. We'll also combine the attributes of previous sprint drills - speed & force - into sprint drills which target rapid acceleration, i.e. power. We'll continue the development of your aerobic endurance by reaching the longest AE ride durations of the Traditional Base training plans, and we'll continue to practice the Base I & II efficiency drills.Again, riders focused on improving their time trial performance should consider extending this training phase by 1 week for a total of 5 weeks and ultra-endurance riders should again consider extending this phase by an extra 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.

Traditional Base - High Volume III

Traditional Base has three consecutive four-week blocks: I, II and III. Time permitting, complete each block in order.As its name implies, the Traditional block takes the old-fashioned approach to base training. It requires a large time commitment to give you significant gains. Unless you have at least 10 hours/week to train, we do not recommend the long, low-intensity Traditional approach. Workouts include fair shares of form work, pedaling drills, power sprints, force intervals and hill simulations.This block is primarily geared toward Grand Tour athletes or those recovering from an injury who want to avoid high-intensity intervals.

Traditional Base

Traditional Base - Low Volume

Traditional Base - Mid Volume

Traditional Base - High Volume

Sweet Spot Base has two consecutive six-week blocks: I and II. Time permitting, complete each block in order.The Sweet-Spot block is the most efficient form of base training for the majority of cyclists — it’s what we recommend. You’ll train in the Sweet-Spot, Threshold and VO2max power zones for a blend of interval training that makes you stronger, faster. Aside from the significant fitness gains and increases in FTP, you’ll enhance your form work and pedaling mechanics.If you have the time and prefer the traditional style but would like to complete this block, the high-volume block incorporates aspects of both Sweet-Spot and Traditional base training.

Sweet Spot Base

Sweet Spot Base Low Volume

Sweet Spot Base Mid Volume

Sweet Spot Base High Volume

Sprint triathlons require a very different approach than the increasingly common Half- and Full-Distance triathlons. The short duration of these events generally requires a high-level of intensity — something to start training for from the beginning.

Sprint Triathlon Base

Effectively managing your training time begins to get difficult when you step into the Olympic distance. It is crucial for athletes competing in this international distance to develop their threshold power in all disciplines, since this is where they will spend most of their time on race day.

Olympic Triathlon Base

Athletes training for half-distance triathlons need to build a broad aerobic base while paying attention to intensities at or above threshold. Whether you are a time-constrained athlete, or somebody looking to PR their next event with plenty of available training time, these plans will effectively build your endurance in all three triathlon disciplines.

Half Distance Triathlon Base

Although full-distance triathlons are considered an endurance event, the low-volume variation of this plan still gives you the fitness you need in the always-critical Base Phase. Ranging from 4-5 days of training per week, this plan will take 12 weeks to establish a lasting and reliable base of aerobic fitness.