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Are you an experienced pro? A weekend intermediate? A recreational beginner? Wherever you’re at in the sport, having a training plan can make all the difference between just riding a bike and achieving your full potential. In this article, we’ll explore what goes into making a cycling training plan that propels you toward your goals and keeps you motivated along the way.

Are All Cycling Training Plans Equal?

The answer is a resounding no. They say any plan is better than no plan at all, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for one that wasn’t made  for you. The effectiveness of a cycling training plan depends on different factors, including how it aligns with your goals, your fitness level, and your ability to follow it consistently. 

A cycling training plan takes the guesswork out of training and simplifies the entire process. They all have some things in common, and should include the following elements:

Progression

Progression means the gradual increase of intensity, duration, or frequency over time. The body needs to be constantly challenged in order to force adaptation to occur. Without the appropriate amount of stress, the body will simply stay the way it is, because it will not waste energy trying to change something that doesn’t need to be changed.

Periodization

Periodization is the organization of your training into different phases, each with its own purpose. Some examples of periodization phases for cyclists would be base training (building a base of aerobic fitness), power development (to train for hilly courses), and tapering (a period where you reduce training prior to a race to allow for maximum recovery).

Stretching & Mobility

Stretching and mobility are not often built into a cycling training plan, and, as a result, cyclists tend to get injured quite frequently. Following a corrective stretching and mobility program can help reduce the risk of injury by balancing out muscle tension, improving your posture, and promoting circulation throughout the body.

Strength Training

Strength training helps you build muscle strength, size, and power while at the same time building up weak areas that aren’t effectively stimulated while riding. Some of these areas include the core, glutes, and upper body. This can serve to make you not just better on the bike, but a better athlete overall with a lower risk of injury. 

Recovery

Recovery is more than just time off the bike, and it’s smart to actually program it right into a cycling training plan, which has many benefits. Being able to track recovery helps you understand what your appropriate training load is, and allows you to adjust it accordingly; adding in more training or taking some away depending on what you want/need.

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A cycling training plan that lacks any of these fundamental aspects may lead to plateaus, overtraining, and/or burnout. Balancing them all in concert with one another is key to a schedule that produces results and is enjoyable to follow.

Creating the Perfect Cycling Training Plan

We wanted to give you a sample of one of our cycling training plans here at Dynamic Cyclist. Below you’ll find a printout of ‘Week 1’ and ‘Week 2’ from our ‘Beginner Training Plan’. This plan is easily modifiable and perfect for beginner to intermediate cyclists looking to up their volume and ride more than ever before. Take a look!

Notice in just two weeks some of the things that are happening in this plan. There’s a clear consistency between the two when it comes to structure, but an inherent variability in the types of workouts, durations, etc. Recovery rides, rest days, stretching/mobility and cross/strength training are all built neatly into each week.

Advanced Cycling Training Plan

Are you already in the upper echelons of cycling fitness and performance? Perhaps you need something a little more challenging. Contrast the structure of the above beginner plan with this, a sample of ‘Week 1’ from our ‘Gran Fondo Training Plan’. This 8 week program prepares cyclists for races that are 120 kilometers and longer.

A steep increase in volume + workouts with RPE (rate of perceived exertion) requirements stretching into the 90th percentile. This is a serious program for experienced cyclists looking to take their riding to the next level. We have a whole collection of different programs like these that you can use to create your own unique cycling training plan (or, just follow along!).

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Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist