The infamous fitness plateau is a state no athlete wishes to face. We’re going to make sure you never find yourself there. Throughout this discussion, we will introduce two foundational theories to understand what happens to our bodies when we train. By doing so, we aim to illuminate why certain practices yield results, while others achieve…
Working hard will only get you so far. There comes a point when you need to strategically plan how to best use your hard work to maximize fitness gains — that’s what training smarter is all about. By exploring our training plan process, we aim to clarify the purpose of each training block you’ll work…
Every situation is different, but there are a few rules you can abide by to determine whether you should quit your cycling workout or put your head down and suffer through it. How Often Are You Training? If you’re following a low-volume plan… Harden up. You’re training just a few times a week and if you…
The goal of every cyclist is to optimize their power-to-weight ratio (w/kg). More power with less weight is going to make you faster —but how do you know if you are losing the right type of weight? Today’s post explores three methods cyclists can employ to measure their weight loss with precision. Overview Fat does…
We’re commonly asked, “Does bike geometry affect power output?” Or more specific questions like, “Does my saddle position affect my power output?” To get to the truth of the matter, we interviewed an expert. Overview Brian Gordon is a kinesiologist, certified Body Geometry Fit Specialist and Mountain Bike Product Developer for Specialized. Over the past…
Most bike races and triathlons are endurance events that require you to pace your effort. To make sure your next race is successful, create a pacing plan and follow it with precision. In every bike race your energy should be viewed as an hourglass. The harder you work, the faster the sand falls to the…
Following the release of our triathlon-specific Base plans, our new triathlon Build training plans will focus on raising your threshold on the bike, in the swim and in the run. Overview Our new triathlon-specific training plans have been designed for multisport athletes from the ground up. Not only do the on-the-bike workouts take into consideration the…
Cyclists who ignore metrics like Resting Heart Rate (RHR) to measure their recovery are leaving a lot on the table. This simple approach to quantifying recovery takes little time or effort, it can guide your decision making, and it might even give you that little bit more you need to win. Overview Power meters enable riders to precisely measure their…
Every cyclist will miss prescribed workouts in their training plan at some point, but it’s not the end of the world. The key is knowing how to adjust your training plan to keep your training on track. Training Interruptions Whether you’ve become sick or found yourself on vacation during the middle of a training plan, it’s…
The objective of an FTP (Functional Threshold Power) test is to get an accurate indication of your current fitness level. As you progress through your training plan, your fitness will improve. Since your FTP is used to adjust the intensity of your power-based training to your needs, it’s extremely important that you have an accurate measurement…