I’ll have to get started on my wrestling career when the cycling progression ceases
Sounds like a good plan. I made it before 30, but it’s been downhill ever since.
4.2
Have I missed him telling his weight? Why is everybody obsessing about losing weight?
@trebor for what it is worth my n=1 knowledge:
3,5 hours got me to 3w/kg
5hours got me to 3.7w/kg
7.5 hours got me to 4.0w/kg
I GAINED 4kg during the 3year consistent (!) process (68kg to 72kg @177cm) which made me more resilient and athletic/healthier in general and added some matches to my box (read: I recover faster during a ride and can punch harder more often; might have not as much to do with the weight gain, but I assume (!) so).
Don’t stress so much about w/kg unless you are super light or super heavy, we are no pro riders! If you reach raw 200w for endurance zone, you are a force to reckon with at group rides unless your doing mostly mountainous/very hilly routes.
I’m not sure why you quote me, but have you actually read my post? I never suggest weight loss, much less obsess over it. It is simply math - you increased volume to get to 4wkg by more than 2x. He will at least need to do that. Also your starting point is considerably higher than his.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend or call you out. I may have phrased this a little too harsh, but your post was the 5th one to suggest weight loss without knowing his starting weight, so I guess I overreacted a bit … apologies.
Your other points are absolutely valid!
I did not mean to imply or suggest he should lose weight. Like you said, he could be my build (63kg @ 175cm) and really not be in a position to lose any, and remain healthy/happy for an average guy.
But I also strongly disagree from other responses here - he simply will not get to 4wkg on his current volume. I understand wanting to be supportive, but my opinion is that it is impossible for him. Some people are 3.5-4wkg untrained at their current weight, and they’ll hit 4wkg with no problem. He does not strike me as one of these people based on limited information posted.
It’s not a one size fits all model unfortunately, but I’m 41 and now having to increase my volume to increase my FTP.
I’ve always done MV on TR but I’m now supplementing this with extra Zone 2 to hit 9/10 hours a week.
FTP is up to 322, but weight is 85kg so not quite 4w/kg, but it’s the closest I’ve been.
Hopefully I can be 330w at 82kg by the summer, but there is no way i could do it on low volume, but I’ve never been genetically gifted within sport.
That is the definition of training progression.
Absolutely, with 188cm and around 88kg I will never reach anywhere near W/kg what was mentioned here. Does it matter? No, still loads of energy and power to push into the pedals.
And as you have mentioned: the more LV high intensity workout I did the more muscles I developed which are heavy and actually raised my overall weight. So with lots of training I weigh more than before without the workouts. So gaining weight does not have to be bad per se.
I could probably stand to lose a few kgs, but I’d rather try work on the W side first
If you want to loose kg and want to work on W: Zone2 riding is the best way for you as addition to high intensity workouts.
Zone2 fasted?
I, like I know wtf, would say if you don’t have much experience training (that includes fueling/nutrition) don’t. Most if not all who I know that starve themselves on the bike over eat off the bike and end up in a net calorie gain. Gain fitness on the bike and lose weight in the kitchen.
Z2 should work fine bit of weight loss, and adding some base to your workouts.
That is the problem, correct! Most people starve themselves, then go for higher intensity workouts, dont finish these properly and end up being super hungry afterwards.
So rather reduce your calories in the kitchen and add some easy Z2 miles which dont need to be backed up by carbohydrates as much as higher intensity workouts need to be
What I’ve found over decades…Fuel the same for all training (60g-ish carbs/hour or whatever you can handle). For Z2, 3 SST even the fueling will help recovery and reduce that starving feeling for the remainder of the day thus reducing overeating. Not eating one day is a great way to not perform good on the bike (even LIT) subsequent days. Fueling for HIIT definitely helps achieve power/duration targets. I just make sure I consume a gel/30 minutes. The ones I use are 22g/carbs with caffein. I buy them buy the carton now and they are a regular part of the training puzzle. My sprint power after an hour of work is probably as good as it’s ever been!
I feel like this question is backwards.
Don’t ask: “What is the minimum amount of work I can do?”.
Ask: “What is the maximum I am willing to invest in myself to get better?”
If your answer to the second question is “the minimum”, expect minimum results.
I disagree - the correct question was asked. What is the minimum amount of work needed in order to reach 4wkg (actually technically he asked what the minimum is to “get fast” which quickly becomes subjective). Work and train smarter, not harder (or more as is the case). If my goal is 4wkg, and I can reach that goal on 4hrs of structured training, why would I want to train 8 hours?
I’m just looking for a little bit of advice. I too am working through the Sweet Spot Base low volume plan. My biggest problem is the limited amount of time I have to train. Sometimes I can squeeze in an extra ride, but maybe only 30 minutes.
Would 30 minutes of Zone 2 work actually give any benefit or do you need to be going for at least an hour?