when i first started getting back into endurance as an adult, all this talk of z2 training made me realize that when i ran cross country in high school, i didn't do training. I simply did 4-5 races a week because everyday was a competition with my teammates. it would explain why I didn't progress really well.
@@Jobother I ran cross country in HS, and it's no wonder I blew my hip out senior year ending my career. Our coach was an idiot and pushed us too hard. There were dozens of days where I could feel I was overtraining, and he made me "push through the pain." My stride got wonky to compensate for chronic fatigue and I started to damage stuff in my hip. I still remember when something tore, it popped out of socket and I fell on the ground. 25 years later and it still pops out of socket sometimes. What an asshole.
9 months ago, the day this video came out, I was fired from my job. I remember sitting on my couch the next day watching this video thinking "what am I going to do with my life?" (This was pre corona). Today, 9 months later I still have no idea what I'm doing with my life, but thanks to Dylan (and mostly my wife) I'm at least a lot faster 😁
Good to hear ,but you sound as if parts of your life are taking shape ,keep this bit no matter what ,work will sort itself out it always does ,hey look at me I got sacked 5 times ,and now guess what I wash dishes for a living 😀(true story)I want to become a career dishwasher lol
The Uphill Athlete is a great book even though it is for Ski Mountaineering and Ultra Runners, it goes deep into why we need to go slow which is basically all about improving our mitochondria. Endurance is about metabolism and it is important to narrow the gap between your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. Many athletes and most recreational athletes have ADS - aerobic deficiency syndrome. I know that almost every time I go out on a group ride or ski tour that everyone's ego is running the show and we spend the whole time in the black hole of training, not slow enough or fast enough to which leads to burnout or stagnation. Zone 2 training benefits are great for getting over yourself, how many cyclists can allow themselves to be passed by someone that is obviously not as dedicated or as fast as them..... going slow will also allow you to grow on a personal, psychological and perhaps spiritual level as you learn to get over yourself and get over the stories that the ego loves to play in our minds as we pedal on hours on end.......
Hi Dylan, Would love to see videos on two topics: 1) Polarized training (Stephen Seiler style) 2) The impact of bike touring on fitness (slow unstructured kms everyday for months) Great videos, keep it up.
"slow unstructured kms everyday for months" - that's basically Z2 riding, so base training with too little recovery, unless you're taking days off bike, while touring.
@@lechprotean That's actually an interesting topic. By my personal experience, in bike touring I eat more and sleep more since I'm in my 'vacation mode'. So recovery doesn't seem like a problem if I do 100-150 km per day (mostly flat of course). I think it makes very solid endurance training.
Do this regularly since many years. Recommend one day of after for days. Forme not more than two weeks. Best recreation for stressed people, much better than all inclusive hotels etc
Great vid. Importance of slow miles cannot be stressed enough. After a year of not understanding why my ATL took forever to drop, and having to do 3 week tapers, I started doing slow miles "slow" and what a difference it made. This is something that requires commitment, doing 65% of max HR 4 hour rides is mentally tough, and that nagging "I'm not going fast enough" feeling is hard to fight. Best part is doing group rides at the back the whole time, even being dropped, but then having someone from the same group show up to one of your interval sessions and not being able to keep up.
@@damon123jones Alas, that would be great, but my friends don't really "believe" in slow base miles, so I find myself riding solo most of the time. Which is good because it also works as mental training for 5hr+ races, where you are alone a lot of the time anyways.
I got myself a coach this fall for training for a race later this year that is currently out of my liege, and was introduced to zone 2 training. I must say that at first I panicked from the lack of intensity and was considering sneaking in intervals as I would for sure loose all muscle endurance. Luckily I stuck to the plan and the results before Christmas was better then any whole offseason training I have done. Even my muscle endurance at threshold has improved a lot, and for some reason so has my sprints. I just wish I knew this years ago. The volume has gone up a lot, but my sense of chronic stress from not doing intervals all the time is lower.
I look at my data from over the years and its about 90 percent zone 1 zone 2 but i believe 10 or 20 percent strength and threshold work has to be improved tear to year Without inducing stress
I’d love to see a video that covers building back up a good base after an extended time off the bike. May also be great for people wanting to go from casual weekend rider to keeping up on group rides.
6th that, my break from the bike was 24yrs so getting back into it by just building up the endurance miles at the moment but if there is a video specifically on this would be great 👍
Your best episode so far and a very concrete advice that is very timely for most athletes in the northern hemisphere. You’re also a man of your words, logging those massive Z2 rides on Strava regularly. I’d appreciate more content on winter clothing - After two hours my hands and feet are freezing no matter what I’m wearing so I don’t know how you manage those long rides in such cold weather.
Luckily here in North Carolina it hasn't been that cold lately. Biggest thing I'd say would be layers on your core. If your core is cold the rest of your body will be too. Don't be afraid of many layers.
Can’t go wrong with castelli’s range of winter clothing. I regularly dressed in 5 layers upper body, 2 layers lower body like onion for 3-4hr rides around zero deg Celsius... with the castelli stuff I found I needed less layers - a good merino wool base layer does wonders under a wind stopper jacket.
The comments on layering apply to hands and feet also. Get a warm pair of winter gloves (Castelli Estremo or similar) and then layer a thinner pair underneath as liners. Thick merino wool socks, shoes with no vents in soles, then winter shoe covers over top (or winter shoes also with shoe covers over them). Layer everything = stay warm.
I think I've watched this video 5 or 6 times, and each time I absorb and learn something different. And this is pretty much the case with all your videos. Such valuable info. I look forward to working with you in the future when I can afford it! For now, keep the videos coming! Thanks very much
@@johnpenner1318 Hi John. Difficult to answer this one succinctly without opening Pandora's box. My short anecdotal answer: aim for 60-70% FTP for very long rides (>3h30). This would probably correlate to upper Z1 to mid Z2 in most 7-zone models, and firmly in Z1 in a 3-zone model. Aim for 70-75% FTP for shorter endurance rides (around 2h30). I think Z2 in a 3-zone model is usually equivalent to around 80-95% FTP - which is Z3/4 in the 7-zone models. Longer answer: As far as I have come to understand, the point of base training is to build as big an aerobic engine as possible. To this end, you want to focus on training the energy systems that facilitate the most efficient fat oxidation - before you start producing lactate as a metabolite of other 'faster' energy systems because then your body will look to use that as a preferred fuel. Thankfully, this training zone is a relatively wide 'target' to hit. Anecdotally, I have had success erring on the side of going easier (60-70% of FTP) than trying to stay at the absolute limit of my 'endurance zone' (75% FTP). As you have eluded to, where exactly that value sits on the intensity spectrum depends on the training model you're using. So, if the priority of the session is to improve aerobic endurance, then I'd use 75% FTP as a limit (not a target) of intensity for the workout. For example, you'll induce a very similar physiological adaptation from 3h at 65-70% FTP vs 3h at 70-75% FTP, however, the former will likely be far less fatiguing. Compounded over the course of a 3-week training block, the difference is substantial and very noticeable. Apologies for the long-winded reply, but I hope it helps. All the best with your training.
Hi, i am glad that there is still common sense in cycling training world. I am a rider and cycling coach for last 20 years and this modern aproaches really bothers me. We have magical pill for everything nowdays.. In cycling world and endurance and strength training in general latest pill is HIIT training. Coaches promises big gains with minimal hours. But nobody tells those customers that you have to be already fit for intense workouts and have a lot of hours on the bike in lower zones. You can be easilly overtrained or injured if you follow this methods with insufficient base. Keep up the good work!
@Steve King Short answer is yes. But.. Depends on how well you are prepared, how many years you are riding, for what kind of competions you are training etc.. If you are an experience athlete you can do even shorter base, if you are new to cycling I would add some time.. If you ride with PM it easier to determine when it is time for more intense training, with HR it is more guess work..
Great video. Totally lines up with my experience. I used to do a lot of SST base and intensity with a result of burnout and mediocre performance. Introducing a lot of z2 and cutting out 90% of z3 has been transformative. Takes time to build as you say but well worth it.
I think many individuals skip base training because it is very time consuming, if you do 3 interval sessions a week it can easily take less than 3 hours and you have put in alot of work and are free to do other stuff. When this tought becomes a reality and thruth since more and more people are doing it, then it is the right thing to do, atleast for them and they will "shun" base training. Great video Dylan!
I want to see a video where backwards hat Dylan is delivering the whole program, and sensible Dylan pops in every now and then to add in sensible ideas... that would be my training ....
Ha! It’s still January and you had me backing off my trainer ride by like 60 watts while watching this. I’m always in shape too soon and don’t have the time for all the winter low intensity 😭
Another great video. I have been trying to explain this concept to some of my buddies but they just won’t get it - if their legs are not burning and they are not attacking every hill in lung busting surges they think they are not really riding or training to improve. Thanks for these great insights - keep up the good work please !
What I find interesting is the reasons why endurance training is so important. Like the different adaptations they promote such as those to capillary networks, mitochondrial density and fat adaptation. These are all slow to create as compared to the adaptations created by high intensity. High intensity adaptations are more hormonal and faster to come and impossible to sustain.
Your weekly plan makes a lot of sense to me, except that a 4 1/2 hour endurance ride would be very hard on a trainer for those of us doing base training in the northeast.
Yes im in Victoria canada and i just do an hour before work on the teainer and an hour after work...weekend i try get a 3 hr group ride.. i feel ok on the long rides if they dont mash the hills
Great video Dylan. I have just came across your channel. I am a big fan of these style of evidence based research videos, and thrown in with a bit of witty humour too. Makes it easier to watch. I am eager to watch more of these cycling based videos Looking forward to delving into more content. Keep up the work.👍
Hey Dude, your base training program was so effective it even boosted my midi-chlorinan biosynthesis! The force I can apply through the pedals is more powerful than you can possibly ever imagine! Thanks dude!
Love your work Dylan. Have watched a ton of your videos and really like that you always summarize what the research says, and you do it very well. One very thankful rider here. 👍
The polarized model was built for as your first study points out--world class athletes where technique can be perfected and lead to greater efficiency (obviously, there is a cross over here to cycling, but try skate nordic skiing sometime , and you will see why these guys have to spend oodles of hours working on technique at low intensity). Also, as you have pointed out in your other video--athletes of this caliber respond differently (much more positively) to training. Cadel being a great example as he was a world class athlete from his teens. I hope he it had that figured out before he won Le Tour ;) It's not a question if this protocol works. It does for huge engines with all the time in the world who can travel to temperature locales to train. Take away any one for three components and gaps appear in practical practice. Trying riding zone 1 in rolling terrain on a windy cold day with an FTP of 250 and just see if you can be zone specific. Your 4.5 hr long ride for the week would have to be done for safety sake on the trainer today (there are wind chill warnings out today where I live). I am all for mental toughness, but gerbilling for 4.5 hours seems a bit extreme even for the most motivated cyclist. So the larger question for me has always been given time, talent , and location what's the best plan for training? I don't think applying one model to all circumstances is correct. ***Cue the meme of pound square pegs through round holes*** To be clear, I am not looking for short cuts. I am looking for best practice for my situation understanding that it might not be the best of the best to optimize performance. Dylan, I am not you expecting to answer my specific situation. I would hire you as couch if I did. Thank you furthering the debate and presenting with such clarity. The best, B. ***If you are polar zealot, I am not trying to change your mind. Peace be with you and rip everyone's legs off at all your peaks events***
Dylan excellent video as usual. I have been doing the base for a while now In both cycling and running. It’s good to see the science as well as real world in this excellent video. Keep up the good work.
I’m a “backward hat “,Thanks for the tips sonny,even us old dogs need to learn new tricks.Training this winter for spring/summer “ Bucket list” racing. I like and appreciate how you compare professional racing and average working people in training & Life. As well as some of your videos in the past of the importance of nutrition and what you do and do not put in your mouth.
Thanks for posting this. Exactly what I was looking for. I really enjoy and appreciate the content you are putting out. Thanks for your efforts. As always, I look forward to the next episode. Best, Rob
Zwift cycling Level 29. Zwift running Level 4, I am in cat c, from March 2023, 3,158km, 23,260m elevation. I am 57year male, when you are close to max f.t.p. cut by half.😊thanks great video amazing 😊
Great video. The 'Time Crunched' method really is a compromise and an example of panic training in my opinion. Effective over 4-6 weeks but you're not going to get close to your potential, even in shorter cycling events. Really enjoying your channel. Keep 'em coming!
Very much appreciated and I agree. I always come out of the winter with similar peak power and what I have lost comes back pretty quickly. On the other hand my first two+ hour ride in the spring usually results in a pretty severe and sometimes dangerous bonk. My body simply isnt conditioned for the volume and I end up burning through all of my energy stores. Actually had a similar bonk yesterday but that was safely on Zwift indoors and not in April while miles from home on the group ride. Obviously a bonk like that is from going too hard for too long. With smart high volume low intensity training we can safely progress through more and more volume before switching to more and more intensity. As you said, that takes time and there are no short cuts. With how busy we all are I wish there was but it just doesn't work that way.
I'm an ultra endurance runner & I see lots of similarities in the way the training is laid out. Well I love cycling aswell so I get my training advise here 😊
I'm a distance runner and we train EXACTLY the same way, down to the 2 times a week weights, interval sessions 2 times a week, once a week long runs, etc...I suppose that makes sense since you are training the same systems
I rode more kms than ever in 2019 (25000) by following a 3 x 15 hour week then by 1 x 7 hour week formula. That gave me 12 whole weeks of recovery throughout the year. I did 3 workouts per week during the big weeks and no workouts on the off weeks other than a sprint at the end of each session starting on the third day. As the recovery week progresses the sprints get stronger. I love my recovery weeks. Endless hard weeks in a row lead to staleness and plateaus.
good timing....i bought one of your training plans last week....its fun and its just like i had a trainig peaks coach...i wont have anything really to talk about anyway till riding season starts in late march....or whenever it stops snowing haha...
He recently did a video on zwift training plans and gave them a thumbs down. Check out that video. Seems trainer road might have better plans. I never used zwift so I'm not giving my opinion. Good luck.
Dylan great episode! I really appreciate the studies cited and the plans that you laid out for base training leading up to race season. The science is what keeps me coming back and my goal is train efficiently according to scientific data. I passed the video onto my cycling friends. Keep the videos coming my friend!
On a side, during the winter off season I hit the gym to do strength training. I found that even though my heart rate is significantly lower than on the bike... I was sucking some serious wind at the beginning. I assume that my anaerobic system is lacking is that true? I am more of an endurance rider and I'm always better at the second half of the ride for the record.
Hi Dylan. On the spot like always. I agree with you. Just one question rices up. In one of your videos you recommended the book time crunched cyclist. In the book the author says below a certain amount of hours per week the base training is not helping. What is your opinion about that. I have a busy winter season I do 6 to 8 hours per week. I try to do longer sessions as well but its hart to fit in more then 3 hours. I can do more truing summer then. But that’s to late to build a base. Keep going with what you do.
It helps to have a very long, straight road to train on...to maintain a consistent heart rate zone...otherwise, to base-train on a cycle has to be moved indoors.
You are in good company as The Cyclist's Training Bible recommends that for novice athletes it is generally best to do ONLY the base period for an entire season to increase attention to the basic abilities. FWIW
For me, as a casual rider, the regular riding is what I do for enjoyment, I'm not training for a specific event. So I'd rather ride in Zone 3 or 4 which is what enjoy, than bumble along in Zone 2. Sure I'd like to get better, but it's more important for me to enjoy my weeks.
My winter training is that I only ride 3 times a week. The first ride is to cover 20 miles as fast as I can then 2 days off. The second ride is to cover 15 miles as fast as I can then 2 days off. The third ride is to cover 10 miles as fast as I can then 2 days off. Then the next week I flip it. I hit the gym on the second day of my rest period.
I'm trying (again) the front load periodization "program" for 3 months (jan, feb, mar): 5 sessions of intensity during the first week, then 3 weeks of recovery/endurance with only 1 session with intensity each week. I want to see if I can get better results next Spring. First week done :-), today my planned workout is intensity...
Really helpful information, and it jibes with how I would train my HS athletes for rowing as well. It is often hard to remember in practice and keep yourself in check but this is a good reminder why it is so important. I only wonder how one puts all this into practice when you aren't racing? That is, I am just riding for fun and the challenge of it with no major goal in mind for this year other than improving my abilities (ok, and beating my first ever Century time from November). Hmmm. Anyway, great stuff.
It would be great to get a video on sweet spot training for cyclists with less time in their week. Is this a reasonable strategy or does sweet spot basically count as "not so hard, but not going easy either". Thanks Dylan, I am really appreciating your content!
Great content again Dylan , now if I can change the space time Continuum so there are 36 hrs in the day I will be able to do three 4 hr rides a week for the next 8 week s ,
My winter consists of cyclocross, cyclocross and cyclosross...not much time left for traditional base. 1 more week of Cx Then 1 week of nothing Then same easy base training and MTB skills.
Another great video with some of the best researches quoted. What about low cadence strength intervals? I usually do a lot of low rpm in base before introducing steady state later in base.
From my experience, I do the long base miles so that I can do more high intensity work later. For MTB this is super important. I can’t do downhill laps if I don’t have the endurance base to get back up the mountain multiple times. Same for running. I do long slow distance so that on workout days I’m comfortable going further overall which means more high intensity work overall. It might be the difference between, let’s say, 5x1k at threshold and 10x1k at threshold.
Where I live there are tons of short super steep climbs that really cant be avoided. How do you compensate for that when your trying to do long distance zone 1? No matter how slow, my heart rate is pinned every time.
Dylan awesome channel! I was at a couple of thee lumberjacks you one and shot video of you coming across! We have a race team of about 40 REMAXers. Some ultra guys some some shorter distant guys and gals. Would love to do a video conference call with you sometime on our zoom platform! Love your channel and insight.
Thank you for everything Dylan over the past couple of years. Is there any way I can support you beyond liking, subscribing, sharing...? If I get I right you say Off season > base training > race season Can you say more about - how long these periods are? - what you do during them? - the work load during each? I know you covered parts of these in some videos... Thanks again man
So based off your work and others i've observed i am weight training ~2/wk. Equip and space is limited at my work gym (worse in January) so usually just doin squats and leg press. worked my way down from 20 rep sets to 8reps (6sets) over last several wks. i jog a mile afterwards to finish. For now everything else is Z1 work (3 Zone model). I have 1 long ride per wk (currrently on trainer - rough) and usually back that with a short EZ spin or rest. When it gets warmer i may run 1 day a wk again. I am still up in the air on what goals/events i'd like to do this year. Strange for me as this isnt the norm (i hit all my goals last yr including the big big goal 7yrs in the making). But i'm continuing in this realm til i get a clearer picture of what i want to do. No TT or gravel bike, area lost a few road races this yr, my mtb could go to high school. So who knows. Thank you for the content and best wishes in 2020. -U10
"Making every ride kinda hard but never easy and certainly not hard enough" sums myself up pretty good
when i first started getting back into endurance as an adult, all this talk of z2 training made me realize that when i ran cross country in high school, i didn't do training. I simply did 4-5 races a week because everyday was a competition with my teammates. it would explain why I didn't progress really well.
@@Jobother I ran cross country in HS, and it's no wonder I blew my hip out senior year ending my career. Our coach was an idiot and pushed us too hard. There were dozens of days where I could feel I was overtraining, and he made me "push through the pain." My stride got wonky to compensate for chronic fatigue and I started to damage stuff in my hip. I still remember when something tore, it popped out of socket and I fell on the ground. 25 years later and it still pops out of socket sometimes. What an asshole.
9 months ago, the day this video came out, I was fired from my job. I remember sitting on my couch the next day watching this video thinking "what am I going to do with my life?" (This was pre corona).
Today, 9 months later I still have no idea what I'm doing with my life, but thanks to Dylan (and mostly my wife) I'm at least a lot faster 😁
Good to hear ,but you sound as if parts of your life are taking shape ,keep this bit no matter what ,work will sort itself out it always does ,hey look at me I got sacked 5 times ,and now guess what I wash dishes for a living 😀(true story)I want to become a career dishwasher lol
Same story Got fired from work and I lost 7kgs and got faster Hahaha
Backwards hat Dylan is the Chuck Norris of MTB racing.
Backwards hat Dylan does base miles at 195% FTP.
lol
The Uphill Athlete is a great book even though it is for Ski Mountaineering and Ultra Runners, it goes deep into why we need to go slow which is basically all about improving our mitochondria. Endurance is about metabolism and it is important to narrow the gap between your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. Many athletes and most recreational athletes have ADS - aerobic deficiency syndrome.
I know that almost every time I go out on a group ride or ski tour that everyone's ego is running the show and we spend the whole time in the black hole of training, not slow enough or fast enough to which leads to burnout or stagnation. Zone 2 training benefits are great for getting over yourself, how many cyclists can allow themselves to be passed by someone that is obviously not as dedicated or as fast as them..... going slow will also allow you to grow on a personal, psychological and perhaps spiritual level as you learn to get over yourself and get over the stories that the ego loves to play in our minds as we pedal on hours on end.......
hmmmmmmmmm
Hi Dylan,
Would love to see videos on two topics:
1) Polarized training (Stephen Seiler style)
2) The impact of bike touring on fitness (slow unstructured kms everyday for months)
Great videos, keep it up.
"slow unstructured kms everyday for months" - that's basically Z2 riding, so base training with too little recovery, unless you're taking days off bike, while touring.
@@lechprotean That's actually an interesting topic. By my personal experience, in bike touring I eat more and sleep more since I'm in my 'vacation mode'. So recovery doesn't seem like a problem if I do 100-150 km per day (mostly flat of course). I think it makes very solid endurance training.
Do this regularly since many years. Recommend one day of after for days. Forme not more than two weeks. Best recreation for stressed people, much better than all inclusive hotels etc
this is rapidly becoming my go to channel for training advice (and there are sooooo many to choose from!). Excellent video once again! Chapeau sir
Same here, love the way the content is brought across and that i can actually learn what to do or what not to do ie backwards hat D
Great vid. Importance of slow miles cannot be stressed enough. After a year of not understanding why my ATL took forever to drop, and having to do 3 week tapers, I started doing slow miles "slow" and what a difference it made. This is something that requires commitment, doing 65% of max HR 4 hour rides is mentally tough, and that nagging "I'm not going fast enough" feeling is hard to fight. Best part is doing group rides at the back the whole time, even being dropped, but then having someone from the same group show up to one of your interval sessions and not being able to keep up.
Way more fun as well if you have a nice place to ride with friends
@@damon123jones Alas, that would be great, but my friends don't really "believe" in slow base miles, so I find myself riding solo most of the time. Which is good because it also works as mental training for 5hr+ races, where you are alone a lot of the time anyways.
Lol. So hard when your chaps sprint for every marker. And I’m like a Border Collie that chases every ball. 🤦♂️😂
I got myself a coach this fall for training for a race later this year that is currently out of my liege, and was introduced to zone 2 training. I must say that at first I panicked from the lack of intensity and was considering sneaking in intervals as I would for sure loose all muscle endurance.
Luckily I stuck to the plan and the results before Christmas was better then any whole offseason training I have done. Even my muscle endurance at threshold has improved a lot, and for some reason so has my sprints. I just wish I knew this years ago.
The volume has gone up a lot, but my sense of chronic stress from not doing intervals all the time is lower.
I look at my data from over the years and its about 90 percent zone 1 zone 2 but i believe 10 or 20 percent strength and threshold work has to be improved tear to year
Without inducing stress
I’d love to see a video that covers building back up a good base after an extended time off the bike. May also be great for people wanting to go from casual weekend rider to keeping up on group rides.
Seconded
@@martinaxe6390 Thirded
Fourthed would love to see it as i am trying to get fit again.
5th’d!
6th that, my break from the bike was 24yrs so getting back into it by just building up the endurance miles at the moment but if there is a video specifically on this would be great 👍
but what does backwards hat Dylan recommend? He's my mentor
Oh you should just smash strava segments and Zwift races all year.
Hahaha
Backwards Hat Dylan is a The a Strava Legend
@@DylanJohnsonCycling i actually relate to backwards Dylan... thats me there
Does backward hat Dylan has a page? I should subscribe, he's hilarious 😆
Your best episode so far and a very concrete advice that is very timely for most athletes in the northern hemisphere. You’re also a man of your words, logging those massive Z2 rides on Strava regularly.
I’d appreciate more content on winter clothing - After two hours my hands and feet are freezing no matter what I’m wearing so I don’t know how you manage those long rides in such cold weather.
Luckily here in North Carolina it hasn't been that cold lately. Biggest thing I'd say would be layers on your core. If your core is cold the rest of your body will be too. Don't be afraid of many layers.
Bontrager makes a line of winter kit called "Old Man Winter", or OMW, for short. It's expensive as hell, but it works.
Can’t go wrong with castelli’s range of winter clothing. I regularly dressed in 5 layers upper body, 2 layers lower body like onion for 3-4hr rides around zero deg Celsius... with the castelli stuff I found I needed less layers - a good merino wool base layer does wonders under a wind stopper jacket.
The comments on layering apply to hands and feet also. Get a warm pair of winter gloves (Castelli Estremo or similar) and then layer a thinner pair underneath as liners. Thick merino wool socks, shoes with no vents in soles, then winter shoe covers over top (or winter shoes also with shoe covers over them). Layer everything = stay warm.
Don’t forget that arm and leg warmers will keep your hands and feet warmer. Arm warmers reduce my comfortable gloveless temperatures significantly
I think I've watched this video 5 or 6 times, and each time I absorb and learn something different. And this is pretty much the case with all your videos. Such valuable info. I look forward to working with you in the future when I can afford it! For now, keep the videos coming!
Thanks very much
QUESTION: how do I know if I’m in my Z1 and not Z2 (3 zone model)
Is that the middle of my Z2on the 7 zone FTP model? Is it bottom of my Z3?
@@johnpenner1318 Hi John. Difficult to answer this one succinctly without opening Pandora's box.
My short anecdotal answer: aim for 60-70% FTP for very long rides (>3h30). This would probably correlate to upper Z1 to mid Z2 in most 7-zone models, and firmly in Z1 in a 3-zone model. Aim for 70-75% FTP for shorter endurance rides (around 2h30). I think Z2 in a 3-zone model is usually equivalent to around 80-95% FTP - which is Z3/4 in the 7-zone models.
Longer answer:
As far as I have come to understand, the point of base training is to build as big an aerobic engine as possible. To this end, you want to focus on training the energy systems that facilitate the most efficient fat oxidation - before you start producing lactate as a metabolite of other 'faster' energy systems because then your body will look to use that as a preferred fuel.
Thankfully, this training zone is a relatively wide 'target' to hit. Anecdotally, I have had success erring on the side of going easier (60-70% of FTP) than trying to stay at the absolute limit of my 'endurance zone' (75% FTP). As you have eluded to, where exactly that value sits on the intensity spectrum depends on the training model you're using. So, if the priority of the session is to improve aerobic endurance, then I'd use 75% FTP as a limit (not a target) of intensity for the workout. For example, you'll induce a very similar physiological adaptation from 3h at 65-70% FTP vs 3h at 70-75% FTP, however, the former will likely be far less fatiguing. Compounded over the course of a 3-week training block, the difference is substantial and very noticeable.
Apologies for the long-winded reply, but I hope it helps.
All the best with your training.
This was an excellent episode! I am impressed by your use of research and the humour you insert into the videos!
Hi, i am glad that there is still common sense in cycling training world. I am a rider and cycling coach for last 20 years and this modern aproaches really bothers me. We have magical pill for everything nowdays.. In cycling world and endurance and strength training in general latest pill is HIIT training. Coaches promises big gains with minimal hours. But nobody tells those customers that you have to be already fit for intense workouts and have a lot of hours on the bike in lower zones. You can be easilly overtrained or injured if you follow this methods with insufficient base. Keep up the good work!
@Steve King Short answer is yes. But.. Depends on how well you are prepared, how many years you are riding, for what kind of competions you are training etc.. If you are an experience athlete you can do even shorter base, if you are new to cycling I would add some time.. If you ride with PM it easier to determine when it is time for more intense training, with HR it is more guess work..
This is The God of speed training .... I have been saying this now for over 20 years .. My strava is the proof
Goes to show you how advanced my sports mind is
Great video. Totally lines up with my experience. I used to do a lot of SST base and intensity with a result of burnout and mediocre performance. Introducing a lot of z2 and cutting out 90% of z3 has been transformative. Takes time to build as you say but well worth it.
I actually took notes...great stuff DJ.
I always take notes. :)
I think many individuals skip base training because it is very time consuming, if you do 3 interval sessions a week it can easily take less than 3 hours and you have put in alot of work and are free to do other stuff. When this tought becomes a reality and thruth since more and more people are doing it, then it is the right thing to do, atleast for them and they will "shun" base training. Great video Dylan!
I would really not enjoy that
I want to see a video where backwards hat Dylan is delivering the whole program, and sensible Dylan pops in every now and then to add in sensible ideas... that would be my training ....
Ha! It’s still January and you had me backing off my trainer ride by like 60 watts while watching this. I’m always in shape too soon and don’t have the time for all the winter low intensity 😭
80/20 isnt all low intensity
Have to maintain or improve power somehow
Kudos on an excellent summary and synthesis of a lot of science-based info. I’m subscribed now.
Another great video. I have been trying to explain this concept to some of my buddies but they just won’t get it - if their legs are not burning and they are not attacking every hill in lung busting surges they think they are not really riding or training to improve. Thanks for these great insights - keep up the good work please !
I really like that you include citations from scientific reports. I read all those highlighted sections.
This might be the most informative video you have ever done
What I find interesting is the reasons why endurance training is so important. Like the different adaptations they promote such as those to capillary networks, mitochondrial density and fat adaptation. These are all slow to create as compared to the adaptations created by high intensity. High intensity adaptations are more hormonal and faster to come and impossible to sustain.
And your numbers will plateau after 4 weeks
I overtrained earlier this year and had to take a few months off the bike. Now I’m getting faster by taking it easy
Look here he comes with his research over here all the time and I love it
I just love to listen to a good discussion on-base/ specific intensity/taper/race over a cup of coffee. Keep up dylan.
Your weekly plan makes a lot of sense to me, except that a 4 1/2 hour endurance ride would be very hard on a trainer for those of us doing base training in the northeast.
Yes im in Victoria canada and i just do an hour before work on the teainer and an hour after work...weekend i try get a 3 hr group ride.. i feel ok on the long rides if they dont mash the hills
@Rabbi Goldberg Silverstein is harder on the trainer, because there are no free wheeling. But last Winter I dif many 3 hour Zone 2 rides on zwift
Great video Dylan. I have just came across your channel. I am a big fan of these style of evidence based research videos, and thrown in with a bit of witty humour too. Makes it easier to watch.
I am eager to watch more of these cycling based videos
Looking forward to delving into more content. Keep up the work.👍
Hey Dude, your base training program was so effective it even boosted my midi-chlorinan biosynthesis! The force I can apply through the pedals is more powerful than you can possibly ever imagine! Thanks dude!
Apologies for Dad ‘joke’.
Great info and research, Dylan. Thank you.
Love your work Dylan. Have watched a ton of your videos and really like that you always summarize what the research says, and you do it very well. One very thankful rider here. 👍
The polarized model was built for as your first study points out--world class athletes where technique can be perfected and lead to greater efficiency (obviously, there is a cross over here to cycling, but try skate nordic skiing sometime , and you will see why these guys have to spend oodles of hours working on technique at low intensity). Also, as you have pointed out in your other video--athletes of this caliber respond differently (much more positively) to training. Cadel being a great example as he was a world class athlete from his teens. I hope he it had that figured out before he won Le Tour ;) It's not a question if this protocol works. It does for huge engines with all the time in the world who can travel to temperature locales to train. Take away any one for three components and gaps appear in practical practice. Trying riding zone 1 in rolling terrain on a windy cold day with an FTP of 250 and just see if you can be zone specific. Your 4.5 hr long ride for the week would have to be done for safety sake on the trainer today (there are wind chill warnings out today where I live). I am all for mental toughness, but gerbilling for 4.5 hours seems a bit extreme even for the most motivated cyclist. So the larger question for me has always been given time, talent , and location what's the best plan for training? I don't think applying one model to all circumstances is correct. ***Cue the meme of pound square pegs through round holes*** To be clear, I am not looking for short cuts. I am looking for best practice for my situation understanding that it might not be the best of the best to optimize performance. Dylan, I am not you expecting to answer my specific situation. I would hire you as couch if I did. Thank you furthering the debate and presenting with such clarity. The best, B. ***If you are polar zealot, I am not trying to change your mind. Peace be with you and rip everyone's legs off at all your peaks events***
Dylan excellent video as usual. I have been doing the base for a while now In both cycling and running. It’s good to see the science as well as real world in this excellent video. Keep up the good work.
I’m a “backward hat “,Thanks for the tips sonny,even us old dogs need to learn new tricks.Training this winter for spring/summer “ Bucket list” racing. I like and appreciate how you compare professional racing and average working people in training & Life. As well as some of your videos in the past of the importance of nutrition and what you do and do not put in your mouth.
Dude
You are blowing up RAD..congrats
bro i can't thank you enough much love
Thanks for posting this. Exactly what I was looking for. I really enjoy and appreciate the content you are putting out. Thanks for your efforts. As always, I look forward to the next episode. Best, Rob
It’s good to see videos that are backed up by actual science rather than based on myths or the current fad of the month.
BWD is my new coach !!
How is it that you can talk forever when backwards hat Dylan nails it in just seconds!
Ron Bell have to admit ff to see what BH Dylan says 🚴🏼♂️😜
excellent - concise - and informative
Zwift cycling Level 29. Zwift running Level 4, I am in cat c, from March 2023, 3,158km, 23,260m elevation. I am 57year male, when you are close to max f.t.p. cut by half.😊thanks great video amazing 😊
Once again, awesome.
Gotta rewatch this over and over to soak in all of the info. Thank you!
Great video. The 'Time Crunched' method really is a compromise and an example of panic training in my opinion. Effective over 4-6 weeks but you're not going to get close to your potential, even in shorter cycling events. Really enjoying your channel. Keep 'em coming!
Nice seeing your name Rab
Very much appreciated and I agree. I always come out of the winter with similar peak power and what I have lost comes back pretty quickly. On the other hand my first two+ hour ride in the spring usually results in a pretty severe and sometimes dangerous bonk. My body simply isnt conditioned for the volume and I end up burning through all of my energy stores. Actually had a similar bonk yesterday but that was safely on Zwift indoors and not in April while miles from home on the group ride.
Obviously a bonk like that is from going too hard for too long. With smart high volume low intensity training we can safely progress through more and more volume before switching to more and more intensity. As you said, that takes time and there are no short cuts. With how busy we all are I wish there was but it just doesn't work that way.
awesome explanation. Got all the answers in one place. Thanks!
Very helpful advice backed up by real research. Keep up the great work with those vids!! Thanks Dylan!!
I'm an ultra endurance runner & I see lots of similarities in the way the training is laid out.
Well I love cycling aswell so I get my training advise here 😊
I'm a distance runner and we train EXACTLY the same way, down to the 2 times a week weights, interval sessions 2 times a week, once a week long runs, etc...I suppose that makes sense since you are training the same systems
TY for the great science based training - appreciate the content sir.
I rode more kms than ever in 2019 (25000) by following a 3 x 15 hour week then by 1 x 7 hour week formula. That gave me 12 whole weeks of recovery throughout the year. I did 3 workouts per week during the big weeks and no workouts on the off weeks other than a sprint at the end of each session starting on the third day. As the recovery week progresses the sprints get stronger. I love my recovery weeks. Endless hard weeks in a row lead to staleness and plateaus.
You did nail it bro!
good timing....i bought one of your training plans last week....its fun and its just like i had a trainig peaks coach...i wont have anything really to talk about anyway till riding season starts in late march....or whenever it stops snowing haha...
I’m just following the build me up plan on zwift, my zone 3 and FTP isn’t better. But I’m not loosing any fitness for only 4 hours a week
He recently did a video on zwift training plans and gave them a thumbs down. Check out that video. Seems trainer road might have better plans. I never used zwift so I'm not giving my opinion. Good luck.
Excellent video and training plan advice. Thank you.
These videos are straight fire. Thanks for all of the info
You da man DJ, another good one, as they pretty much all are.
Dylan great episode! I really appreciate the studies cited and the plans that you laid out for base training leading up to race season. The science is what keeps me coming back and my goal is train efficiently according to scientific data. I passed the video onto my cycling friends. Keep the videos coming my friend!
On a side, during the winter off season I hit the gym to do strength training. I found that even though my heart rate is significantly lower than on the bike... I was sucking some serious wind at the beginning. I assume that my anaerobic system is lacking is that true? I am more of an endurance rider and I'm always better at the second half of the ride for the record.
Yup, the gym is still a strength activity and won't help with sucking wind, gotta ride the bike for that.
Hi Dylan. On the spot like always. I agree with you. Just one question rices up. In one of your videos you recommended the book time crunched cyclist. In the book the author says below a certain amount of hours per week the base training is not helping. What is your opinion about that. I have a busy winter season I do 6 to 8 hours per week. I try to do longer sessions as well but its hart to fit in more then 3 hours. I can do more truing summer then. But that’s to late to build a base. Keep going with what you do.
I just found your channel and your content is fantastic!
Great useful info. Good job on your presentations too, empirical.
Thanks man, very good video! I loved the occasional sarcastic bro biker impersonation here and there to drive the common misconceptions home.
It helps to have a very long, straight road to train on...to maintain a consistent heart rate zone...otherwise, to base-train on a cycle has to be moved indoors.
Thank you for these videos they help me alot
9:23 - Great!!
You are in good company as The Cyclist's Training Bible recommends that for novice athletes it is generally best to do ONLY the base period for an entire season to increase attention to the basic abilities. FWIW
Would that just be z2 and low intensity for a whole season of building base?
Another GREAT batch of info - thank you !
just subbed. i like your reasoned approach
For me, as a casual rider, the regular riding is what I do for enjoyment, I'm not training for a specific event. So I'd rather ride in Zone 3 or 4 which is what enjoy, than bumble along in Zone 2. Sure I'd like to get better, but it's more important for me to enjoy my weeks.
Ok, Dylan, we know how to become endurance athletes. How do we become sprinters or mid race athletes? Say 400-1000m runs? 5-10k ride races?
Your videos are really helpful Dylan, thanks for sharing you knowledge!
Thanks Dylan!
Man, you know your stuff. Top quality information Dylan! Thanks
My winter training is that I only ride 3 times a week. The first ride is to cover 20 miles as fast as I can then 2 days off. The second ride is to cover 15 miles as fast as I can then 2 days off. The third ride is to cover 10 miles as fast as I can then 2 days off. Then the next week I flip it. I hit the gym on the second day of my rest period.
9:28-9:45
I've never felt so attacked.
Totally! 😁
same...
omg yes!!!
Awesome info! You're literally the Jeff Nippard of the cycling world haha
I'm trying (again) the front load periodization "program" for 3 months (jan, feb, mar): 5 sessions of intensity during the first week, then 3 weeks of recovery/endurance with only 1 session with intensity each week. I want to see if I can get better results next Spring. First week done :-), today my planned workout is intensity...
Ouch
Have you done a video on training for youth? Maybe I missed it.
Great Channel!!
I haven't but thanks for the suggestion.
I fell in love with your videos! They're so helpful and well prepared. Thank you, you did them great :)
Really helpful information, and it jibes with how I would train my HS athletes for rowing as well. It is often hard to remember in practice and keep yourself in check but this is a good reminder why it is so important. I only wonder how one puts all this into practice when you aren't racing? That is, I am just riding for fun and the challenge of it with no major goal in mind for this year other than improving my abilities (ok, and beating my first ever Century time from November). Hmmm. Anyway, great stuff.
I’d still implement periodization if you want to improve. If you always do the same thing you’ll plateau.
It would be great to get a video on sweet spot training for cyclists with less time in their week. Is this a reasonable strategy or does sweet spot basically count as "not so hard, but not going easy either". Thanks Dylan, I am really appreciating your content!
Planning on making a video on that.
The triathlon clip at 2:25 is from my Country germany ✌
Great content again Dylan , now if I can change the space time Continuum so there are 36 hrs in the day I will be able to do three 4 hr rides a week for the next 8 week s ,
Good vid
Great video
My winter consists of cyclocross, cyclocross and cyclosross...not much time left for traditional base.
1 more week of Cx
Then 1 week of nothing
Then same easy base training and MTB skills.
Another great video with some of the best researches quoted. What about low cadence strength intervals? I usually do a lot of low rpm in base before introducing steady state later in base.
Thanks! Check out my cadence video.
Good day if in the base training if ok to more climb road but my heart rate higher than my zone 2
September to April, basic training 1000miles 180f.t.p. half of your max, racing season, ie may to August, 360 f.t.p. 😊
From my experience, I do the long base miles so that I can do more high intensity work later. For MTB this is super important. I can’t do downhill laps if I don’t have the endurance base to get back up the mountain multiple times.
Same for running. I do long slow distance so that on workout days I’m comfortable going further overall which means more high intensity work overall. It might be the difference between, let’s say, 5x1k at threshold and 10x1k at threshold.
"Nailed it"
damn i loved this
Where I live there are tons of short super steep climbs that really cant be avoided. How do you compensate for that when your trying to do long distance zone 1? No matter how slow, my heart rate is pinned every time.
Just do the hills at an easy tempo -- no need to go eyeballs out
just turn around :)
Very good question
How about putting a big cassette on the rear so you can spin up the hills?
Gearing..might help and body weight maybe
Dylan awesome channel! I was at a couple of thee lumberjacks you one and shot video of you coming across! We have a race team of about 40 REMAXers. Some ultra guys some some shorter distant guys and gals. Would love to do a video conference call with you sometime on our zoom platform! Love your channel and insight.
Thank you for everything Dylan over the past couple of years. Is there any way I can support you beyond liking, subscribing, sharing...?
If I get I right you say
Off season > base training > race season
Can you say more about
- how long these periods are?
- what you do during them?
- the work load during each?
I know you covered parts of these in some videos...
Thanks again man
Make a video about back to training after sickness. Please DJ!
So based off your work and others i've observed i am weight training ~2/wk. Equip and space is limited at my work gym (worse in January) so usually just doin squats and leg press. worked my way down from 20 rep sets to 8reps (6sets) over last several wks. i jog a mile afterwards to finish. For now everything else is Z1 work (3 Zone model). I have 1 long ride per wk (currrently on trainer - rough) and usually back that with a short EZ spin or rest. When it gets warmer i may run 1 day a wk again. I am still up in the air on what goals/events i'd like to do this year. Strange for me as this isnt the norm (i hit all my goals last yr including the big big goal 7yrs in the making). But i'm continuing in this realm til i get a clearer picture of what i want to do. No TT or gravel bike, area lost a few road races this yr, my mtb could go to high school. So who knows. Thank you for the content and best wishes in 2020. -U10