There’s no better feeling than showing up to your start line feeling prepared, confident, and in peak condition. Enter the value of a quality cycling training plan that helps you plan your workouts and build your fitness so that you don’t have to worry about feeling unprepared on race day.
Here’s a selection of the best-selling cycling training plans on TrainingPeaks, curated for cyclists of all levels. Plus, for a limited time, save 10% on one year of TrainingPeaks Premium when you purchase a training plan.
1. Best for Intermediate Masters Cyclists
This training plan aims to get Masters cyclists (age 40+) prepared for a Century or Gran Fondo by quickly boosting speed, endurance, and strength for race day.
- To start, you should be able to ride for three hours.
- You’ll progress from 8 to 11 hours of training per week.
- Typical week: five rides and one day off.
- Every third week is active recovery.
- The plan includes fitness tests to help you measure your progress.
- Train using HR, Feel or Power.
2. Best Cycling Training Plan for Gravel Enthusiasts
This simple, straightforward plan is perfect for an experienced cyclist who’s focused on gravel racing.
- The intensity and specificity of the workouts increases throughout the plan.
- Weight training is included in the plan.
- Volume of lifting is adjusted based on the training demands from the on the bike work.
- This plan works best with a power meter.
3. Best for Building Your Base
This 10-week fitness-building training plan is aimed at road cycling enthusiasts that want to improve their fitness, raise their threshold, or start training for a specific event.
- Suitable for cyclists who currently train a few times a week but are looking for more structured training, or those who compete and wanted to get a boost on their fitness to improve their performance.
- Can be used at any point in the year.
- Weekly volume will vary between 6-8 hours and see a progressive build in training stress (with the exception of the recovery week, which falls on week 5).
- The workout intensities are based on power (or perceived exertion).
- By the end of 10 weeks, you will have excellent base fitness.
4. Best for Masters Athletes Looking for Adventure
This Masters base training plan works on three-week training cycles, including two training weeks followed by one recovery week, to match the fitness development and recovery cycles of the Master athlete. The more frequent recovery weeks in this plan promote increased consistency by keeping the athlete below the over-training, injury and burnout threshold.
- Includes a periodized strength training program.
- Weekly skills practice helps hone in your MTB technique.
- Weekly intensity sessions help to increase threshold, increase testosterone release, maintain muscle mass and lower the likelihood of injury.
- You’ll need a heart rate monitor (at a minimum); and a power meter and smart trainer are highly advantageous.
- In week one, you will set heart rate zones, power training levels (if you have power available) and a performance benchmark with a field test.
5. Best for Low-Volume Training
This plan is appropriate for cyclists just starting out or starting over after a break, as well as for masters athletes and experienced cyclists who need or prefer a relatively low-volume training program.
- Before you begin the plan, build your training to the point where you are riding at least five times per week for up to 1.5 hours.
- This plan presents each workouts intensity target by Power, but a Heart Rate version of this plan is also available.
- Each workout can be exported to a supported device, which will automatically guide you through the session with duration, lap, and intensity prompts.
Whatever your goals are for 2023, reach them faster, stronger, and more confident with the right training plan.
