Base Building Plus - TT Low Volume - Coggan Classic Zones - 6 to 8 hours/week - Time Trial
Author
Tim Cusick - Coach of World and National Champions
All plans by this CoachLength
12 Weeks
Typical Week
3 Day Off, 2 Other, 4 Bike
Longest Workout
3:30 hrs
Plan Specs
cycling time trialing beginner masters power based hr based tss based base period
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Summary
Includes Structured Workouts
Structured Workouts automatically sync with compatible devices and guide you through workouts in real time.
Learn More about Structured Workouts.
Base Building Plus: 12-Week TT Low-Volume Base Training Plan
Written by Tim Cusick, TrainingPeaks WKO Product Leader and master coach with Velocious Cycling Adventures
Tim Cusick's Base Building Plus Training Plans
Tim's Base Building Plus series of training plans ramp up your training quickly to help you build a solid foundation in 12 weeks by focusing on aerobic capacity, aerobic power, and muscular endurance while building FTP. The workouts have lots of variation, which makes them fun for the trainer and Zwift-type riding, but they can also be done outdoors. These plans are available in three different training volumes for road bike, mountain bike, and time trial, so choose one based on your cycling discipline (if it’s mixed, choose the one you do the most) and how much time you have to train, and voila, you've got a 12-week base building plan focused on you and your goals.
These plans include Tim’s favorite workouts and protocol that he uses with his national and world champion pro cyclists to help them achieve their goals. Each plan gives you all the tools you need, structured workouts that can be used indoors or outdoors, testing to maintain your threshold and training zones, and coach notes and advice.
The workouts use classic training zones and can be used in the traditional format or as structured workouts that can load to your smart trainer or select devices (Garmin, RGT, ErgVideo Free, TrainerRoad, and more) so you can see your workout and interval numbers right on your screen.
Included with your plan:
- Instruction sheet (attached to the first day of the plan)
- Testing
- 10% discount on nutrition guide
Need help loading your structured works to your device or smart trainer?
Click here to read instructions.
More plans
Tim Cusick has written dozens of training plans for many different areas of cycling: road, gravel, time trial, mountain bike, cyclocross, indoor training, and more. Click here for a full list of his current plans by sport type and click here for a comparison chart of his major plans.
Questions?
Click here to view a list of frequently asked questions about our training plans. If you don't find your answer there, please email Coach Kathy Watts.
Stats
Sample Day 1
WU:
10-15 minutes warm up, progressing to Zone 2
TARGET: PW Z2/HR Z2/PE 4-5
CADENCE: Self selected with 2 x 1 minute Fast Pedals to wake up legs
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MS:
Endurance Ride, progressive effort. Break the ride down into 4 equal time segments. Begin ride at the lower end of the endurance zone and increase effort (avg power or avg HR) each segment, ending the ride with the hardest effort for the last segment.
TARGET: Endurance (PW Z2/HR Z2/PE 3-4)
CADENCE: Self selected. To make this more challenging, increase avg RPM with each segment along with effort.
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CD:
Cool down 5-15 minutes
TARGET: PW Z1/HR Z1/PE 2-3
CADENCE: small chain ring
Sample Day 1
WU:
Warm up for 15-20 minutes of riding in your solid Endurance zone. Include 3 x 1-minute fast pedals at over 120 rpm to really warm up legs.
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MS: Today we're going to test your VO2Max and FTP power. Once warmed up, find a long stretch of road with no interruptions, start an interval, and go as hard as you can for 5 minutes. This is an-all out effort and will be used to set your VO2max zones. Soft pedal for 5 minutes, then go on to MS2.
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MS2: Next is an FTP test. Make sure you're fully recovered from your 5-minute effort; soft pedal another 5-10 minutes if needed. Once recovered, find a very long stretch of road with no interruptions, start your lap, and drill it for 20 minutes. Spend the first 3-5 minutes at a watts target just below what you think your FTP is, then give it all you have!!
Ride all remaining time in your Endurance zone.
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CD:
Ride 15 minutes at a very easy pace.
Sample Day 3
WU:
10-15 minutes warm up, progressing to Zone 2
TARGET: PW Z2/HR Z2/PE 4-5
CADENCE: Self selected with 2 x 1 minute Fast Pedals to wake up legs
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MS:
3 x 13:30 Tempo intervals with 1 minute of rest between. During each interval, perform 3 x 30-second high-cadence bursts at FTP.
TARGET: Tempo (PW Z3/HR Z3/PE 3-4)
CADENCE: 85-105 rpm
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CD:
Cool down 5-15 minutes
TARGET: PW Z1/HR Z1/PE 2-3
CADENCE: small chain ring
Sample Day 5
WU:
10-15 minutes warm up, progressing to Zone 2
TARGET: PW Z2/HR Z2/PE 4-5
CADENCE: Self selected with 2 x 1-minute Fast Pedals to wake up legs
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MS1:
1 x 30-Minute Tempo Interval
TARGET: Tempo (PW Z3/HR Z3/RPE 4-5)
CADENCE: 1 gear harder/slower RPM than normal self selection, target 75 RPM.
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MS2:
Ride remaining prescribed time in Endurance zone
TARGET: Endurance (PW Z2/HR Z2/PE 4-5)
CADENCE: 85-105 RPM. Vary cadence throughout ride and work on pedaling form.
TERRAIN: Flat to rolling
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CD:
Cool down 5-15 minutes
TARGET: PW Z1/HR Z1/PE 2-3
CADENCE: small chain ring
Sample Day 6
WU:
10-15 minutes warm up, progressing to Zone 2
TARGET: PW Z2/HR Z2/PE 4-5
CADENCE: Self selected with 2 x 1 minute Fast Pedals to wake up legs
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MS:
Ride prescribed time in Endurance zone.
TARGET: Endurance (PW Z2/HR Z2/PE 4-5)
CADENCE: 85-105 rpm. Vary cadence throughout ride and work on pedaling form.
TERRAIN: Flat to rolling
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CD:
Cool down 5-15 minutes
TARGET: PW Z1/HR Z1/PE 2-3
CADENCE: small chain ring
Sample Day 8
WU:
15-20 minutes warm up, progressing to Zone 2
TARGET: PW Z2/HR Z2/PE 4-5
CADENCE: Self selected with 3 x 1 minute Fast Pedals to wake up legs
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MS:
2x 20-minute Tempo power intervals with 5 minutes of rest after each. Start each interval with 2 minutes at FTP, then ride the remaining 18 minutes in Tempo. Ride all remaining time in your Endurance zone.
TARGET: Tempo (PW Z3/HR Z3/PE 3-4)
CADENCE: Self selected
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CD:
Cool down 5-15 minutes
TARGET: PW Z1/HR Z1/PE 2-3
CADENCE: small chain ring
Sample Day 10
WU:
15-20 minutes warm up, progressing to Zone 2
TARGET: PW Z2/HR Z2/PE 4-5
CADENCE: Self selected with 3 x 1-minute Fast Pedals to wake up legs
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MS:
2 x 21-minute progressive Tempo intervals with 2 minutes recovery between. The intervals should be performed as follows:
- First 7 minutes: 78% FTP, 70-80 rpm
- Second 7 minutes: 84% FTP, 80-90 rpm
- Third 7 minutes: 90% FTP, 90-100 rpm
Ride any remaining time in your Endurance zone.
TARGET: Tempo (PW Z3/HR Z3/PE 3-4)
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CD:
Cool down 5-15 minutes
TARGET: PW Z1/HR Z1/PE 2-3
CADENCE: small chain ring