To view an overview of all our training plans and a summary of their key features, click here.
What does this plan do?
After following this plan, you should feel more punchy as a rider, and your abilities on efforts/climbs lasting 2-15 minutes and capacity to recover after repeated efforts should be improved. You may find that your threshold power (e.g. FTP) also increases.
This is achieved by targeting improvements in your VO2max (aka ‘aerobic capacity’), which is the maximal rate at which oxygen can be take on and processed by the working muscles.
Who is this plan for?
VO2max is relevant to all cycling disciplines, and is something most cyclists should work on at some point in their training.
VO2max is particularly important for cyclists competing in short, and/or stochastic disciplines, such as hill climbs, time trials, XCO/XCM, road racing, CX and circuit/crit racing.
Athletes who characterise themselves as a 'diesel engine' (good over long durations, but struggle to ride above threshold), may also find this plan particularly beneficial both in terms of improving punchiness and lifting threshold power.
The plan includes regular opportunities for skills development, meaning this plan can be used for any discipline.
As this plan follows a polarised intensity distribution, with training intensities that are tailored to your fitness level, this plan is suitable for athletes of a range of abilities, including masters athletes, provided you have completed at least 2 months of training with a volume of around 6-9H/week in the recent past.
This plan includes an opportunity for unstructured riding once every other weekend, which works well for group rides and people who struggle with motivation when following a 100% structured plan.
Key Features
We believe our plans stand our from the crowd. We’ve done our very best to provide an experience that’s as close as possible to having on-hand coach support, with ample guidance on how to get the most out of our plans, and clear information on what we’re trying to achieve both session-by-session and week-by-week to keep you motivated. Our plans are grounded in science and supported by over a decade of full-time coaching experience.
This plan includes:
- A comprehensive PDF user guide, providing information on how to implement the workouts correctly and how to adapt the plan if necessary
- Structured sessions, meaning all sessions can be automatically exported to your headunit or synced to training platforms like Zwift or TrainerRoad and are ridable in ERG mode
- An initial FTP test to help set training intensity zones, using a methodology we’ve refined for improved accuracy through working with 100s of athletes
- Each workout’s purpose and key adaptations clearly communicated, including references to scientific papers
- Notes summarising the week's training and the goals for the next training block, so that you always know where your training is heading
High North Performance is a cycling training and metabolic testing consultancy based in Harrogate, UK. We provide customised training programs and performance diagnostic services to professional and amateur athletes using both established and novel training methods, leading testing and analysis technology, as well as a scientific and strategic approach to planning and preparation.