How to Build Cycling Workouts (Most People Get This Wrong) | Ask a Cycling Coach 578

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// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Welcome + Coaching Question on Endurance Training

(00:00:42) Best Books for Learning Endurance Training & Physiology

(00:05:16) Training Zones Explained (Power, FTP & Energy Systems)

(00:08:14) Why Training Zones Aren’t Exact (Stop Obsessing Over Numbers)

(00:10:06) Matching Training to Your Race Demands

(00:11:30) How Workouts Target Specific Energy Systems

(00:13:49) Active Recovery: When to Ride vs When to Rest

(00:19:07) Zone 2 Endurance Training: Why It Matters Most

(00:22:02) Aerobic Adaptations (Mitochondria, Capillaries & Efficiency)

(00:28:21) Why Endurance Rides Feel Boring (And How to Fix It)

(00:34:23) Nutrition Mistakes During Endurance Training

(00:41:05) Tempo Training: The Most Underrated Zone

(00:49:13) Sweet Spot Training: Benefits, Structure & Misconceptions

(00:53:08) Why Sweet Spot Should Feel Hard (Not Easy)

(00:57:46) Threshold Training: Building Sustainable Power

(01:01:11) Lactate Explained: Fuel vs Fatigue

(01:07:20) VO2 Max Intervals: How to Improve Oxygen Utilization

(01:21:32) Anaerobic & Sprint Training: When It Matters

(01:30:01) How to Build a Complete Training Plan (Big Picture)

(01:33:02) Race Lessons from Hannah: Focus, Mistakes & Strategy

In this episode, Coach Jonathan and Hannah walk through how to structure training across the full spectrum of energy systems, helping an athlete understand how to prepare for long endurance events without getting lost in the details. They break down training zones from active recovery to anaerobic work, emphasizing that zones are just tools to target specific adaptations, not rigid rules, and explain how different “engines” in the body contribute to performance depending on the demands of the event. The conversation highlights why endurance work should make up the bulk of training, how tempo and sweet spot build durability and efficiency, and how threshold and VO2 max intervals push sustainable power higher. They also dig into common mistakes like over-focusing on exact numbers, under-fueling endurance rides, or misusing recovery days, and explain how interval structure, consistency, and progression drive adaptation over time. The episode closes with practical insights on applying this in the real world, including race learnings, identifying weaknesses, and how experience, not just theory, ultimately shapes effective training.

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