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Building a base<\/a> on the bike has traditionally meant putting in a lot of hours doing long, slow distance training. But with work and family lives, it can feel impossible to find the hours in the week to properly commit to a base build, especially if you\u2019re a beginner cyclist<\/a> who\u2019s not used to rides that take more than three hours.<\/p>\n As it turns out, especially if you\u2019re a newer cyclist, there\u2019s a lot that you can accomplish if you only have three days a week to get on the bike. Building a base of fitness<\/a> for cycling takes some commitment and consistency, but it doesn\u2019t have to take over your life.<\/p>\n Here, we spoke with Namrita Brooke, Ph.D., one of the lead coaches at BaseCamp<\/a>, about how she would structure the optimal three-day week on the bike\u2014and what other lifestyle tweaks she would make in order to improve fitness even when you can\u2019t fit in long rides<\/a>.<\/p>\n How to Build EnduranceKnow You Can Progress in a Short Time<\/p>\n A lot of cyclists think that if they can\u2019t train 10-plus hours per week, their fitness will suffer<\/a>, or they won\u2019t make gains on the bike. This isn\u2019t true, especially for newer riders. \u201cSomeone who has not been doing any exercise would see gains in as little as two to four hours a week of riding,\u201d says Brooke. \u201cIf someone has some general fitness, gains could be had in four to six hours [per week].\u201d<\/p>\n However, expect that after a few weeks or months, the tangible signs of progress<\/a> will slow unless you can devote more time to training. \u201cThe tricky part is the ongoing gains might not be as easy to see as the initial gains,\u201d Brooke adds. \u201cInitially, if the athlete was measuring power<\/a>, they would see power increases, but these would plateau in a few months, leading them to think gains are no longer occurring but in reality, the athlete is likely to still build other metrics of fitness like repeatability, durability, and resilience, but those are not as easy to measure.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep It Consistent<\/p>\n Often, new cyclists with limited time tend to attempt one monster ride on the weekend, skipping cycling during the week due to busy lives. But even if you can only eke out two one-hour (or 45-minute!) trainer sessions<\/a> on weekdays in addition to the long weekend ride, you\u2019ll gain fitness and strength faster than if you stick to a single ride.<\/p>\n \u201cI would rather see the athlete do three quality days a week versus one or even two longer days,\u201d says Brooke.<\/p>\n Build Your Aerobic Engine Efficiently<\/p>\n \u201cThe base training goal, whether you\u2019re a pro or average Joe, is to build the best aerobic fitness<\/a> you can for the training hours you have available,\u201d says Brooke. Without this aerobic fitness, you won\u2019t be able to boost your speed<\/a> or power<\/a> on the bike.<\/p>\n This means spending the bulk of your time on the bike in zone 2<\/a> (whether you use power, heart rate<\/a> or perceived exertion). Riding in zone 2\u2014also known as your endurance pace\u2014will mean that you\u2019re able to hold a conversation and speak in full sentences, but it should feel slightly difficult to do so. If you can chat away easily, you\u2019re riding a little too easy. If you\u2019re gasping for air between sentences, you\u2019re riding a little too hard.<\/p>\n Pay Attention to Other Body Parts<\/p>\n By that, we mean your skin<\/a>. Riding more miles means being aware of skin considerations such as sun protection and chafing<\/a> prevention. Don\u2019t just ignore reddened skin, use lubricants and padded shorts<\/a> to feel more comfortable on the bike.<\/p>\n Beginner Base Training Plan<\/p>\n For newer riders, opt for the longer durations in each phase. If you\u2019ve been riding for a while, you\u2019ll likely notice that after a few weeks in each phase, you\u2019re at a point where you\u2019re not noticing any improvements\u2014in that case, proceed to the next phase. Here\u2019s how Brooke would break it down.<\/p>\n Download PDF<\/a><\/p>\n Part 1 of Base Phase Training<\/p>\n Getting started in part 1 of Base Phase is simple: All rides should be done in zone 2 for four to eight weeks. Ideally, you\u2019re able to train four to six hours per week. Remember, though, if you\u2019re not riding a ton yet, build up to this much time in the saddle.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A sample week:<\/strong><\/p>\n Tuesday<\/p>\n Thursday<\/p>\n Saturday<\/p>\n 2.5-3.5 hours (zone 2), based on how much free time you have available<\/p>\n Part 2 of Base Phase Training<\/p>\n In the second part of your base training, you\u2019ll add a bit of intensity, while still staying in the aerobic zones. For four to eight weeks, your goal is to do two slightly harder short rides, plus one long zone 2 ride. Ideally, you\u2019re able to train four to six hours per week.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A sample week:<\/strong><\/p>\n Tuesday<\/p>\n 1 hour:<\/p>\n Thursday<\/p>\n 1-1.5 hour:<\/p>\n New riders may need to break up the zone 3 portion of the ride with an easy 5-10 minutes in the middle.<\/p>\n Saturday<\/p>\n 2.5-4 hour (zone 2) based on how much free time you have available<\/p>\n Tips for Base TrainingAdd Time and Distance When Possible<\/p>\n Have an extra hour on Saturday for your long ride<\/a>? Great! Woke up an hour early on Wednesday and have time to hop on the trainer<\/a> for an extra 45-minute ride in zone 2? Fantastic. Feel free to add time whenever possible.<\/p>\n Four days on the bike is better than three, says Brooke. \u201cTwo harder interval days and two longer days would be best if possible,\u201d she notes. And this is actually a fairly standard schedule for most serious cyclists\u2014they\u2019ll add one or two additional easy rides<\/a> to the schedule, but the meat and potatoes of their training consists of two longer endurance rides and two harder interval-based sessions<\/a>.<\/p>\n In fact, Brooke says that often, she hears new cyclists say they only have four hours per week to train, but once they get going, they start to \u201cfind\u201d extra time. \u201cYou would be surprised how many newer riders think they are limited to four to six hours a week but once they really get into cycling, they make accommodations to squeeze in an extra hour or two per week,\u201d she says. \u201cI see riders all the time start to wake up earlier to squeeze in additional ride time before they start the rest of the day!\u201d<\/p>\n And thanks to the prevalence of indoor trainers<\/a>, it\u2019s easier than ever to sneak in an extra hour or two on the bike during a weekend or early in the morning, even if you have work or childcare demands on your time. But don\u2019t neglect outdoor riding<\/a>, especially if your base-building goal is to be able to keep up on the local group ride<\/a> or jump into a race. While indoor training builds fitness, it doesn\u2019t help improve your skills<\/a> for riding outdoors, so make time for at least one outdoor ride per week if at all possible.<\/p>\n There is one final caveat: It\u2019s easy to get excited about the prospect of adding a monster ride to your weekend whenever possible, but these long rides aren\u2019t easy. Four hours on the bike will feel very, very different from two hours. If riding for five hours on Saturday means you can barely walk for two days after, or it impacts your training the next week, back off.<\/p>\n Long rides shouldn\u2019t leave you flattened for days afterwards. If they do, you\u2019re doing too much, too soon. And Brooke notes that the longer you ride, the more important it is to properly fuel<\/a> that long effort!<\/p>\n Sneak in Extra Training on Your Off Days<\/p>\n The fastest way to improve your fitness is\u2014again\u2014by consistently training. But training doesn\u2019t mean all-bike-all-the-time! Brooke says there are quite a few simple additions you can do on those non-cycling days to see gains on the bike.<\/p>\n \u2192 Walk: <\/strong>Often on conference calls for work, or accompanying your kiddos to soccer practice? Walk and talk, or do laps around the field while you cheer. \u201cWalking<\/a> is more of an aerobic builder than people think and can be a gentle form of aerobic activity to accompany bike time,\u201d Brooke says.<\/p>\n For the office worker, treadmill desks are becoming more popular, and if you do want to put in more bike time and you have a stationary trainer, you can do some easy spinning while answering emails or brainstorming for that big presentation.<\/p>\n \u2192 Strength Train:<\/strong> \u201cStrength training<\/a> can be added in as little as 15 minutes a day, three days a week if we are willing to change the paradigm of going to the gym and lifting heavy things<\/a>,\u201d says Brooke. \u201cIntegrating just this small amount of functional strength into a base training program like we do at BaseCamp yields long-term benefits to your training and health.\u201d<\/p>\n You can do shortstrength sessions<\/a> at home with just a couple of weights, or even bodyweight<\/a> alone to get started.<\/p>\n Skip the De-Load Weeks<\/p>\n In a typical training plan<\/a>, cyclists have three weeks of training followed by a rest week where they do only a couple of shorter, easier rides. When you\u2019re only able to ride three days a week, there\u2019s no reason to take a rest week\u2014you\u2019re already getting plenty of recovery time in the four days you\u2019re off the bike.<\/p>\n \u201cThe low training stimulus is likely not enough to elicit a high enough super-compensation response to make the loss of fitness during a rest week worth it,\u201d says Brooke. (That said, if you\u2019re a beginner rider and find that after three weeks, you are feeling fatigued<\/a>, you can dial down the duration or intensity for that fourth week\u2014but stick to three rides if possible.)<\/p>\n Play With Your Schedule<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve done your base training for several weeks with your rides spread out through the week (i.e Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday), you may want to try switching things up. If you do have the ability to try out new riding days, it\u2019s worth experimenting with doing mini-training blocks, i.e riding three days in a row, some weeks. This subtle shift changes your training stimulus by forcing your body to contend with the need for speedier recovery between rides.<\/p>\n Newer riders may find that it\u2019s harder to recover between rides in these chunks, says Brooke. \u201cThe challenge of block training is the athlete needs a certain amount of base fitness to be able to respond and adapt to this type of stimuli and in this scenario,\u201d she explains. \u201cBut testing the block process is the only way to find out how they tolerate it.\u201d<\/p>\n If you try riding three days in a row and feel exhausted, go back to your regular schedule and test again after another few weeks of consistent training.<\/p>\n Move on from Base Phase\u2014and Then, Come Back<\/p>\n While it\u2019s tempting to stay in the base phase forever, this training phase should really only last around eight weeks. At this point, your aerobic fitness is maximized (for now) and it\u2019s time to focus on the development of \u201cpower.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the base phase comes the build phase, where the athlete wants to increase their sustainable max power<\/a> for a range of times,\u201d says Brooke. \u201cFor a newer cyclist without a specific goal, focus on holding a higher wattage for five minutes to 40 minutes. This phase should be maintained as long as the athlete continues to see improvement, then once response begins to fade, move on to the next phases.\u201d<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve plateaued your power gains, the final phase, typically utilized when \u201cpeaking\u201d for an event would be the \u201cspeed\u201d phase, explains Brooke. \u201cHere, the cyclist would focus on improving shorter efforts of under five minutes and building anaerobic capacity<\/a> to focus on performing better in events or group rides.\u201d<\/p>\n After your main event, whether it\u2019s a race or group ride or even just spending four to six weeks focusing on upping your sprint power<\/a>, it\u2019s time to take a short break and then circle back to base phase.<\/p>\n The good news is that once you\u2019ve completed this cycle, you\u2019ll be pleasantly surprised at how much stronger you\u2019re feeling on the bike the second time you tackle base training. While training phases are cyclical, your fitness grows as you spend more and more time on the bike, so no training phase will feel exactly the same.<\/p>\n Get Exclusive Training Programs and Digital Issues Molly writes about cycling, nutrition and training with an emphasis on bringing more women into sport. She’s the author of nine books including the Shred Girls series and is the founder of Strong Girl Publishing<\/a>. She co-hosts The Consummate Athlete Podcast<\/a> and spends most of her free time biking and running on trails, occasionally joined by her mini-dachshund.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bicycling.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/icons\/arrow-right-regular.e879c19.svg\"){kind=icon}
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