WHO THIS IS FOR
IS THIS YOU?
The time-crunched rider
You cannot add more hours but want to keep improving.
The volume-maxed amateur
You already ride 8-10 hours a week and have hit a wall.
THE ROADMAN VIEW
The Roadman view
When riders ask Anthony how to get faster, they almost always frame it as a volume question — how many more hours do I need? But the biggest gains for most amateurs are not in the riding at all. They are in the five things that surround the riding.
First, fix the intensity distribution. If your easy rides are actually zone 3, you are spending recovery tokens without buying adaptation. Make the easy truly easy and the hard truly hard, and the same hours produce more. Second, add strength work — two sessions a week of split squats, hip hinges and core. The research is clear that this adds power without adding saddle time. Third, eat enough. Under-fuelled training caps the quality of every hard session, and a lot of stalled riders are simply not eating enough carbohydrate to support the work they are doing.
Fourth, sleep. Seven hours minimum, and if you are under-sleeping and trying to train through it, the training is degraded before you turn the pedals. Fifth, get a proper bike fit. A position that costs you 5% of your power through poor alignment is a 5% gain waiting to be collected without riding a single extra mile. The point is not doing more — it is making what you already do count.
EXPERT EVIDENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
- Derek TeelStrength coach for cyclists (Dialed Health)
Two strength sessions per week of cycling-specific compound movements can add 3-5% to FTP in the first training block for riders who have never lifted. That is a bigger gain than most amateurs get from adding two extra rides per week.
Hear it: The Best Exercises For Cyclists (Strength Training) - Phil BurtFormer Head of Physiotherapy, British Cycling
A poor bike fit costs power, creates injury risk, and limits comfort over long rides. Position optimisation is one of the largest free speed gains available to amateurs — it costs nothing in terms of training load and the results are immediate.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
DO THIS WEEK
Audit your intensity split this week
Review your last seven days of training. If more than 20-25% of your time is above zone 2, your easy rides are not easy enough. Drop the pace on recovery rides until they feel almost boring.
Add two 30-minute strength sessions
Split squats, single-leg deadlifts, presses and core. Stack them after hard rides so easy days stay easy. This is the single highest-return change for riders who do not lift.
Increase daily carbohydrate intake
If you are training 6+ hours a week and eating a low-carb diet or skipping meals, you are leaving performance on the table. Aim for 5-7g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight on training days.
Book a professional bike fit
A one-off investment that pays back in every ride. Look for a fitter who works with cyclists at your level and adjusts saddle, cleats, bars and reach systematically.
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG
MISTAKEAssuming more riding is the only way to improve.
FIXThe off-bike levers — strength, nutrition, sleep, position — often produce larger gains per hour invested than additional saddle time.
MISTAKEAdding intensity instead of fixing what surrounds it.
FIXMore intervals on top of poor recovery, poor fuelling and poor sleep just adds fatigue. Fix the system first.
MISTAKETreating strength training as optional once riding volume is high.
FIXStrength protects power and prevents injury at any volume. Dropping it as riding increases is when most amateurs lose the most from not lifting.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I get faster without adding more training hours?
What is the single best off-bike change for cycling performance?
Does losing weight help without riding more?
How much can a bike fit improve performance?
Is sleep really that important for cycling performance?
Should I focus on nutrition or strength first?
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