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HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD YOU RIDE THIS WINTER?

10:56·17 November 2021

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Your winter volume should be higher than last winter's — progression, not a fixed hour target, is what drives fitness gains.
Leave room to increase either duration or intensity after Christmas; if you're already maxed out in November, you have nowhere to go.
Cap hard sessions at two or three per week — beyond that, extra intensity stops helping and starts working against you.
Track chronic training load (CTL), not just hours — a shorter ride with structured intensity can outrank a longer easy spin.
If your fitness has plateaued for a season or two, audit whether your intensity and duration are actually progressing week on week.

Do you know how many hours you need to ride this winter if you're a Cat 4, Cat 3, Cat 2 or even a Cat 1? That's what we discuss today.

For coaching inquiries email admin@roadmancycling.com

Support the podcast by buying me a beer www.patreon.com/anthony_walsh

KEY QUOTES

“Studies show that anything over three super intense sessions a week isn't beneficial. And at some point after three it becomes harmful, depending on the athlete.”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host and coach

“10 hours a week with intensity could have a higher CTL value for you than more errors with less intensity. So it's completely nonsense and it's completely arbitrary.”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host and coach

“The reality is two hard sessions per week is enough for most people. Every session can't be intense. You hit an intensity ceiling and at that point duration is the variable you need to manipulate.”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host and coach

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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT3 SECTIONS

Welcome and winter training question

Robeman, today I want to talk to you about how much training you should do this winter. Let's cue that intro! The big question is this. How do we use cycling as a tool to improve our health, our happiness and our longevity? That is the question on this podcast will give you the answers. My name is Anthony Welch and welcome to the Robeman Podcast. Roadman welcome back to another roadman cycling podcast it's nice to be back into my podcasting groove this week. Man I've missed you all this is kind of my therapy session this is my some people do diary some people go to counselors I talk into a microphone in a room and through the miracle of technology it goes into your ears wherever you are Toronto New York mumbuy I can see the downloads and I used to do it more to start, look at where the downloads are coming from because at the start when you have like 50 downloads it's super interesting to go oh my god I didn't smiley listen to the podcast. I haven't looked that much recently but I just looked yesterday and I was just shocked at where some of the downloads are coming from. So shout out if you're in any of the far-flung corners of the world, many many errors travelling from Dublin in particular, shout out to you or indeed if you're an Irish expat who's listening to this abroad, a particular shout out to you because I know I've been that Irish expat abroad and I remember training in Toronto and I used to listen to the Tommy and Hector show. It was one of the first real podcasts I got into and instantly it just transported me back to Ireland, it transported me back to home with the familiar accent, the familiar voices, the familiar stories. I love that it was magical and it's probably why I'm here doing this podcast today. I want to talk to you today about how much training you should do this winter. And this is an interesting one. I've seen a bunch of articles on it recently. And the frustrating answer to that question is it depends. The main thing that I like to say that depends on or initially if I'm having a review with a client and he says, how much training do I need to do? I'm like, well, what's your goal for next season? Because your commitment level needs to line up with your goal. If your commitment level doesn't line up with your goal, you're in a bad place because you've set yourself up for failure. So if you're hoping to race a tree next year, cat tree, if you're hoping to race cat too, there's a certain commitment level, goals with that. And this leads me kind of into a, I don't want to go too off topic, but there's a concept that I love that I was talking to Scott Morphe, the bike exchange physio a number of months ago and he had this idea of alignment and what's the best recovery for someone it's you know whatever recovery they perceive to be the best and say if it's space boots. The magic in space boots or compression boots it's not always the compression and the scientific studies behind them you know I'm sure there's great studies but what it actually is it's alignment with your goal because your goal is to get faster on the bike and if you're you're wearing compression boots, are you gonna get faster on the bike in that moment? The answer is yeah, probably because if you're wearing compression boots, you're unlikely to be drinking a six pack of beer, you're unlikely to order a 16 inch pizza in those compression boots. So we have alignment between our training goal and the compression boots, which give us alignment in our recovery. So I find that your goal, you need to have commitment level in all areas of your life, which is aligned with your golf. So for example, if you want to get to Cat 2, if you want to get to Cat 3, yes, you need to commit to a certain number of errors per week, and that's gonna be the main focus of this podcast, how many do you need to do, but you also need that commitment to alignment in order areas of your life, because there's certain habits and rituals that that type of rider will do, let's say for instance a category four rider or a sport heif rider at one.

Progression as the key variable

And that's why we see some people failing on their goals. And this is my main job, a job I actually find quite difficult. It's to talk to people and say, right, this is your goal, this is the commitment level I need from you. Everybody loves a stretch goal, but we need a commitment level to match that stretch goal. And it's a difficult job at times. But to journey back to the question of how many errors do I need to write this winter, it really depends on how many hours you rode last winter and one word, progression. And the story I love on this one is the guy going to the gym because everybody has a friend like this and it's so relatable. Everybody has a friend that's been going to the gym for like two or three days a week for the last 10 years and he looks the exact fucking same. Like zero change in this dude's physique. Everyone's thinking of someone right now that is that person. The reason is progression, they're not getting progression. Initially when they went to the gym, they initially went to the gym and their previous like stage was not going to the gym. So going, the transition from going to the gym from not going to the gym is progression. So even going to the gym and doing any random set of stuff is progression. But then they just stick with the same type of stuff in the gym so there's no progression. They go three times a week all the time, do the same thing, zero progression. So the body adjusts, the body adjusts to stimulus and once it adjusts to the stimulus, we just plateau and so many people plateau with their fitness because they're not getting progression. So how many errors do you need to try in this winter? Well it depends on how many errors you try in last winter because we need progression. And that's on a macro view, but if we look at a micro view, how many errors did you try in last week, last month? We need progression, progression, progression. You know, progression can be either true, intensity or duration. And I want to go into that in a second. But we'd always say, I mean, my, you know, training partners before we ever started digging deep into the science of this. And, you know, one of the coaches in roadman at the moment is a guy I've run, you know, probably more than anyone else, kilometers away, Sean McKenna. And we'd always say, pretty Christmas, leave yourself somewhere to go. And leave yourself somewhere to go is, is there, is it possible to progress your training, either intensity or duration, post Christmas, because if it's not possible to progress your training with intensity or duration, post Christmas, your fitness is going to plateau. So although you may be super committed in November and you're like, I've got to do 15 hours a week in November, can you do 16 hours a week in December? Can you do 17 hours a week in January? Can you do 18 hours a week in February? Now that's using duration as the only variable for progression, but the reality is intensity is another variable which we can use for progression. And if you're a time-cronch-royd or intensity is the way to go, because the measure of intensity and duration, it's something we call chronic training loads, CTL. And this is the key metric for progression we wanna see, progressed week on week. So it is possible to get progression with manipulating the combination of intensity and duration. But there is a cap on how much we can manipulate intensity. So there's no doubt the time crunch riders need to be utilizing intensity. But more isn't better. Studies show that anything over three super intense sessions a week isn't beneficial. And at some point after three it becomes harmful, depending on the athlete. And this is why we see Zwift being just such an ineffective training program. And I was on the webinar today talking about Zwift and I was kind of half-joking half not.

Intensity, duration, and CTL

But the only people that's with or doing a good job for are the shareholders of Zwift, because people are coming back because the sessions are like watching Netflix, the game of oil you're coming back with point systems and they're incentivized, need to ride hard all the time. The reality is two hard sessions per week is enough for most people. Every session can't be intense. You hit an intensity ceiling and at that point duration is the variable you need to manipulate. And this is why coaching, you know, it ultimately best left to professionals that understand CTL and understand how you can manipulate intensity and duration. Because, you know, failure to get it right, it results in poor form best case scenario or injury born out, adrenal fatigue, worst case scenario. So it's not the heart muscle is not a toy to be dabbled with. That's why I have such a problem with the platform's legs, with and trying to roll it, just unless you're using them under the supervision of a coach, I just find them completely pointless at best and downright harmful at worst. So, to circle back to the very beginning of this podcast and go, how many hours should I try in this winter? It is just so dependent on so many variables that if you're looking for a straight up answer which a lot of these blogs purport to give saying, if you're a category tree rider, you need to ride 10 hours a week. If you're a category two rider, you need to route 14 hours a week. It's nonsense, it's nonsense because 10 hours a week with intensity could have a higher CTL value for you than more errors with less intensity. So it's completely nonsense and it's completely arbitrary. So I would encourage you to, if it's not with Rob Manseil Eglen, if it's not with Rob Manseil Eglen, it could be somewhat of a coaching company, but I would encourage you to go and work with a professional college this winter if you're looking to get any sort of improvement. If you're getting improvement season after season, you're doing something right, but if you're finding yourself stuck and in a plateau, you need to start looking at variables like intensity, and duration, understanding, CTL, and how much you can progress it. There's a science to this folks, and I'll leave it there. Hey, road man, it's Anthony again. Just before you head off real quick, I just want to mention the roadman blueprint. It's the ultimate coaching package. It's four months long. It's four months of one-on-one coaching sessions with your own professional roadman cycling coach. It's four months of strength and conditioning plans so you never need to worry about is this strength and conditioning plan aligned with my cycling goals. It's four months of nutrition plans to fuel all that. It's four months of biohacks which you know I love so much and I'm getting to pick the brain of all these experts and it's four months of motivation to make sure you never miss a session and every single session you hit it with commitment and with purpose. The whole package is 997 euro. I have a limited number of places on the Roadman blueprint. If you're interested in getting started pop me an email and add me in at roadmancycling.com. This is the ultimate coaching package for those looking to take their cycling and performance to the next level.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many hours should I ride my bike in winter?+

Coach Anthony Walsh argues there is no single correct answer because the right volume depends entirely on what you rode last winter. The principle is progressive overload, meaning you should ride more than you did the previous winter, not simply hit a fixed hour target. Leaving headroom to increase duration or intensity month over month past Christmas is more important than maxing out in November.

How many hours should a Cat 4 cyclist train in winter?+

According to Coach Anthony Walsh, a Cat 4 rider should base their winter training volume on what they actually completed last winter, then build from there. The focus is on progressive increases in chronic training load rather than copying the hours of a more experienced rider. Starting too high leaves no room to progress through the winter, which is where the real fitness gains come from.

How many high intensity sessions per week should a cyclist do in winter?+

Research cited by Coach Anthony Walsh suggests that more than three high-intensity sessions per week produces no further fitness benefit and can become counterproductive. For most Cat 4 to Cat 1 riders, two to three quality sessions per week is the ceiling. Volume through additional low-intensity riding is the safer lever to pull once that limit is reached.

Should I increase training volume or intensity in winter cycling?+

Coach Anthony Walsh recommends managing both, but with a clear constraint on intensity. Because high-intensity sessions cap out at around three per week before returns diminish, additional training load should come from increased ride duration. The priority is building chronic training load steadily from November through to February rather than peaking too early in the programme.

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HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD YOU RIDE THIS WINTER?

KEY QUOTES

Welcome and winter training question

Progression as the key variable

Intensity, duration, and CTL

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

HOW SHOULD YOU DRESS IN THE WINTER?

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RELATED CONTENT

HOW SHOULD YOU DRESS IN THE WINTER?

RIDE FASTER WITH LESS EFFORT: THE DURABILITY NUMBER THAT DECIDES YOUR LONG RIDES

THE PRO WINTER PLAYBOOK: FIVE THINGS THE BEST CYCLISTS DO WHEN NOBODY IS WATCHING

HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD YOU RIDE THIS WINTER?

KEY QUOTES

Welcome and winter training question

Progression as the key variable

Intensity, duration, and CTL

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

HOW SHOULD YOU DRESS IN THE WINTER?

5 CRUCIAL WINTER TRAINING TIPS I WISH I KNEW SOONER | RIDER SUPPORT

RIDE FASTER WITH LESS EFFORT BY FIXING THESE SIMPLE MISTAKES | ROADMAN CYCLING PODCAST

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HOW SHOULD YOU DRESS IN THE WINTER?

RIDE FASTER WITH LESS EFFORT: THE DURABILITY NUMBER THAT DECIDES YOUR LONG RIDES

THE PRO WINTER PLAYBOOK: FIVE THINGS THE BEST CYCLISTS DO WHEN NOBODY IS WATCHING

HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD YOU RIDE THIS WINTER?

KEY QUOTES

1.Welcome and winter training question

2.Progression as the key variable

3.Intensity, duration, and CTL

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

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HOW SHOULD YOU DRESS IN THE WINTER?

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HOW SHOULD YOU DRESS IN THE WINTER?

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THE PRO WINTER PLAYBOOK: FIVE THINGS THE BEST CYCLISTS DO WHEN NOBODY IS WATCHING

HOW MANY HOURS SHOULD YOU RIDE THIS WINTER?

KEY QUOTES

1.Welcome and winter training question

2.Progression as the key variable

3.Intensity, duration, and CTL

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

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HOW SHOULD YOU DRESS IN THE WINTER?

5 CRUCIAL WINTER TRAINING TIPS I WISH I KNEW SOONER | RIDER SUPPORT

RIDE FASTER WITH LESS EFFORT BY FIXING THESE SIMPLE MISTAKES | ROADMAN CYCLING PODCAST

RELATED CONTENT

HOW SHOULD YOU DRESS IN THE WINTER?

RIDE FASTER WITH LESS EFFORT: THE DURABILITY NUMBER THAT DECIDES YOUR LONG RIDES

THE PRO WINTER PLAYBOOK: FIVE THINGS THE BEST CYCLISTS DO WHEN NOBODY IS WATCHING

Welcome and winter training question

Progression as the key variable

Intensity, duration, and CTL

Welcome and winter training question

Progression as the key variable

Intensity, duration, and CTL