How to Do Base Training (The Three Step Guide)

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How to do base training the right way? In this video I will share three critical factors / cycling tips you need to implement into your cycling training plan in order to get stronger on the bike. We will focus on zone two power training and measuring heart rate drift in this video today. By the end you should have a much clear understanding of how base training rides should be facilitated and how to get faster on the bike!
#Cycling #base #fitness

[@pazuso]

After I finish dressing up, I put on my heart rate monitor and I'm already on my Zone 2 lol

[@vincentvizachero8055]

Same here. I’ve grown low in fitness and a bit overweight, so living in a fairly hilly place makes it really hard to stay in zone 2 or even 3 consistently. My biggest gear won’t get me up many streets without hitting anaerobic HRs. The more I ride the better it gets, but still….

[@forceofnature]

Agree, I am just getting back in to cycling and have been just doing base fitness on a 3 speed cruiser. Zone 2 for 10 min then Zone 3 all the way.

[@Irhamwashere]

Same here!

[@nunu1871]

If you can afford i would recommend a trainer or a smart trainer being the better option ( pricey though ). I used to have the same issue just hoping on the bike and im already zone 3 even in summer im already mid zone 3 and as soon as i start riding i will be in zone 4 😂. So with the trainer im doing long steady rides almost daily for an hour. As for now im very much in with match with my power zone to zone indoors and outdoors. So the key will be to ride in a controlled manner which is the best thing i would recommend is a trainer or a smart trainer 👍

[@msenupe]

same here. 😅 maybe to much coffe

[@pavlos..]

Why on earth would three people hit the dislike button? The guy has gone to a lot of time and effort for this video and he's not asking anything of you. Have some respect

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Paola, always get some people hitting that button straight away. I have become conditioned to accept it without insult, but I appreciate your sentiment. Cam

[@sonderfall1979]

Maybe they wanted to hit the “like button” but they are too close together on small smartphone screens 😜

[@dancanning6746]

Haters gon' hate

[@CycoWarriorx]

I was gonna say haters gonna hate, but Dan beat me to it... lol... but I said it anyway in quoting him... lol

[@bengreen1262]

The Hate must be coming from the competition channels 😂😂 Keep up the good work cam ~ I am at the couch potato stage ~ looking at the back catalogue

[@zyghom]

if 250W is your Z2... brother, we are from another planet ;-)

[@Freddy3792]

He is a big guy. Thats good but not super impressive.

[@andymitchell2146]

I can barely cycle under 200w, sprint at over 1100w but at 120kg I have zero speed on any +gradient. Watts aren't as telling as W/kg and even that isn't the whole story.

[@TimpBizkit]

@@andymitchell2146 I think I barely got 295 w for 20 minutes. I felt like I was about to blow up. I'm sure the power meter on the bike in the other gym is off. It feels like i can barely sustain "200w" on that thing. I tried "300w" on it and I was done in under the minute. I doubt even pro tour de France riders could make it the hour.... maybe. Each watt felt like a watt and a half on the first bike. I've never had enough resistance levels to measure a sprint. That bike I suspected has an "off" power number when I was standing in the saddle on max resistance at 95 rpm for 10 seconds and the power still only read "500 watts" lol. I managed to get a kilowatt on a leg and arm bike for 10 seconds. I was chuffed but also struggling to see how anyone could exceed 2 kilowatts. You would be almost as fast as a car lol. Another bike I spun it at 180 rpm on level 15 and the power said something like "600 watts" for 20 seconds until I got tired.

[@andymitchell2146]

@@TimpBizkit I can put out 1100w according to my power meter for about 10s, on a flat that's only about 30-35mph. I have hit 60mph on a few descents, but they are normally c6-800w efforts. I only really put down silly wattages on climbs, sprint finishes or doing intervals/sprints on the turbo trainer. Admittedly i don't calibrate it as much as I should but can be fairly consistent. At my weight though when I hit a hill of say 5%, I'm having to push out about 450w just to do 5mph.

[@pedalpatrol]

Thats pretty normal for people who ride a bit more my z2 ends around 270 and i would not say i am good or something i just ride my bike. I know people with an FTP of 450, they cruise at 300 like its nothing and they ar around my weight (75kg)

[@Garygriff76]

Everything you’ve said here is exactly what happened to me a few years ago. I’ve been working more in my base training and I’ve noticed a huge amount of improvements in my fitness overall. That cyclist you talked about that was me, great to see someone actually talk about it and making sense. 👍🏻👌🏻 thank you

[@donotreply2963]

That cyclist is absolutely ME and I tried so hard to keep "constant crank pressure" but I can't never get it right over the stupid hills!!! ARGHHHHHH!! I have been at this for good 6 months indoor trainer trying to stay at 200 Watts but the darn thing keep going from 350 to

[@thecyclingfactor8055]

Explains why a lot of the pro's hold easy power up hills in the off season. I can resonate with the cyclist in the white however, riding on the trainer does make holding constant power a lot easier.

[@joshuathomason7216]

This is probably one of the best videos I've seen in regards to increasing base fitness, I knew all about zones, but had no idea about "constant pressure" thanks!!

[@CamNicholls]

Awesome Joshua, thanks for sharing mate.

[@DelLavilla]

I’m into cycling for 2yrs and no proper training when I started. Noticed my cycling quest is not improving. When I watched this video, I’ve decided to reset everything and start my base training. Thanks for this. 🤙🏽

[@miamagee6729]

Brilliant video! When the whole KZbin is telling you to go Zone 2 but you are the first person to really show the whole details of how to do so! Thanks! I might do my first dedicated Zone 2 on the first day of 2022!

[@zaheerkader7426]

This was awesome . Thanks so much. Started training for the last 7 weeks after a bad covid pneumonia and this vid has set the plan for the next 3 months for me

[@CamNicholls]

Sorry to hear about your illness but glad that you're back. Train like this for three months and you'll be smashing your PB's in 4-5 months time.

[@AlbertBuckinghamEllison]

This is great. Here in the UK it's incredibly tough to get smooth session like this in. Incredibly rough roads and short sharp, constant climbs. Narrow single-car lanes and millions of cars. Base miles are the bane of my life trying to keep the HR under control on rough, heavy roads pushing 300w just to go 18mph. I watched this video with some serious road envy!

[@seahorserider33]

Same here 😅

[@anantsangar]

what's an alternative here? Zwift? I am also in the UK, London and want to get some base 2 training done.

[@sholtocampbell7089]

@@anantsangar regents park loop!

[@rebinu]

@@anantsangar really good routes planning

[@ReegusReever]

Canals!

[@ricardotclarke]

my take from this video... and I say this as a large guy (135kg); my training strategy has been good, I have not focused on speed that much, but been focusing to be on pedals for as long as I can hold... When I started cycling again I was at 146kg and could be on the cranks for around 5minutes and then off for 1minute and so on and so forth, now I can be on the pedals with somewhat perceived the same effort for around 35-40 minutes with a 3 minutes rest (usually the traffic light is more than enough) and my speed has increased WAAAAY more than when I tried training for speed....

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for sharing David.

[@darinsteele7091]

VERY well said, I happen to do this a lot and noticed it really staggers the fitness level. That's why after being on Zwift all winter and then going outside I am a complete beast because you don't take your feet off the pedals especially in a race. But where I live there is a lot more traffic and it's hilly up/down a ton, so it is a challenge.

[@andrevorster8425]

Thank you again Cam for imparting this valuable info to the low power people who can't afford to pay for this kind of tutorial/coaching.

[@jean-paulchaudron3104]

Thanks Cam for your awesome videos. They really help me to become a better rider. I was one of those guys in the white shirt....but doing the base training for over 5 weeks now, I started to notice a massive difference in my endurance. I am no where near 240Watt, more like 150 to 170Watts, but I only just started this year in April. Keep the video's coming, they are the best!!!

[@CamNicholls]

Awesome to hear Jean-Paul, thanks for sharing mate.

[@natashatallent6566]

Awesome, just what I needed as I embark on base training after a looong time off the bike! A few extras that have helped me in the past: Skill building, outdoors: -Looking over your shoulder without swerving. -Looking between your legs to check your gear (old school bike!) -Looking under your arm while in the drops (especially good for competitive cycling) -Taking things out of your jersey pockets, and putting stuff back. Don't litter! Skill building, indoors/outdoors: - Grab bottle, drink, put it back, all without averting your eyes (from screen or whatever). Advanced version: Practice this during increasing intensity so you can comfortably hydrate on that climb or breakaway! -Practice lots of different hand positions during many different intensities. -Practice smooth out of saddle and back to sitting position. Know your heart. LOVE this. This is all we had back in the day LOL. In addition to noticing hr drift during z2 with consistent pressure, also notice: -HR drift different in different cadences? This can be a great help in dialing in a good cadence for you, or to practice slower or faster cadence. Question: What do you think about the z2 coffee ride? For example, one hour out, coffee stop, one hour back home. Any significant difference in adaptive effect? Stay awesome!

[@endaohalloran6649]

Honestly, I discovered your constant pressure training technique a few months ago, and I've never come across one single thing that's had such a measurable impact on my performance than that. It's super straight forward but it makes a 2 hour ride feel like 3, and it's helped train me to keep consistent power during high zone efforts on undulating terrain. Utterly fantastic advice and everyone needs to incorporate it in their training imo

[@CamNicholls]

Awesome to hear mate, thank you for sharing

[@Itz_Timeless]

I'm back again brother, another great video, right on time!

[@TrailBoundco]

Can you explain why you keep power consistent and let your heart rate go up at the end? Is it so you can measure your cardiac drift and compare over time? It seems like it just takes you out of z2 and it would be better to monitor your heart rate and let it stay in that z2 range even at hour 2 when it starts going up

[@ricardowatson06]

I’m envious that his heart is so low for the wattage and mph.....

[@anata5127]

He is Australian

[@m9d497]

@@anata5127 bruh

[@danmashman2500]

Great info. I started cycling to cross train for my running (I do zone 2 training for 80% of my runs. ) I was that guy in the white until watching this video. I will make a bigger effort to keep peddling to better train consistently . Thanks this was very helpful.

[@DonaldLL825]

Excellent video. Producing something like this takes time and effort. You did a great job on both content and production... thank you

[@nathansdad04]

Used to ride based on speed only. Bought a computer and power meter last week. This week started riding my route based on WATTS(instead of speed)….and using CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE CRANKS. My performance improved immediately. I used to power up hills at 700+ watts…and coast down the backside. I kept watts in 225-280 watt range the entire ride…with zero coasting. Ended up with a PB (15miles @ 20mph. 240watt average). And to be honest, I could’ve pushed much harder if I chose to. FYI: I’m 54yrs old. 6’tall and. 200lbs and got into cycling 18mos ago.

[@CamNicholls]

Great to hear Nathan, thanks for sharing on the thread.

[@benbraceletspurple9108]

This is good base advice. Targeting this avoids using creatine system and keeps focus on carbohydrate engine. This is essential to gain fitness, rather than just adapting.

[@movem1]

Happy to see a front strobe light now 👍

[@Piklzzz]

I know, I know!.. But we have like 6 months of riding outside where I live and 2 of those are closer to survival in the cold. So I'll leave proper training for my turbo, road is for fun and races :) But that's just me

[@maxe2820]

Dude what universe are you from? Thought on planet earth everyone had 12 month 🤔

[@isaackangas6921]

@@maxe2820 Nah, 7 months. 6 months of summer and then its just winter

[@Seanlamoureux603]

Its getting to the winter months, I need the most help I can get

[@CamNicholls]

Time to become friends with the indoor trainer mate!

[@brianantnssn5177]

@@CamNicholls would you keep the same duration on the trainer? So 2/2.5 hrs @z2 power? Or would you go to something like 1.5hrs/2hrs?

[@bro7269]

I’m pretty new to tracking all this information but I’m glad to hear I’ve been doing it right (for the most part). Flat stretches? 125-130 bpm. Going up hill…? Gear down, same 125-130bpm. Going downhill…? Gear up. Same 125-130 bpm. 20 miles today on a perfect fall day!

[@v1m9s8m8]

Thanks for showing how to properly do a Z2 ride, I know the science behind it but have never seen such a good real life example

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Hey Cam, great advice. There is, however, an entire audience with very few channels speaking to them... beginners... specifically, training geared towards beginners. Different words are needed to reach them. Different motivations, encouragements, processes, thoughts, etc.

[@dwaynerandolph3565]

Awesome ! I saved this info for my workout regimen ✅

[@CamNicholls]

Awesome Dwayne, what a few months and you'll see the improvements.

[@dwaynerandolph3565]

@@CamNicholls Thank you so much for the encouragement and feedback ! I had a work related injury that kept me off my road bike for an entire year. Thank goodness for my Indoor Spin Bike which has helped me retain most of my fitness. I’ll be riding with my cycling buds this coming weekend, it’s a surprise unless they follow your channel too 🤣

[@loc9588]

spitting so much facts about how most people ride. im trying to stop riding like that and starting to train smarter

[@BordersLife]

Im working on doing 300 miles a month over 5 months. 1500 mile summertime challenge. 2 months in and Im at 747 miles. Where would a challenege like this fit in. ie. Beginner, intermediate. Its all city miles on a mountain bike. 29" Hardtail, Trek marlin 5 2nd Gen. I have rode to the next city over a couple of times. occasional car and ped dodging, dog chase, construction hopping, curb hopping, occasional jump or stair descent or climb when I can do it with no one around. my average speed stays around 11 to 15 with peak speeds around 32 mph. I try to stay on roads and bike lanes, when theres no bike lane I go for the sidewalk, where I feel safer, if I have to Ill cut a field or two just to get away from it all. :) All in all, stay respectful to others but have fun exploring the city.

[@MaartenAnna]

Wow, that’s really funny: over the last weekend, I’ve put a new saddle on my TT bike, changed my clete position & decided to do more base training. Also thinking about changing my crank length from 170 to 165. It’s like you read my mind the last few videos... 😳

[@CamNicholls]

haha! Awesome, hope it goes well for you Maarten

[@fredrikolsen1605]

I woke up, its 13:47, cold and blue sky blistering into my eyes. I check out Strava segments to plan out my KOM attacks. Dressing up is annoyingly time consuming, shoe cover, head warmer, ear plugs, keys, pump wheels. But after 15 minutes of torture I finaly head out in the cold 2 degree celcius nordic winds. As i approach the targeted segment, my hearth start pumping blood into my legs for the grandest effort of all grands. As I power my pedals and grin my teeth, I look at my garmin with a nodding "yeah bro". But wait, what's happening, my watts are dropping! There must be a power leak in the bike... I later find the ugly truth... I had not eaten any food! So yeah! Basicly no KOM just sit zone 2 and whistle at the ladies, cus zone 2 doesnt require carb and yeah easy psy just sit 230 watts and enjoy ur base training.

[@briz1965]

I raced back in the day and dropped a few future pro's ha ha but here's what I did for my two pence. As I worked full time, 2-3 mornings 30 miles ball's out. Summer, ride home every night you can 1-2 hours 42x17 fixed. Evening league, time trial, weekly track. Sat, Sun race. Winter, switch to 15 mins min running, same morning, nights tues, thurs, rollers 5 x 3 mins or 3 x 5 mins......

[@antw3114]

When I’m out riding now and I want to coast down a hill, all I hear is Cams voice saying “consistent pressure on the cranks” and then I start pedalling ... LOL

[@CamNicholls]

Hahah! Thanks for sharing mate.

[@paulsherwood5864]

Where I live is super hilly. Any pressure on the cranks is going to be impossible a fair amount of the time, unless I've got like a 70 tooth chain ring.

[@anata5127]

What if downhills is 5%? Are you still pedaling?

[@william_anderson_ZA]

Thank you sir!

[@dannytunik8325]

As a newer cyclist who lives/ commutes on David low way this could not be more helpful! Glad those road works are finally done too

[@CamNicholls]

Nice one Danny 👍

[@coreyreeder3549]

I’ve said it before. It’s worth repeating. I implicitly trust Ausies. And this video shows why.

[@garyjackson8196]

I've started this sort of training to see if I can pick up a little more performance - even in my old age. Although I'm fairly fit, at 65 the 130 HR puts out less Watts for me. At times I'm travelling pretty slow up hills!

[@kenvysmiguel8817]

Great thoughts! It is always part of my polarized training. Doing it 4hrs once a week preparing for Ironman70.3. Hope it really helps.

[@kenvysmiguel8817]

@@uberpekes try doing it really slow. Or review ur hr zones maybe ur max hr where ur z2 is based is too high. Or ur ftp is high from what is actual.

[@kenvysmiguel8817]

@@uberpekes today is my bike ride outdoors been doing indoors for months or so due to weather. I am watching netflix or youtube. My longest indoor ride is 2 and half hr only.

[@sherwin3williams]

Since a month now I doing base zone 2 training my heart rate was 146bpm , I took a rest of the bike for a week to do some deadlifts, squats and conditioning training . I started back base training on the bike this week . for the whole ride my heart rate was between 120-131bmp for an hour of riding . I was faster than normal .

[@sherwin3williams]

something is wrong with this heart monitor .

[@CamNicholls]

Could be or you may have been heat comprised

[@automotive474]

For whatever it's worth, I used to do strength and climbed 80 steps daily a year ago, and have since given it up for time constraints/different commute, and I am now slower with a higher heart rate. For the same power over 5 minutes my heart rate went up from 133 average to 142 average. I am also one year older so there's that to consider (shrug)

[@davidparker8475]

Thanks for a very clearly explained video of zone 2 training related to HR and HR drift.

[@zeuszuki6698]

Great content 👍 Just a note on handling skills - figure 8's are good for practicing turning skills. Also trying to stop as fast as possible on grass sharpens up your braking skills. A note on breathing - fill your diaphragm to strengthen your core while riding ( eg: filling your chest is not the most efficient method). 🍻

[@CamNicholls]

Great additions 👍

[@misterscagnetti]

Thank you for your advice last year on zone 2 training Cam, it got me to a whole new level.

[@CamNicholls]

Nice one Seymour, thanks for sharing mate

[@planttheseed2129]

I see that you are a fan of QT's films. :) Reservoir dogs. :)

[@misterscagnetti]

@@planttheseed2129 a fellow film fan! I watched the movie as a young man and the name stuck with me.

[@mikkorajala]

Thank you for great and inspiring video 💪

[@rleclaire87]

I think your steady pace is pretty impressive speed wise also, but I'm saying that as a beginner. I just started cycling 3 weeks ago, and found out about and started zone 2 training last week. It's a much more comfortable way to cycle for me, so that's a win. But I also find it's pretty difficult to stay in that zone, and difficult to go any faster than an average of 22-23 km/h... I'm curious to find whether that will naturally increase if I just keep going in zone 2. It's definitely nicer to feel the faster, 30+ km/h speed, but I also don't want to push myself too much or do something unconstructive. It takes patience.

[@ReegusReever]

Absolutely ignore your speed and leave your ego at the door. All sorts of folk will pass you, people will think you're shite at cycling, but you'll reap the rewards further down the line, friend. With time, you will be able to ride the same pace at a lower percentage of your VO2Max, whilst training your body to keep carbs in supply for those harder digs, using fat as your main fuel source. You will become faster, but only if you keep to the plan and then build on that base with upper zone training with (for example) intervals, concurrently or in future with more focus. Happy riding x

[@funkydisciple]

I echo the above by Reegus. I did z2 exclusively for a couple months and by the end of the couple months I was going faster at a lower Hr. When I applied it riding out and going hard it felt fantastic.

[@NWGJulian]

zone 2 with 240 watts :D i tried holding 200 watts with my mountainbike last week, after 30 mins my heartbeat topped on like 180bpm and i didnt felt so good :D i am 28 btw. riding since 2 years now, guess i need to build up my endurance with more zone 2 trainings. my ideal zone 2 bpm should be around 140, and if i want to keep it there i think i am around 120-130 watts

[@vincentbourgoin1695]

Man if only the roads I train on looked like that... Feels like a dream seeing this.

[@jacobmeng2814]

Hi Cam, always appreciate your great content, and thank you for sharing your insights and tips with respect to training and racing! I live in Beijing, China and it could get really cold right now during the winter - the temperature often goes to -5 degrees. Love to see you sharing some of your training tips on how to cycle during winter. Thank you and please keep poping up those amazing contents!

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Jacob, I'd say get an indoor trainer and build/maintain base fitness.Save the HIT for the warmer months.

[@carlsimmons305]

Really good review of L2 Base Training. Think after watching this I will go back & watch the rest of your stuff :)

[@jbages23cons69]

Excellent information Cam , thank you, going to give it a try today. Cheers from Long Island, NY.

[@CamNicholls]

Nice one mate 👍

[@dhldt1021]

a great video. well explained, and great tips on skill development. Yes, I can get better on my U turns for sure. The recommendation to train 120% of your intended race duration is losing favour with some people, but it’s always worked for me over the years, of running particularly

[@LuciTulcea]

You went straight to the point from second one!😄👍

[@knowledges9979]

Your channel is the most usefull and helpful channel Ive ever followed on the youtube , simple guides simple info. And easy to learn things thank you so much and keep going. Peace & love from 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia. ❤️

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate

[@bmp713]

You can reach any heart rate and any power with many different combinations of cadence, resistance, and duration on a trainer. "Zone 2" also has a very wide range depending on different systems, anywhere from 60-80%. 60 and 80% are obviously radically different training intensities however. Keeping same power and HR do you think increasing cadence, resistance, or duration most increases stroke volume and cardiac output? Which percentage heart rate range do you think is optimal for increasing stroke volume and cardiac output?

[@bladerun31]

So far the best base training video I've watched.

[@steved112]

What a brilliant video and great experiment! Does anyone have suggestions on what to eat after riding 2 hours at zone 2 without eating anything on the ride? I did it last night and smashed nuts and some chocolate before bed. I woke up feeling great... But an hour later after 4 weetbix i completely crashed. My body felt like it had no fuel. I had a muesli bar and coffee and sprung back. Doing this on my trainer was really informative. I learnt how my cadence and breathing impact my heart rate, and got great feedback on my base fitness level.

[@andrewgirling6137]

One of the best advisory videos I have ever seen, both practically and technically correct. Well done Cam👍

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Andrew. I put a lot of time into the videos in Uplevel. 30 hrs average per video, so I really appreciate this feedback.

[@chiefrocker12]

Very good video cam. I'm going to give all these recommendations a go. Have never trained like this. Cheers

[@CamNicholls]

Nice one Ravin, and good to hear from you mate. It's been a while. Cam

[@terrywalker7127]

Holy Cow: your Zone 2 power is over my FTP. My FTP is 212 watts. I can't imagine having your power. Now I have only been back riding for 10 months after over 20 years off the bike. I am 67 years now. But I can only keep trying , Right?

[@davidpeveto1749]

I'm pretty familiar with training in Zone 2 and base training, however, for those who are simply riding without any specific purpose or goal, this video is a great tool to use to obtain a greater understanding of riding a bicycle. Excellent info Cam!

[@phedra7073]

Wow love ur video! Sg fan here!

[@andyg9991]

Another great vid Cam. Glad to hear you mention your fueling strategy (or lack there of). So many people think that if they dont constantly feed on the bike, they're going to bonk, and then they complain that they can't lose weight or they have stomach issues when riding due to trying to consume too many calories. Just like we train our CV system and muscles, we also need to train the body to become more efficient at burning fat and also at sparing glycogen. This will allow us to go harder for longer while eating less than we would otherwise need to. Just ask any Ironman triathlete about gut issues on the bike and then they end up walking the marathon. So glad youre cutting through the "bro-science"

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Andy and thanks for adding the insights

[@AlexNoakes]

It begins, thanks Cam.

[@garysmith70]

This is the best advice for a focused cyclist...Get on it

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Gary, 19 more videos like it in the Uplevel course for future reference 👍

[@Sir-Prizse]

The facts presented here are all correct and above all... really important. I have always been very skeptical about Cam Nicholls, but this is a good video for beginners... or experienced cyclists like me who have been doing it wrong for many years. I ride most of my tours on dead flat cycle paths like a triathlete (125 km of almost undisturbed cycle paths with incredible vistas) and ride 40% of the time in the drops, simply because I have been used to an aggressive position for 7 years.

[@CamNicholls]

Thanks for sharing mate

[@stuartmclean3843]

Really appreciate your video content as always, watching here from UK

[@austinhelie7152]

14:04 - What are your thoughts on base training without eating prior to the ride, in relation to your more recent video where you met with the nutritionist and discussed properly fueling while training? Assuming it’s still a good rule of thumb to offer some variability, although more important still to fuel properly for the especially longer rides? Curious how your perspective has changed specifically to fueling for base training. Thx

[@julysumayop2907]

Thank you for this, Sir!

[@jonpoon3896]

Definitely use these rides to practice bike handling on the tri bars

[@CamNicholls]

Good point there Jon, thanks for sharing

[@balazspandi9782]

Awesome video! HR drift was a very intresting part.

[@UbzUnclemax]

Great content, sir! I absolutely appreciate how your approach is in line with how World Tour pros actually train as well: carbohydrate-restricted base training as the majority of their off-season training program. Now, I've also been doing this approach for the last 4 months and I'm gradually stretching these rides towards 2h30, 2h45... but to what extent shall I finally stretch these rides on just a 4 egg breakfast and with what increments? 5km extra each week?

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Alien, depends on your target event. At the end of the video I give you a formula to use to work towards something tangible. Check it at, last few mins.

[@TheRawvoice]

ZERO GT winners do carb restriction you noob haha. If you restrict carbs you KILL off red blood cells that day. RBC's are THE key for power. All you are doing is making yourself anemic by cutting back on carbs. Get your hemoglobin tested before and after to see what I mean. On a pure sugar diet my weight is 59kg at 6ft tall on about 8 hours a week riding.

[@shiftgood]

@@TheRawvoicesource?

[@syazzak]

Always a great video from Cam Nichols !

[@insurancethatfits]

This has been an ideal video for me. I'm a zwifter and I always tend to go hard on rides (not that I'd fast...it's all relative ya know). I have never, NEVER (on zwift) done a "base fitness" ride. And I've been Zwifting for almost 2 yrs. And I keep injuring myself! Go figure.

[@CamNicholls]

Very common Andrew, most amateur and recreational road cyclists are going too hard too often. Their biggest mistake in cycling training. Sprinkle some Z2 into your weekly rhythm and you'll see some solid gains.

[@insurancethatfits]

@@CamNicholls Between the fitting series and this one video I feel like I'm making good progress. No knee pain (thanks fit series) and I'm not dead after rides either.

[@BornInArona]

also to mention, you have such a nice road to cycle !!!

[@shawnriveral]

Good stuff mate! I crashed my bike a month ago and broke my collarbone, will use your videos as my guide.

[@CamNicholls]

Sorry to hear that mate! Base training will be the best way to build back into it. Heal well. Cam

[@supersport1572]

This makes two of us. I’m on week six of recovery from a broken clavicle as well. Best of luck healing and getting back on! I too, will be using base training to build fitness back up.

[@williamfennell3747]

I did the same 6 weeks ago. Having had the benefit of the up level base training module, I realised that I could still get level 2 aerobic exercise by brisk walking, using heart rate, as my legs don't have a power meter! Have been doing typically 7-10k steps, mainly brisk, 3 to 4 times a week, typically with a good hour in zone 2.

[@shawnriveral]

@@williamfennell3747 Use your HR monitor mate, Its good enough if you dont have a power meter.

[@williamfennell3747]

@@shawnriveral If you notice, I wrote "Using Heart rate" in my post. And yes I was using my HRM.

[@richardvanderwelipsc547]

Thanks for the great video’s it helps me a lot in understanding how to start using my power-meter better. Greetz from the Netherlands 🇳🇱

[@mikealbanese8567]

Beautiful video Cam.....this answer almost all my questions about base training. I see some people taking this time to do vo2 max workouts but I guess those people don't understand that anareobic fitness can be built up quickly within months of a race. What is your stance on doing threshold or VO2 max workouts during this time? Dylan Johnson's video on this includes 2 FTP sessions in a training week.

[@mikealbanese8567]

To add to this, I do understand the idea of HR drift and why the focus should be solely on aerobic fitness. Super grateful for the numbers you posted toward the end of the video. Cheers!

[@CamNicholls]

In the base training plans we have we offer the opportunity to do a bunch ride on the weekend (Anaerobic / V02 max there), and also ease in some tempo, and sub threshold work. But really there's no need to bring in much HIT, that can wait for a 12 week HIT program, assuming you've got time. The base training phase also allows time for the heart to have a rest and not become stressed. Cheers, Cam

[@jonathancooke542]

Hi Cam, great video, one of the best I’ve come across. Just one question if you have time, Z2 is still quite a wide band 55-75% of FTP, where about in that zone would you aim for? Thanks very much. Don’t worry, I’ve seen your newer video. 70% 😊

[@dabernarda1490]

Great video. Power for me is far lower then you but i´m improving. Still don't have power meter to train better but HR is my tool. Can´t judge were my HR starts to drift. Restarted cycling 6 months ago after years off. I' 46.

[@vincent_vega4046]

I might be the odd one here, but I never seem to keep the watts this constant. Not out on the roads, not on the smart trainer either. Trust me, I try as much as I can; I am carefully paying attention to the numbers and my legs, but alas it is jumping around. Say, if I want to keep it around 160 watts, it will go like anything between 100-200. I do not know what am I doing wrong, or maybe just my control over my legs/body is not good enough, or it never will be good enough. The only exception is when I am on a stationary bike in the gym; on those things I can easily keep the watts within a +/- 10-20 margin.

[@rogerhartley4456]

Clear and concise. Excellent as always. Cheers mate!

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Roger.

[@trainingbeats8213]

Great stuff Cam, been enjoying your vids over last few months!

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate

[@AegenemmnoN]

Great video! Really learning a lot from your channel

[@emmanledesma]

Fantastic insight 👏

[@steveruppel]

This is such a helpful video, thank you for sharing!

[@pakkumis7774]

Very kind of you! Thanks for the video! 👍

[@ChrisMarshallUS]

Thank you for this, very useful

[@cannongavinjr7166]

Cam just know we appreciate all you do Man keep up the good work!

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate

[@minimartin4o]

Great video, thank you!!

[@TimpBizkit]

How I got fast: I rode in Bath and treated every traffic light as a drag race. Also I would go on club rides but I didn't have a road bike. I had a giant yukon with smooth tires (which also made it useless on mountain bike runs). It weighs 35 lbs and got me behind on hills.

[@patrickparisienne1917]

Awesome, awesome content!

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers Patrick.

[@6SpeedTA95]

Awesome vid. I’ve not found much info on what to do if you live in a hilly area? These aren’t big hills they are 20-45 second kickers that require a dip into sweet spot to get up. I’ve tried doing them at lower power and the steepness simply doesn’t allow it with traditional road bike gearing. At least not for someone with an FTP below 4w/kg. So do these little kickers even taking them as easily as possible screw up the z2 workout? 3000-4000ft of climb is common over 100km. All due to the short but sometimes steep kickers.

[@111t03]

In order to maintain a constant power outdoor, you'd need to keep changing the gears to remain in the desired zone, yes ? Apologies for the silly question Cam. I am a bit of a noob, but I thoroughly enjoy learning through your videos here on KZbin.

[@CamNicholls]

All good mate, yes you would, although depending on your terrain I would suggest slowing the cadence and speeding it up when you're uphill and downhill. That will work different aerobic systems and teach good muscular conditioning. So limit the gear changes as much as possible.

[@bbbart6271]

Very helpful, thank You

[@marksmith5434]

Great training advice, supported with an excellently produced video :) One question - what software do you use to convert cycle data into the visual interface ?? Happy new year 🎉

[@CamNicholls]

Garmin Virb 👍

[@vukgrujic2957]

keep em comming... All the best in your work and progress :)

[@CamNicholls]

Cheers mate

[@dwhitehead49]

Must be nice to ride in zone 2 and enjoy the scenery. At this effort one hand gets numb because I'm not pedaling hard enough.

[@DDGB08]

Great content