The 5 Most Common Training Mistakes That Every Cyclist Makes

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Training plans are now available! Use the code KZbin to get 15% off through the end of the month: www.trainingpeaks.com/coach/dylanjohnson#trainingplans

[@PolarBear9733]

FTP == Fantasy Threshold Power 🚴

[@garthly]

I find it very hard to ride slowly. If someone passes me I feel I have to go faster so that I don’t look pathetic. I know it’s stupid!

[@McAwesome363]

Just don't latch onto that person's wheel. Perhaps it's my antisocial side showing, but I can't stand that!

[@collax2613]

Keep at it. When you will get faster, you will pass people while riding in zone 2. And that feel good af.

[@Reny_btw]

Just strap a huge saddlebag and a frame bag or toptube bag so you can pretend you're bike touring.

[@SWED510]

That might just be an ego issue. Take some kind of martial arts:)

[@NSMetaLpig]

If your a girl dnt wori, no one will pass through you, they will always in your back nyhahahha

[@poochie8208]

Backwards hat Dylan nailed it, you have to be the fastest guy during the winter and then chase strava segments during the rest of the year

[@stevehastie4951]

I pin a large note on my back that says "Rest Day".

[@karinpettersson7171]

I just need to say thank you! Your videos are so helpful, I'm a 20 year old girl that found this sport about 2 years ago, and I'm now looking to see how good I can get. I always look forward to hearing what tips you have, love from Sweden!

[@barrettcanning1800]

Dylan it is refreshing to hear someone who can speak clearly and present information with out the use of “um” “ah” and other language fillers. Informative and well done, thank you.

[@StevieOnHisBike]

Almost every time I watch one of these videos where mistakes are discussed, I end up chuckling to myself because... even at the ripe old age of fifty two and with many years riding behind me, I keep on making the same mistakes - most notably riding too hard too often and... never lifting weights (which is something that I KNOW I should be doing esp. now I'm middle-aged). Thanks for the reminder Dylan!

[@chrisoliver6690]

I've just started lifting in an attempt to improve my riding. I got some coaching from a pro power lifter as I had no idea what I was doing; I learnt so much! I would advise anyone intending on lifting heavy to follow suit; the last thing you want is to damage yourself. I've only done one session so can't tell if its making a difference yet but hopefully it will help my, rather poor, muscular endurance.

[@voiceless00]

Looking forward to a video of backwards hat guy at the gym just sitting on gym equipment and looking at his phone. 😂

[@FriendlyFarmMachineryToolCpBel]

Yeah, and he had a 2 hour workout 😊😊😊

[@rodc4334]

It is worth noting that 2-3 high intensity sessions per week is for riders doing 10-14 training rides per week. Or about 1 in 5. If you Joe Blow or Jane Dow with a full time job, maybe some kids, and are riding five days a week, it seems 1 should be high intensity. For non-elite riders that might be something like 1 high intensity, 1 very long low intensity, 3 of some intermediate distance and moderate effort.

[@seanchisham4679]

my FTP is 10 inches

[@sape100]

Good stuff! Indeed, I was concerned of going to a week long hiking trip with my gf mid race season in July, but ended up delivering my season’s best result in August.

[@XX-is7ps]

Excellent video as always. I'm definitely one of those cyclists who struggles to take an extended break off the bike. There's a fine line between passion and addiction. 1-2 rest days a week is fine but mentally I really struggle with taking 5-7 days off, by 2-3 days in I'm bouncing off the walls wanting to get back in the saddle. I think "sports social media" such as Strava is unhealthy in this regard in that you see that you're "missing out" when you're taking a break, especially if the weather is fine. I've actually been considering stopping using Strava for some of the same reasons that people are leaving Facebook and other platforms in droves - does anyone else find this and has anyone else taken this step and found it to help?

[@gonzoliam1720]

Daniel Adams I stopped uploading to strava and took the wahoo mount off my bike(s) in August. I don’t race, just bumble about for fun, but even so, the sense that Big Brother is Not watching you is a wonderful and liberating feeling after 5 years of recording every ride! Too much looking at strava is called stravitis in our house.

[@wolfgangvanwersch1228]

Great job Dylan! I have already made all of these mistakes. Being a great fan of Dylans videos, I ask myself, why I should book a personal coach, if I follow all the advice given here for free. Excuse me for my English. Greetings from Spain.

[@markenrega4191]

Thanks Dylan. Great tips, as always. Looking forward to the weights training video.

[@dereknoto9969]

Thanks..I cycled almost every day for 2 months anywhere from 45 mins to 3hours.i got to the point where I couldn't even pedal up the first hill and my back was killing me.i took 3 weeks off and came back to have the best ride of my year.I learned the hard way that training to hard has no benefits.

[@lebowskii98_9]

Not sure BHD would agree with your advice! 4-5 HIIT sessions per week clearly trumps 2 to 3; only take time off if you've broken both legs; throw in some sprints on your recovery ride; best way to calculate your ftp is to take your 1 minute power divide it by 2.132, add 31.2, multiply that number by 6, take away 155 and then divide that by 4.8 - all the world tour teams use this method; weights are for track sprinters - I ride the road! 😉

[@poochie8208]

On a serious note. If FTP is taken as a proxy for lactate steady state, then there is no shortcut to the full 60 min test. While the 20 min test is more time, and fatigue friendly, it is extremely variable. In my case, depending on the time of the year, and what my training has been, there can be an 8-25% variation between the 20 and 60 min test. Intervals done at the inflated FTP have often resulted in lots of frustration. Doing a 60 min test every month is huge in terms of effort and fatigue, but I've found that a test during the build periods is the best, keeping in mind that during base power will drop and these rides should be at a lower power than during the build phases. Just my two cents.

[@classactracing]

Great insight. Even better for a coach to be conscious of. Athletes have the tendency to get complicit or over look their bad habits.

[@BuexxTM]

Can't wait to see your updated video on strength training. As I had issues with my IT-Band I recently started some Gym work and watched your videos about it a few times.

[@scooterc2006]

Great advice. Wish all biking coaches got these concepts

[@Team81MTB]

After two years of training and a full season of racing I've finally found a training schedule that works for me. I'm only on the bike a total of 3 days per week. My first day consists of picking a track that we normally race on and I'll do a full race at race pace which usually it lasts about an hour. This is timed so I'm trying to beat my last time. A few days later I do an all day ride at low intensity. This usually lasts for about four hours. I take a rest day after this day and the next day is spent on technical terrain honing those skills and developing better balance. I usually spend about 1-2 hours this day. That's about 6-7 hours per week on the bike. I've gotten massive gains this way and I never seem to have a sluggish ride. Keep in mind that I'm 54 years old and have type 2 diabetes so my healing time is a bit longer. The other four days are spent eating "real" food and recovering. I hope this may help someone out there who is struggling with the balance of riding and resting. 👍

[@Vam1500]

I’m just a recreational cyclist but I do try to peak for bigger goals like a hard fondo. I’ve made all these mistakes. It is hard to take a recovery ride in my hilly area. Also, inevitably someone passes me with an “on your left” and it isn’t logical but I hate that and want to speed up.

[@BikeRacingWithoutMercy]

I’m only a year into cycling and recently tried 3 different FTP tests. My 1 hour test was 272W c4W/kg. My 20min test (preceded by a 5min VO2max Effort) was 282W; and the Ramp Test was 297W. Based on my average power and normalised power over Zwift races lasting 45mins to 1hour 30mins - I believe 270-275W is more realistic. I’ve posted this to my new KZbin channel Bike Racing Without Mercy (if you are interested). Love your vids and advice. Thanks!

[@barbaroacosta5335]

I've spent several years strength training with heavy weights. Just recently started riding a bike, and the power from lifting heavy translates well to cycling. While my fitness is getting better, not great, I've been able to outsprint more advanced riders.

[@gadsden472]

I just posted a similar story in another comment. I'm happy to be in the 50th percentile of climbers in my Colorado city. I'm in the top 1% of sprinters and do well in the "Strava TTs"... Usually top 5-10%.

[@awakenedbahamut2574]

I took a 1 month break (unintentional) and it took me a few weeks to get fitness again, and my fitness just shot up by an insane amount. My FTP increased by 50 watts, max by 200 watts, 5 second by about 300 watts, and my heart rate went down a lot, like around 15 BPM for the same effort. Every time I took a week of break, I came back stronger but that one month break was the best thing I did in cycling since starting group rides last year. My FTP was 250 last October and now I normalised 250 for 2 hours 15 minutes a few days ago on a group ride. I will probably take a week off after my next race.

[@janplexy]

1:14 - No1 3:12 - No2 5:10 - No3 6:58 - No4 9:48 - No5

[@bradyb2482]

Looking forward to the weight training video. The gains have been amazing for time to exhaustion for me

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

Dude I love your videos. Listening to you is soothing and so informative. I’m pretty much NEVER off the bike. Unless I crash and have an injury. I know I should really REST sometimes. I will try. I promise.

[@johnl4310]

Your totally right with everything and I too am making or have made all of these mistakes. The strength training at the gym sounds like something I should start doing.

[@demacherius1]

I have to say your Videos are verry informative and interresting. Also I have to say I have no problem in taking a break. Im the king of taking a break, maby I should train from time to time 🤣

[@joebrandner2317]

Hey! Great video and channel! As a mechanical engineer, I really enjoy how you go in to the science and data behind your decisions and tips!! You seem to do a great job looking at all the relevant literature on a subject and drawing your conclusions from that instead of cherry picking a few study's to support your opinions. It is really refreshing to see on KZbin. I've got a video idea: What things would you tell a beginning cross country mountain bike racer to focus on before getting in to the weeds? I started racing this year, and I plan on following your advice but I just want to make sure that I am not missing any basics. Thanks!

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I appreciate it and great video idea

[@Mal0wens]

I think this video was made especially for me right now. Thanks Dylan.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

How many of these mistakes have you made?

[@Aboycostelo]

I was advice to do lifting, but I skip that part... also, about the resting part, because I want to be on my bike every day! Excellent video, Dylan, as always!

[@alsayers]

Many before I got a coach.

[@jimmynickelz]

Race season is over. I'm not bumpin up to a 2 anytime this year. Why am I still smokin my legs?? Smh

[@kiverrussell8369]

Previously too much intensity but sorted that one. Now days...I'm off to watch the lifting video... thanks!

[@johanjofo]

Dont compare two different sports. If u want to share/educate viewers on cycling, share cycling cients, not running. Its a big different.

[@avalanx]

Excellent video. Will share!

[@BikeRacingWithoutMercy]

Another superb video - thanks so much Dylan!

[@kubam2231]

as alwasy, superb material, thanks, waiting for strenght training vid!

[@ProfessorSteez]

Isn’t ‘rest day’ some Belgian slang word? Never heard of it 😂😂😂

[@sszibler]

Most of them! Currently too much volume because I’m bored and have no racing plans other than local group rides (which are competitive in DC). So I ride too many miles, almost every day, and then get frustrated when I’m not in the AAA group on every ride and contesting the sprint at three times their age. The only thing that gave me pause was that you used a study on runners to extrapolate to your cycling interval numbers. Runners don’t recover as quickly as cyclists. The best program I remember benefiting from was 2 or 3 days of intervals followed by 2 or 3 days of real rest, that could amount to 4 or 5 days a week. BUT this was all for short criteriums so it didn’t translate to longer road races very well. I’d be interested in reviewing how intervals should change for road races around 50 miles and up. It didn’t even translate to more than one criterium a day. It’s difficult in DC because it’s all criteriums around here and they eventually get boring.

[@RGCastro7]

Great video, Dylan. Thank you!

[@lennartmeinke8861]

When you make a new strength training video, could you also suggest some bodyweight training (if that is actually a valid option)? Not everyone has a gym available so having options of what to do at home would be amazing

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Great point. The problem with body weight exercises is that it is really hard to tax large muscles like the quads appropriately using just your body weight. I'd urge you to look into home gym equipment if there are no gyms in your area.

[@kiverrussell8369]

@@DylanJohnsonCycling with regard to sourcing home gym equipment (totally appreciate how long is a piece of string just hoping for a ballpark estimate) what sort of barbell max weight might be necessary once you get down to the 4 rep squat territory? Am thinking long term trained cyclists around the 70kg body weight mark here.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

@@kiverrussell8369 Most trained cyclists can go from not lifting to 200 pounds (90kg) or more for 4 reps after 2 months.

[@kiverrussell8369]

@@DylanJohnsonCycling great, thanks

[@gadsden472]

Former gym rat and martial artist turned cyclist... Look into "Hindu squats". A heavy kettle bell too (30ish pounds for you probably). KZbin how to vids. I squat over 300, deadlift 475 (in the spring after lifting all winter). I just took a KOM from a pro who rode in the TDF; by 9 seconds. I'm in my 40s. I'm about 170 lbs right now. I don't neglect my chest, back, or arms either. Sprinting is a back heavy effort. The gym is best though. Train like an Olympic lifter. It'll help keep weight down and strength up.

[@palicar]

Thanks for compiling all that. I know some people who would benefit from this but they’re ultra-sensitive about taking advice. Their obsession for fitness hinders their gains. Crazy.

[@bcschafer]

Great video. I am guilty of all of these. I really appreciate your well researched, science based videos. Keep up the good work.

[@jasonosborne5476]

Great Video! Thanks for covering up nearly all the mistakes I have made before :D

[@tas3159]

Man, your hair grows fast!

[@hots2215]

Great channel! Keep it up... Nice funny sentences at some points :)

[@richardwoodworth8357]

Really helpful advice Dylan. Thanks

[@NormAusSmith]

Hi Dylan, I like your simple straight forward advice and the fact that you show the relevant research. I'm a 61 year old master and have questions regarding maintenance strength training. Your video on strength training (squats etc) made perfect sense. However, what should I do for maintenance after the strength phase ? My assumption is twice per week, 2 sets of 4-6 to exhaustion to be done following your hard ride (presumable Tuesday and Saturday). Can you please let me know if I'm on the right track. Thanks, Norm

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Yeah that’s what I’d recommend. Keep your legs fresh for the ride by weight training after.

[@TheTheMScope]

Hey really love your videos! Just discovered them while studying..probably not the best way to keep the study efficiency up (but fairly legitime since I also did a nutrition and performance course😅). Would be cool if you could do a video about bike position (e.g. fore/aft position of the saddle, cleats position (probably my favourite..just recognised that you seem to have them pretty far back..)). Cheers and keep the good work up😊

[@AluminumBird]

Great video! Very helpful, as usual. High pitched squeal is killing me, tho.

[@scubascott1098]

Prioritization for lifting throughout the year / season would be epic!

[@karolvrchovsky4426]

9:43 hyperextension of knees - bad squat ending. Otherwise, I love your channel.

[@blocheadz]

Thanks Dylan! Great explanations and backed up with peer studies. I'd be interested in a study of bike-fit people and diy home fitters. I doubt there is a paper but it would be interesting.

[@pauldobos2982]

The studies where the athletes lifted heavy while maintaining their regular training, looking forward to your advice on weightlifting while still getting in quality interval sessions.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Great point. Those studies are out there.

[@gearmtb4489]

could you make a video about how to train for XCO races?

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I’ll put it on the list

[@gabeszilagyi254]

Another great video!Of course I have made all this kind of mistakes! Lifting also helps increase Testosterone levels!

[@timoringlein]

Once again, great video. I ride >500hours/year and made all that mistakes in the past 5-6 years. Some of them more than once ;-P

[@juandiegoochoa5875]

Hello Dylan, love your chanel! Does the two-to--three intensity sessions include the sunday race, or it only applies for monday-friday? Thank you mate

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Yup, races also count as intensity sessions.

[@alexeversdijk7639]

Hey dylan, just found your great channel. Really great vids!! I have a question, how do you think about MTB or Cross-training for the road season? Thanks in advance for your answer.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I think it's great to mix it up on the mountain bike pre season. It certainly helps with handling.

[@AlexRochette]

Thanks, Dylan. Re: number of high intensity workouts: is a threshold workout high intensity? Is a sweet spot work out high intensity? I am asking because sprints and vo2max intervals tire me a lot but anything under threshold not so much.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I would consider threshold and steady state high intensity although that's where I start to draw the line between high and moderate intensity. Steady state is certainly on the edge depending on how you define it.

[@AlexRochette]

Thank you.

[@ЕвгенийЛагунов-ц2ы]

Very useful! Thank you.

[@thegoodsamaritan4333]

thank you for these videos sir.

[@iainclark6210]

Good honest advice as always

[@pauliannicca7409]

Dylan....just found your site....its clear, informative and cuts through the medi-speak....i actually understand your advice, and it is very helpful. I hit that Subscribe button immediately......On another note - I am 65 and only started cycling 5 years ago (best thing i ever did for myself). I belong to a cycling club...ride an average of 150 - 200 KM per week averaging speeds of 27 to 29 km/hr but i kind of suck at hills and would love to improve.....any idea on how a pretty fit 65 year old should be training to achieve the hill improvement ?

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I'm glad you like the videos! I made a video on how to become a better climber. I recommend checking that out.

[@gregcavanaugh6259]

Good content, I do wonder though how this better applies to mountain biking because effort is so much more determined by the terrain. Walk steep climbs on recovery days? Don't ride that trail and choose something easier? Ride it in a different direction? Trainers/rollers really help solve all those variables...but obviously...are not preferred, road riding is easier to control effort, but not always a great way to replicate conditions for trail riding. I only get a couple/few rides a week...I'm not inclined to regularly "waste" them on non- MTB rides.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Great question. I do all my recovery rides on the road for this reason. If you live somewhere that is really flat you can get away with it but generally trails are too hard for recovery.

[@scottfrisby4510]

EXCELLENT vid, Dylan.

[@kegoangoango]

Just found your video. Great video. I'm a runner and use cycling as cross training. Great video. Generally, I run four days a week and bike two, basically as recovery days. I ride 1 1/2 hours at

[@n9n9n9n9n9n9n9n9]

Hey Dylan really enjoy the videos. Love your science based approach instead of hearing “this works for me”. I have had a persistent cold for two weeks now (sinus and chest (slight)) and have been laying off the training. Is this the right approach? What does the science say?

[@MGB-gy8jb]

Great INFO Dylan! thnaks! how about the "DIET"?

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Thanks. Check out my video about cycling weight loss. The diet I lay out in that video is optimal whether you're trying to lose weight or not.

[@stevecrabb1]

Another great video. On recovery rides would you reccomend an on the hoods relaxed position or max aero tuck (just for practice) .. or does it not really matter if the watts are in the right range?

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Depends on what you are training for. Many riders do recover rides on their TT bike to get used to that position since they are normally riding the road bike.

[@thomasmylastname9181]

Hey Dylan! When would you say is the optimal time to a training ride? Would you say once every three weeks? Every week? Should it be directly after a long ride? An intense ride? Thank you in advance :)

[@gregorylesko9466]

Enjoyed that.......great job!

[@austenlowe1602]

Thanks for all your videos you are very helpful! I have a topic that I would like your insight on.. When we train on a turbo trainer doing say 200w in ERG mode, we can sit in any gear and it will hold 200w regardless. Is there any difference in being in the lowest and highest gear? While it may seem like an obvious answer it does feel different, is this due to increased torque in a low gear/ intertia at a higher gear? Any differences worth noting? Thanks!

[@MrsMAntonio82]

Thanks Dylan, great video as always! I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on flexibility work/yoga for improving your cycling? Specifically if you do any or advocate it? I’ve always done weights, mainly for metabolic reasons. I’ve just started trying yoga. I didn’t realise my core was so weak (always known flexibility is poor).

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Flexibility for getting into a more aerodynamic position can be important if you want to go faster. However, I’m doing a research for a video on stretching and to my surprise stretching doesn’t look all that beneficial for cycling. Stay tuned for that video.

[@MrsMAntonio82]

Dylan Johnson Great, thanks! Looking forward to that one 👍🏻

[@cyclingfreak56]

Brilliant video!

[@BikepackingwithFriendsTK]

Hey Dylan, as I'm Not having a powermeter or heart rate monitor, I train by feel. I pretty much pace my intervals the way, that I'm totally exhausted after them. Is this right, or should I also do some less intense intervals where I don't need to take 1-minute standing break after my interval-set? As always I really enjoy your videos 🙌

[@0kojack0]

I do all my training on a smart trainer (using sufferefest) My FTP is 332w but I honestly don’t think I could 332w for anywhere near an hour!

[@ajlexinicole7]

What are those shoes in the video on the leg press? Thank you! Also, great information, as usual!!!

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Hahaha Idk it was stock footage from the internet.

[@ajlexinicole7]

Dylan Johnson C’mon man....LOL.

[@hammerridecycling7630]

this is what happened to me last week.i took a 2 months off the bike.and just came back and i notice fatigue keeps setting off my legs everyday i ride on the climb.so im taking a week off.so every day i ride its getting slower.arrghh

[@ilyanepogodin7966]

Great video as always Dylan! Thanks. How often do you recommend to have your FTP tested?

[@kmancrx]

Backwards hat Dylan says just do an FTP test once and then you can add like 10 watts per week. No need to retest🤣.

[@ilyanepogodin7966]

@@kmancrx LOL. "Backwards hat Dylan says..." should be a t-shirt 🤣

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I'd do one once a month in the build up to the season and during the season do one if you have a break between races. With some athletes I coach we don't retest during the season because the race schedule is so busy. For trained athletes you're looking at very minor changes during the season anyway. Or... just do what BHD does lol.

[@347cyclealt]

i'm going through a bit of thing with my own FTP lol I trained super consistently (indoors) from Dec-June, saw my FTP gradually bump up from 275-310 and was nailing workouts (only a couple of road races, I'm mostly a CX racer). In July we went on vacation, I had my bike but rode sporadically (like every other day) for a 2 week period and then started my build for CX season. I don't know if it's because I started training in the heat of the summer, but the quality of my training decreased, as far as the short power stuff goes, endurance stuff is relatively fine, just more uncomfortable in the humid/hot. I purposefully keep my high intensity stuff to only 2 days and did a lot of endurance stuff in between, just feels like I've regressed. At the very least I'm looking forward to the cooler weather where I think I've had the best success.

[@د_محمد_شاهين]

that FTP is quite low. you need to train more. actually that's a dig for showing off your ftp. exactly the wrong attitude the video addresses.

[@davidpch]

Do you suggest going to the gym and doing heavy lifting all year round or only in the off season? And how to combine them with interval days, because gym days tend to be very taxing on the muscles?

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Without a doubt you should lift in the off season but whether or not you continue into the season depends on a lot of factors like what you're training for, how much time you have to train, age, your body composition etc. If you do a full lifting program through the off season then some may be able to reduce lifting to a maintenance level during the season.

[@Methodical2]

From experience, I say let your legs recover before going hard on the bike: time your leg work out with the days you ride. I did some heavy leg work the day before a ride and I cramped so bad and I mean the worse cramping I have ever experienced. I will never ever ride the day after doing leg workouts in the gym.

[@ilbonvicin]

FTP isn't supposed to be the power you can sustain for an hour, according to Trainingpeaks was developed by Dr. Andrew Coggan and is specifically defined as “the highest power a rider can maintain in a quasi-steady state without fatiguing", wich is a huge difference. The amount of time an athlete can stay in ftp it's different between fitness, type of ryder and other things, so use an "1 hour test" to calculate ftp could be wrong www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/introduction-of-the-new-time-to-exhaustion-metric-in-wko4/

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Right, at the end of the day it's an estimate. If you really want to know your power at lactate threshold you've got to get it tested in a lab.

[@darinsteele7091]

my 20 minute ftp is actually very accurate to my full blown 1 hour max, indoors or outdoors so the calculation is accurate.

[@mikenicholas1457]

For someone new to cycling, how often should you be evaluating and adjusting the intensity of the intervals? I haven't been working out for years now and I'm trying to get back into it. I can barely even run a mile without stopping, but since I've started training (4 weeks ago) I've been seeing drastic improvements. I started barely holding 125w for 20 mins and now I just finished an intervals session with 5 x 4 min 160w efforts. Would every two weeks be a good timeline or should it be longer? And when can I expect the progression to level out.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I'd say every month. You will probably see improvement start to level after 5 or 6 months.

[@michaelthomas4172]

One of the biggest mistakes I see with FTP is the assumption that the 20 minute interval is applicable to non-professional athletes. The studies that used this method as an indication of FTP based the analysis on professional cyclists that better sustain power for extended periods of time as opposed to a normal (non-professional) cyclist that is more likely to fluctuate throughout a test and see power decline as the ride progresses. As such, a few experts believe the 20 minute test should apply something like 80% of the 20-minute interval when looking at non-professional or exceptionally well-trained athletes.

[@farrl]

What do you think about getting FTP from a ramp test, like the one on TrainerRoad?

[@shanecheminais2869]

Hi I’m am 61 years old and weigh 62kg fairly fit what should my 20 minutes ftp watts be and also for 1 hour .i ride 6 days but now believe I need to ride max 5 days . Thank you .

[@marcospuigdefabregas7694]

Hei Dylan! Im a xc-skier using Trainingpeaks for the daily training and I see your videos for training inspiration/advices. Love this training instrument! What "Fitness" level do you consider hight for top level athlete?? Asuming that my competition time is between 40' up to 2h? And how much "Form" do you like to have in big competitions? (PS: I know this data is relative) Apreciate your time and good videos!!

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

There are so many factors here and everyone is different. A CTL of 100-120 is a good spot for me to be and I usually like a TSB of 0-10 but you may need a higher TSB.

[@marcospuigdefabregas7694]

@@DylanJohnsonCycling Thanks for the answer!

[@rinonhoxha4059]

Asking what's your FTP is just like asking what's the size of your Lower Stem, albeit expressed in millimeters ;)

[@benanderson4639]

Could you do a video on the effects of high altitude training? My nica races in Colorado are often above 10,000ft and living at 7000ft I'm wondering if there's any way I can get better prepared for these races.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Plan to make an altitude video at some point. Thanks!

[@oldboardwax1]

The noise in the back of this video makes it almost impossible to watch

[@starrymooney]

regarding breaks - is that really for people doing 15/20 hours a week of training/riding? i really fall between 8 to 10 hours a week, mainly from April through Nov (winter i cross train more, run, etc). I never really take "in season" breaks at all like you describe. I always figured i really don't ride/train enough to truly warrant it. Sometimes i just take 2 days off in a row, which is easy of course. I should also note i haven't been racing much at all. Basically building for 'cross

[@trbeyond]

Dylan -if you do another video on nutrition, i'd be curious if there have been any studies on the effects of a very small amount of carbs on fat utilization before a race. More specifically, if going to take a beet supplement around 1 hour before an endurance race that has a small amount of carbs (15g), will that mess with my ability to utilize fat as a fuel source?

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Interesting, I'll look into it.

[@craignittolo3040]

What kind of training should I do to get better results at the start line. I seem to fall behind off the start and then have to work my way back through the race to get to the front. Cyclocross enthusiast by love your training tips

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

I often include race start intervals for my cross athletes. Basically perform 4 to 5 intervals that act as the first 10 minutes of a cross race. Start unclipped and sprint as if you're sprinting for the holeshot in the first minute.

[@craignittolo3040]

Ok I'll test it out

[@jn01996]

Where you shopping at Walmart yesterday? I thought I saw you :)

[@vserrano8647]

Nice video again Dylan!!! I’m off season now and I found out that I struggled a lot to keep high wattage at the last sprint prob cause i lost 15pouns,, do you think weights should help me or what would be your advice with thisss ? Thanks

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Lifting will help a lot and the off season is the time to hit the gym.

[@vserrano8647]

Dylan Johnson thanks .. make a video about it 😃

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

That video is coming, stay tuned!

[@geoffreyanderson4719]

The problem with this research is that 37 yo was the oldest in the intervention group in the strength training study you reviewed first. It just doesn't work like this at 45+ yo, yet you will note that there are in fact age-group races available even at this late age. :p Persistent or predictable knee pain inducement and severe hamstring muscle overload can and does result when high intensity cycling training is concurrent with strength training. After 3 years of trying to make this work, by changing the weight, or by using periodization of strength and bike intensity training, it was found that the only remedy was complete cessation of strength work in lower body during in-season (bike racing or high intensity bike training season). Knee pain and muscle damage are no longer a problem at all. By the way the knee pain was signifcant enough that an orthopedic surgeon was consulted at one point. A phase-in of strength training during the autumn and no high intensity bike training during winter, only low intensity bike plus strength training, is what I do now. STrength training is maintained year-round but not on the legs. It's actually important to use your whole body when strength training -- not just legs if you are a cyclist -- so your body doesn't degrade and besides it helps your balance and crash-worthiness.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Certainly. If strength training is going to cause damage don't do it. If you can do strength training then it's helpful for cycling.

[@mauriciorosales1259]

I’m 52 and strength training has been great for me. It helps that my kid ( young adult actually) is a strength and conditioning coach, and having someone to correct your form and suggest better ways to do exercises is huge.

[@andre.s238]

Hi Dylan, when you say get off your bike for a week or more sounds reasonable for me, but do you mean a week without sports, or is it okay to go for some runs or core training. Or is stretching your maximum recommendation. br Andre

[@garypoyntz6948]

A base ride or recovery ride how do you define that. I do my base rides to 68-70% of max HRT.