Training

Indoor training advice for smart trainers and virtual platforms - structure, ERG mode, recovery, and building consistency.

13 guides

Training · 9 min read

ERG Mode Explained: How to Use It Without Hating Your Trainer

What ERG mode is, when it helps, when it hurts, and how to set it up for Zwift, TrainerRoad, and structured intervals.

Training · 13 min read

VO2 Max Training Indoors: The Norwegian 4x4 Protocol and What Actually Moves the Needle

How VO2 max intervals actually work, why a smart trainer is arguably the best tool for doing them right, the Norwegian 4x4 protocol in full, and where the 4x8 alternative beats it.

Training · 10 min read

Does Indoor Cycling Lower Your Resting Heart Rate? What the Data Actually Shows

The real timeline for resting heart rate to drop from consistent training, the mechanism behind it, and why chasing the number directly can backfire.

Training · 11 min read

Zone 2 Training on a Smart Trainer: How to Do It Right, and the Debate You Should Know About

How to actually pace Zone 2 indoors, how much of it to do per week, and the recent research pushing back on the claim that it's uniquely magic for mitochondria.

Training · 12 min read

How to Do an FTP Test at Home: Ramp Test vs. 20-Minute Test

A practical, repeatable guide to FTP testing indoors: how to prepare, choose a protocol, pace the effort, and turn the result into useful training zones.

Training · 11 min read

Heart Rate Zones vs. Power Zones for Cycling: What Should You Follow Indoors?

Understand what heart rate and power each tell you, how to set cycling zones, and which metric deserves priority during endurance rides, intervals, and recovery.

Training · 10 min read

Indoor Cycling Training Plan for Beginners: A Simple 4-Week Start

A realistic four-week indoor cycling plan for beginners with three rides per week, clear intensity cues, recovery days, and smart-trainer setup advice.

Training · 11 min read

Heart Rate Drift on the Indoor Trainer: How to Read Aerobic Decoupling

Learn what heart-rate drift and aerobic decoupling mean, how to run a repeatable indoor test, and how to use the result without chasing a magic cutoff.

Training · 17 min read

Indoor Cycling Recovery: How to Decide Between Hard, Easy, and Rest

A practical recovery system using performance, symptoms, sleep, resting heart rate, HRV, and subjective readiness—without surrendering your plan to one wearable score.

Training · 16 min read

Fueling Indoor Cycling Workouts: Carbs per Hour Without the Guesswork

Match carbohydrate intake to workout duration and intensity, build a bottle-and-food plan, train your gut, and avoid copying professional race fueling into an easy hour.

Training · 15 min read

Indoor Cycling Hydration: Calculate Sweat Rate and Build a Safer Plan

Measure fluid loss in your actual pain cave, understand sodium without universal-dose marketing, and separate hydration problems from fueling problems.

Training · 15 min read

HRV for Cyclists: Use Readiness Data Without Letting It Run Your Training

Understand what HRV measures, create a valid baseline, combine it with resting heart rate and subjective feel, and make better workout decisions from trends.

Training · 14 min read

Cycling Deload Week: When to Take One and What to Do

Separate a recovery week from a race taper, decide whether to schedule or trigger one, and reduce training enough to recover without turning the week into inactivity anxiety.