How can we help?

Actually, you should do the opposite because you already get thousands of "reps" of endurance every time you ride your bike. Use the gym to build maximum force with heavier weights, which raises your ceiling and makes a 250W effort feel much easier on your legs.

It is the most consistent method because it removes the need for perfect pacing. Simply take your best 1-minute power from the test and multiply it by 0.75 to get your training baseline.

You don't get faster while riding; you get faster while recovering from the ride. Aim for 2-3 hard sessions a week and keep your TSB (Form) between -15 and -25 to ensure you're building fitness without burning out.

Yes, because it builds the aerobic engine that allows you to recover between high-intensity efforts. Spend about 80% of your time in Zone 2 to build that foundation so you don't plateau once the racing season starts.

Focus on the power first, as extreme dieting often leads to a performance crash. If you can push your FTP up by even 10 or 15 watts while staying healthy, you will notice a huge difference on those 8% gradients.

What is Polarized Training?

Polarized training is an endurance strategy that focuses on the extremes of the intensity spectrum while avoiding the "middle ground." In the FTPist framework, this means the vast majority of your training is spent in Zone 2 (Endurance), while a smaller, highly focused portion is dedicated to high-intensity efforts like VO2 Max intervals and Over/Unders.

The primary goal of this approach is to avoid the Maintenance/Gray Zone (-10 to +5 TSB). In this zone, you are often too fatigued to perform high-quality intervals but aren't applying enough stress to trigger significant physiological adaptation. By polarizing your efforts, you ensure that your hard sessions are performed with enough freshness to reach the Optimal Overload zone (-10 to -30 TSB), while your easy sessions build mitochondrial density without adding excessive Acute Training Load (ATL).

A typical polarized approach includes:

• Low Intensity: Zone 2 rides at a conversational pace to build a massive aerobic base.
• High Intensity: Workouts like Rønnestad 30/15s or Over/Unders (105-115% of FTP) to raise your aerobic ceiling.
• Recovery: Ensuring Training Stress Balance (TSB) returns to a positive state during recovery weeks to avoid the state of exhaustion described in the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).

By using the Performance Management Chart (PMC), you can track your Chronic Training Load (CTL) to ensure you are building long-term fitness while keeping your intensity distribution strictly focused on these two poles.

You should aim for one VO2 max session and one or two FTP-focused workouts per week. Any more than that and you'll likely find yourself in the 'Red' zone, where you're too tired to actually make any real fitness gains.

Absolutely, because your VO2 max acts as the 'ceiling' for your fitness. By doing 3-minute repeats at 110% of your power, you're essentially raising that ceiling so your FTP has more room to grow.

Sweet Spot (88-94% of FTP) is the 'magic zone' because it builds your aerobic engine without leaving you totally shattered. If your FTP is 250W, holding 225W for 30 total minutes will boost your stamina enough to stay with the lead group on long climbs.

Check your TSB (Form) score; if you're below -40, you're in the "Red" and should take a rest day. If you're in the "Yellow" range (-25 to -40), swap the hard VO2 intervals for a shorter Sweet Spot session at about 90% of your FTP.