Thanks, Keith! 😊🙏

Thanks, John! I just subbed to follow your journey as well ☺

Hey Øyvind! Thanks for your kind words! I haven't thought about A tbh. I want to perform in Cat B as you did. Long overdue but it seems like you're about to move up soon hahaha! Congrats! Hopefully, we can get some of your teammates to move up in this division as well! Hahahhahahah! Yea! Some of my teammates are doing the Thu's TTT as well. Unfortunately, Thursday's my only leg day, I can't give that up 😢 Thanks for the offer! It really means a lot to me! 🙏🙏🙏

Thank you! Yes, I completely agree! This experience has given me so much in the past two years and I want to share everything I've learned and experienced. It's brought me to places that only cyclists would know about. I'm fitter than ever despite not getting any younger. And seeing how powerful and fit some of the older cyclists are just gives me motivation to keep this going. I've also learned so much more about myself (mentally & physically). It's been a blast, really. Thanks again for dropping by. Hope you enjoy your rides out there as well! ☺

Never too late, Bill! Met a lot of ass kickers your age!!!

Nice one, Chris! Yea! Our body is capable of so much more!!! Go get it!!!!

Hey Jon! Thanks! And yea, I think the human body is capable of so much more. I've been following a couple of cyclists to track their progress and I know it's not something that's impossible. We just have to keep at it!!! All the best, Jon!!!

Thanks, my friend! Holy moly.. 500 races. The probability is high that we raced together at some point! You're doing amazing! Hope to see more!!! 🚀🚀🚀

Hey my friend! Wow, sounds like a heck of a journey! Thanks for sharing your experience and insights. 🙏🙏🙏 I cannot agree more. If it comes, it comes. The most important thing is to really have fun in the process!! Stay strong boss!! 👍💪

Hey, my friend! Great work in the ZRL! Loads of time before the next season, let's get it!

Barely, Brent! Haha! The As are doing it the 30s and 40s 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

Thanks ZW 😊

That's very similar, my fellow BMU graduate!!! Hahahha!! Regardless of the training method, so long we're having fun, that's all right!! Ride on my friend!! 👍💪🚀

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That sounds like a lot of fun, my friend! The good ol' riding-with-people-who-are-faster-than-you continues to bear fruit!

Hey Tom! Congrats! Work don't lie! Mine overestimates my FTP as well as I'm anaerobically stronger. I always take 10W off and use that to establish my training zones. So, 305W is actually more realistic and as you can see, it can be produced if need be in races. More work to do! Ride on!!!

Hey my friend! Thanks for your kind words 😊 Yea, 100%! TBH, unless we go to the lab and get tested, whatever FTP test we do is really just an estimate. I see it as a number to guide my training. Nothing more than that. I could have a 350W FTP and still get dropped at a race. I'm older now and my competitive days are over. So, I really don't need to be a complete cyclist or a local legend hahaha! Just a middle age man trying to have fun. I used the Ramp Test as a really quick way to track my progress over the course of the year. The result might be inconsistent if I were to switch to another form of test. Anyway, progress is progress and if I didn't improve, the test won't lie. Ultimately, my goal is to show the results of honest training. 300W, as you might know, is common Cat B and above haha! Great win btw! Holding 7 w/kg at the last kicker is no small feat! I'll subscribe and follow your journey brother! Ride on!!

@@zwiftlegs I also sub your channel. I used to be runner many years ago, with no training knowledge plus unfortunate accident, I got chronic injury and knee issue and it's never back to normal again. Feel like I already reach my plateau of my training if I still cannot fix and be able to push harder in terms of peak power, only I can ride longer. I hope that is not become permanent damage or getting worse Please don't get injury in the first place and you will progress! Let's go. Edit: If you go to local races, especially longer Fondo, MTB or gravel race , 40-49 year-old age group are very very competitive, see their time and rank in the race make you wonder. 😁😁😁

@@benjapolcycling sorry to hear that! Yea, sports science has become widely adopted and accepted by non-professional athletes in the past 10-15 years. Hope you can find the right mix to fix your injuries 🙏 Yea! I've gotten my ass kicked by older athletes. I've been dropped by women on climbs... I don't feel embarrassed at all!! Haha! It's a fair sport. Always someone stronger, better in certain categories!!

Hey, my friend! Thanks for dropping by! Yep! Build Me Up is a 12 weeks program that you can do on Zwift. That's a good question! I have thought about it myself. I would've told the old me to do the program. The old me has a sporting background, so, the initial threshold program would be more stimulating with a reasonable amount of work per week. It has good cadence drills and a variety of workouts to keep it interesting. Most of it is just fancy SSTs if we look at it haha! This will also save me 3 months of planning. After that, I'd perhaps start to slowly increase the volume via Zone 2 over time to build the base. The body's got to learn the different ways it can get energy from. Then keep the interval sessions hard and respect the recovery days and weeks. It can be as simple as this. We could dive deeper into the details but that would be an entire topic itself! Took me a while to understand and accept that going hard every time can actually impede progression. Hope this helps!

Happy to contribute! 🤙🤙🤙

Hey Eloy! Yea! Words of wisdom, really. There are so many incremental improvements we can control and make every day. Diet, training, recoveries, peaking, race day condition, in-race decisions etc. We do our best and whatever will be will be 🤞 I just find all of these super fascinating and I'm glad that I managed to capture a part of this journey and share the experience (good & bad) with all of y'all.

@@zwiftlegs I still follow you. I'm interested when you hit the wall of your possibilities and at some point that you really need to choose your goals because you are crossing critical limits of your body.

​@@eloyzwift I see! That's a good one and I haven't put much thought into that. When I was lifting, I read somewhere that most people will not reach their genetic limit. The mind often breaks before the body. And speaking of Dutch cyclists, I recently saw KZfaqr cyclist Jasper Verkuijl post a 421W for 20 minutes on Strava. Which really put me into perspective. When I look at my critical powers and how it compares to the others on Zwiftpower, can I do more? Even with plateaus, athletes and coaches are constantly devising ways to look for the breakthrough. So, I think I have a long way to go if that makes sense hahah!

Thank you, Aron!

Quick question bro, how heavy (compare to body weight) do you Squat before start cycling, and what is your weight lift maintenance program looks like? It could be an interesting video..as for now, I myself are back to cycling base building period, while ramping up my Squat.. I’ve been cycling since 2019, but just start weight training consistently for 3 months

Hey @@TheCyclingCardio ! Max I could confidently lift without failure was 120kg. I could try more but there's a risk of failure and there are people living below so.... 🤣 Thursday is my squat day. It's after the two intense days (Tue & Wed). 50kg x8, 70kg x8, 90kg x5, 100kg x3, 110kg x1. Then it's pin squats at 120, 130, 140. Then i would focus on eccentric and isometric at 145 quarter squat. 5s down, 5s hold. I get the volume I need at the lower weight and the max strength stimulus at the end. I realised the body quickly ditches the top strength as soon as I let it go. So, this is how I go about maintenance. I get DOMS on the Fri. Barely able to recover on the Sat. It's a totally different game here and I plan to periodise my training as soon as I'm satisfied with my base fitness. I learned a lot from Isaiah Rivera, kneesovertoesguy and a big fan of chinese weightlifters 🏋️

Thanks, Mark! I've attributed it to my sports background. I've seen it with quite a few other cyclists as well. Including a friend I invited over for a FTP test.

Thank you, Larry! The results from the Ramp Test would give me a rough idea of my power zones. It's helpful because it gives me an approximate range of my power level. That's all I need as a recreational cyclist. Should I return to training after a hiatus (drop in fitness level), using the same test would quickly help establish my power zones. I find it to be fairly accurate. If anything, it overestimates my FTP a little, which I would then dial back so that training makes sense. No point trying to do an interval session at a power level I cannot hold hahaha! On top of that, Zwiftpower actively captures my performance in all my Zwift races. So, it's an additional layer of information that I can rely on to give me clarity on my current fitness level. Hope that helps! Cheers! 😊

Hey buddy! Thanks for dropping by! 😊 I'm using Premiere Pro!

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Yes it is, my friend! It's the Stages SB20. Used to be on a direct drive trainer and the difference is day and night 🤯

Hey Michael! Nice! Hope you have a good time on Zwift! I don't have it but Zwift have loads of plans! Myself, I'm just using the multiple options that Zwift offers to meet my cycling needs. Some days I'd just do a zone 2 ride with Zwift's pace partner. Other days I'd do a boring 90 mins ride using ERG mode. I create workouts and just use it when I need it!

Hey Elisha!! Thanks for your kind words haha 😊 It's actually very doable! It's a long game and we just have to invest the time and work and it will come eventually! Intervals? Yes! Haha. There are just some days when the body's just not feeling it. I'd decrease the power and so long my HR is in the VO2 Max zone I think it's fine! If it happens too often then the FTP is probably off! There are many ways to do the intervals as well. 40/20s, 7x3, 5x4 etc. You can play around and keep your body guessing! Ride on! 💪💪💪

Hey buddy! You can check this video out to see the breakdown of my training in 2024. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bNuWYM-r0NeRYmg.html But the overview looks something like this: 2022: 7-10 hours Threshold work + 1 race per week. I didn't understand the importance of base training. 2023: 10-12 hours (Polarise model) Mostly Z2 + 1 Zwift race + 1 VO2 Max session per week. I could ride more with less fatigue. 2024: 14-15 hours (Periodise training model) Take a break, go to the gym, then 12 weeks of base training, then another 8-12 weeks of build, then peak sometime in September/October.

Hey buddy, it came with the trainer bike 😊

Hey Matt! Sorry to hear that! 😟 hope you're better now! That's some serious watts 😯🔥 I heard it's easier to get back, hope you'll be back to your best soon!!!

It really depends on your goals, my friend! For beginners, just riding a lot will see results! Structured threshold program like Zwift's Build Me Up worked well for me! However, I've seen friends who gave up! The hardest part is getting started! Start a plan, stick to it and 100% money-back guarantee you'll see results!! Go get it!!! 💪

@@zwiftlegs Im at 240 watts ftp but i think its hard to increase it. may be its a plateau?

@@livehealthy9858 hmm.. there are lots of factors that might affect an athlete's progress. Age, nutrition, lack of recovery, lack of stimulus etc. I've seen riders hit a plateau, and when I looked at their activities, it's crazy. Intense work after intense work. Then there's still running in between with barely any days off. This is just an example that I thought could illustrate a plateau in progress. There could be so much more. The human body is an adaptive machine. Most of us will never reach its true potential. We just have to figure a stimulate a breakthrough. Most of my best results came right after a recovery week! Dylan Johnson on YT covers a wide range of performance related topics. Should be informative!!!

Hey buddy, great work! Seriously, good job. It's never easy committing and completing programmes. I've seen many try and give up. It's like everyone wants a 40-inch vertical but no one wants to work for it. Losers blame genetics for that haha! I see that your goal is to further increase your FTP and I think there are many ways to achieve that. I'm tempted to give you an entire essay because I'm really very enthusiastic about the science of performance. But TL;DR.. To get stronger, you need volume training at low intensity in Z2 or Z3. Time spent here triggers mitochondria biogenesis (building base), and time spent in Z4/5/6/7 triggers mitochondria adaptation (optimising performance to stimuli). Like with any sport, getting stronger in cycling is a long game. We're talking years! You can try polarising (Z2 and Z5) your training at an 80:20 ratio, gradually increasing the time spent on the saddle. e.g. if you're doing 7H now, you can try increasing it to 10H gradually. Since both the FTP Builder and BMU are low-volume introductory programmes, increasing the volume to 10H a week might be helpful to continue squeezing those beginner's gains. If you're crunched for time, 7H at Z3 and Z5 might do the job as well. Also, you can consider throwing in a midweek Zwift race. That way, you can identify your weaknesses as a cyclist. As the saying goes, "Ride your strengths, train your weaknesses". I've long given up on chasing FTP. The FTP is just a byproduct of you becoming stronger. Let it chase you, don't go chasing it. Lastly.... Outdoor social group rides are super difficult to get real work done. Once you're in the pack's draft, you're basically not working. If you're riding for fun, that's fine. If you want to train, that's what they call junk miles. Avoid that! Most importantly, have fun in the process! Cheers!

Wow thanks for responding w so much useful info.I just wanna get stronger/faster, climb better via cycling, I’m using ftp just as a benchmark over time to see if I have improved. Got to admit I haven’t place much focus on z2, been doing those hard intervals because I thought only higher intensity workout will make me stronger. Gotta give your advice a try and see the result in 3 months maybe. Thanks mate! And yeah unless I’m the one pulling, I come to realise recently much of my outdoor rides are junk miles even if the avg speed at the end of the ride is high.

@@RainieYang889 np at all 😉 Speed and distance are not important! Time in desired zone is the metric you would want to focus on! Have fun training! Hope to see your progress soon! 🤙🤙🤙

Yes! I prefer the Ramp Test because it's more repeatable!

Hey, my friend! Mon: Rest Tue: Intervals Wed: SST/Race/OverUnders Thu: Endurance Fri: Active recovery Sat: Intervals & endurance Sun: Endurance I do this for 3 weeks before taking a recovery week. It's the same thing that GCN, Dylan Johnson and Cam Nicholls have been talking about in their videos 😊

​@@zwiftlegs thanks for getting back to me. Ok so looks like 3 days of intensity with the race in there on a Wednesday. I'm following a similar plan a la GCN but with 2 hard days and the rest zone 2. Thanks again and all the best with your training 🙂

Hey buddy, great job getting onto Zwift. I'd suggest you get onto a programme like Build Me Up to get yourself comfortable with spinning non-stop for hours. 100% you will see huge improvements at the end of the programme. From then on, it's a long long journey of progression. Whatever you do, never give up. I've seen people who stopped wanting to improve, and they will never improve. You've got to want it bad. That's the one common trait I've seen in super successful people and athletes. All the best! Ride on!

@@zwiftlegs are you just straight follow the build me up plan, or you add more ride when you have time while run the build me up program? Cause i watch build me up is around 4 days a week and start with 3-4hours per week (right now im usually ride around 6-10 hours per week)

​@@northernlightay Yes! I followed the plan when I first started cycling. I didn't have the legs to do anything else lol. I think what you do in the 6-10 hours is very important as well. If it's mostly social rides with a lot of Z1 work, freewheeling, drafting etc. then it's not going to be beneficial. If you have a training programme and you stick to it, staying zone, you should be seeing gains easily. There are actually no secrets, just hours and hours of staying locked in, staying in zone.

@@zwiftlegs thank you for your explanation, i dont have any specific program right now, just doing a lot of zone 2, and sometimes push my self in hilly area around my place (I live in mountain 😅), maybe i will try the build me up, and add more zone 2 if i still have the legs to do haha, Thank you buddy 👍

@@northernlightay whoa! Mountains are the best!! All the best, my friend!!!

I based my workouts around 3.6 - 4.0W/KG FTP

I won't! Haha! So many ways to achieve the same result 👍

您好！過獎了😅 是的，目前是在做極化訓練！覺得還蠻有效的。騎行的時間也提升了。又不會感覺過度的疲勞。 新加坡人 😅

@@itstrbo you’re an animal, bro! Lol

Not really. FTP stands for functional threshold power, what you are referring to is CP60 which is technically the maximum amount of power you can sustain for an hour. Different people have different power profiles, some have a more anaerobic component, others like me are diesel engines and can sustain close to their FTP for a very long time. In the end what you are essentially doing is a ramp test which gives you an estimate of your FTP based on an arbitrary percentage of your maximal aerobic power (which you get to a bit before you fail). This number is then used to determine training zones, but training is already recovering for your next training session. You don't do a full hour of threshold unless you want to tackle an hour record, because if you do that you will take a long time to recover and it's not efficient from a training perspective. I'd love to do an hour in a velodrome some day though, it must be an amazing experience.

@@xGshikamaru every FTP definition I’ve ever seen says it’s supposed to measure your “theoretical” hour power.

@@neoneherefrom5836 FTP is just an estimate. Teams like EF don’t use FTP. They use DTP. Be it FTP or DTP, usually it’s to set how your training is going to be like. As mentioned above, the general consensus for max hour power is CP60.

Hey, U10! Yea, and the quick gains taper off real quick as well!

I'm on my last week of active offseason. Seems like it was decent I used it asa base builder. Just can be hard to schedule the weeks with two 3 hour z2 rides. Though i picked it as its an outlier on Zwift