Cycling training can feel overwhelming. Between polarized training, sweet spot intervals, base miles, training zones, and advice from a hundred online coaches, it’s no wonder so many cyclists feel confused or stuck. In reality, most riders don’t lack motivation; they lack a clear, simple structure that tells them what to do each week.
According to Cam Nicholls from the Road Cycling Academy (RCA), you don’t need complicated science to improve your fitness. What can give you significant gains is a weekly plan guided by one simple rule that removes guesswork and makes progress feel predictable.
In this article, you’ll learn that simple rule, the science behind it, and how to structure a cycling training week using it. You’ll also get real-world templates for beginners, time-poor riders, and performance-focused cyclists plus examples of interval sessions you can copy immediately.
Quick Answer: The Best Way to Structure a Cycling Training Week
If you want the fastest answer:
✔ Never schedule two high-intensity cycling sessions back-to-back.
This single rule eliminates unnecessary fatigue, improves adaptation, prevents plateaus, and makes your entire training week easier to plan.
Most importantly it works for every cyclist.
The One Simple Rule Behind RCA’s Cycling Training Plan
Cam teaches this rule inside RCA because it solves the most common problem: training tired.
Most amateur cyclists unknowingly stack intensity without enough recovery. They do a “kind of hard” ride one day, a fast group ride the next, a mid-hard Zwift session after that… and slowly dig themselves into a fatigue hole. Often unbeknownst.
The result? Power numbers stagnate, legs feel heavy more often, heart rate response blunts, and improvement stops or what we call a performance plateau.
Spacing intensity days change everything. It allows you to train with intention instead of reacting to fatigue.
Why This Rule Completely Changes Your Cycling Training Week
Training is only the ticket to greater fitness. Just like having a ticket to a concert, you can tell all your friends who you’re going to watch and when it is, but you still need to attend the concert to experience what the ticket enables.
The same applies to training and recovery. Recovery is the concert, where you absorb the physical stress from training (the ticket) and then experience what it feels like to be fitter out on the road.
Your body needs time to rebuild muscle fibers, restore glycogen, calm inflammation, and recover the nervous and cardiovascular systems. When intensity is placed too close together, threshold work feels sloppy, VO₂ efforts lose power, and fatigue compounds session after session.
Spacing intensity correctly creates a rhythm where hard days have purpose, easy days actually feel easy, weekend rides become productive, and you progress without burning out.
The Science Behind Proper Recovery (36–48 Hours Rule)
Research on endurance training including intense work such as sprinting demonstrates that 36 to 48 hours of recovery time is necessary before full neuromuscular function returns.
If you hit another hard session before that window closes, lactate clearance slows, glycogen stores remain low, power output drops, and injury risk rises.
Spacing your intensity days honors the body’s recovery cycle and helps produce the type of high-quality work that actually moves fitness upward. Your central nervous system needs recovery just as much as your muscles do.
What Counts as “Intensity” in Your Weekly Cycling Training?
For this rule, intensity means any training that causes a meaningful rise in the lactate system. You’ve probably heard of the polarized training model, where 80% of training is low intensity and 20% is high. This approach uses a three-zone, science-based model centered on the lactate system.
When you reach Zone 2 in this model, the lactate system begins to rise exponentially. In other words, you’re moving from a mostly aerobic state to one that requires more lactate to support your working muscles.
For most recreational and amateur road cyclists, lactate rise becomes noticeable around Tempo / Zone 3 in a traditional six- to seven-zone cycling training model. See image below.
Traditional 7-zone model based on %FTP, highlighting where Tempo and above become “intensity.”
So what zones should you be avoiding on your non intense days?
- Zone 3 (Tempo)
- Zone 4 (threshold)
- Zone 5 (VO₂ max)
- Zone 6 (anaerobic/sprints)
- Heart rate heading deep into Tempo territory
Examples:
- FTP = 250w →keep it under 185 watts
- Max HR = 180 → Keep in under 130 beats
How Many Intense Days Do You Train Each Week?
Most cyclists fall into these categories:
- Beginners or returning cyclists: One intense day per week is enough. Being at the early stages of cycling (or getting back into it) ultimately you should be focused on building your aerobic fitness / Zone 2 in the other sessions.
- Time-poor riders: There is an exception to the philosophy of this article if you are only training 3–5 hours per week. We’d still recommend never doubling up on super-intense days, but if your sessions are 45–60 minutes, three to four times per week, you may benefit from more work around Tempo and sub-threshold (vs. low intensity), or what some people call “Sweet Spot.” This refers to work around 88–94% of FTP, but once again, be aware that this is still hard work and fatigue will accumulate. Other factors such as your age, work commitments, and family commitments also influence what is viable. So, we’ll leave this rabbit hole for another day.
- Performance-focused cyclists: At an amateur and recreational level we typically see performance focused riders spending 8-12hrs per week on the bike across circa 5 training sessions. If this sounds like you, two to three intensity days, spaced properly with zone 2 and recovery rides is your ticket to much better adaptation from training.
Regardless of category, the rule stays the same: avoid or be very wary of back-to-back intensity.
How to Structure Your Cycling Training Week (RCA Framework)
Here’s the proven weekly structure that works for thousands of RCA cyclists:
Monday: Rest
Full rest is best. Light stretching or walking is fine. Your body is absorbing last week’s training load.
Tuesday: Intensity Session
Fresh legs = highest quality intervals. This is when you can push your hardest and get the most adaptation stimulus.
Wednesday: Base Ride (Zone 2)
Low intensity. Conversational pace. Build your aerobic engine. This is active recovery that promotes blood flow without creating new fatigue. We like to aim for top end Zone 2 at the RCA, so 65-70% of FTP is good.
Thursday: Second Intensity Session
You’re recovered enough to hit quality work again. Notice the 48-hour gap from Tuesday? That’s intentional.
Friday: Recovery Day
Choose full rest if you feel unsure. If you’re feeling great, an easy 30-40 minute Zone 1 spin is fine.
Saturday: Group Ride or Optional Intensity
Group rides often become intensity sessions and treat them as such. If Saturday is hard, make Sunday easy.
Sunday: Base Ride or Recovery Spin
Use feel: steady Zone 2 if fresh, easy recovery if fatigued. This is your flexible day that adapts to how the week actually went.
This weekly rhythm creates a repeatable cycle your body adapts to. You’re not guessing whether today should be hard or easy, the structure tells you.
Example Interval Sessions for Your Cycling Training Plan (Plug-and-Play)
Knowing when to do intensity is one thing. Knowing what to do is another. Here are proven sessions:
Threshold Development
2×20 min @ 95–100% FTP – The classic FTP builder. Ten minutes recovery between intervals.
3×10 min sweet spot (88-94% FTP) – Five minutes recovery between efforts. Build sustainable power without destroying you.
VO₂ Max Work
5×4 min @ 110–120% FTP – Four minutes recovery (Zone 1) between efforts. Dramatically improves your ability to process lactate.
30/15s (2-3 sets of 12 reps) – Thirty seconds hard (140%+ FTP), fifteen seconds at 50% of your ‘hard’ pace. Builds your ability to surge and recover repeatedly. See video below.
Sprints / Anaerobic Power
6–10 × 15-sec sprints – Full recovery between efforts (3-5 minutes). Pure power development.
30/10 Tabata-Style – 8 rounds of 20 seconds all-out, 10 seconds easy. This is only four minutes total, but incredibly effective. You can start with one set i.e. 8 rounds, and build into more reps or sets as you get fitter.
These sessions align naturally with Tuesday + Thursday intensity slots. Start with fewer reps and build up week by week.
How to Progress Your Weekly Cycling Training
Once you have the structure in place, progression is simple. Each week, make small increases:
- Add one more interval (3×10 becomes 4×10)
- Increase power by 2-5 watts per interval
- Reduce recovery time between reach interval
- Extend interval duration by 1-2 minutes
Small weekly improvements compound into massive fitness gains over 12-16 weeks.
However, with the above ‘progression approach’ keep in mind that every 3-4 weeks, take an easy recovery week. Drop one intensity session, replace another with base riding, and do a fresh-legs FTP test or head to your local Strava KOM to check your progress. The below video explains the ‘easier week’ protocol.
Cycling Training Week Templates for Real Riders
Let’s get specific. Here are three templates focused on intensity, keeping in mind we’re surrounding the intensity sessions with rest, recovery and/or Zone 2 focused rides. :
For Beginners or Returning Cyclists
- Tuesday: Zone 2 or light intensity (3-4 intervals, focused on Zone 3 or sweet spot)
- Thursday: Base ride (45-60 minutes Zone 2 65-70% of FTP)
- Saturday: Group ride or short intervals
- Other days: Zone 2 ride
Focus on building base fitness before pushing intensity.
For Time-Crunched Cyclists (60-90 minutes on weekdays)
- Tuesday: Structured intervals (sweet spot or threshold)
- Thursday: Structured intervals (VO₂ Max i.e. 30/15s)
- Saturday: Long ride or group ride (focus on volume)
- Other days: Easy 40-60 minute Zone 2 focused rides
For maximum efficiency without needing 15 hours per week.
For Performance-Focused Cyclists
- Tuesday: Structured intervals (sweet spot or threshold)
- Thursday: Structured intervals (VO₂ Max or Sprint focused)
- Saturday: Intense group ride or long volume based ride
- Sunday: Long Zone 2 base ride (2-4 hours)
- Between days: Easy recovery or Zone 2 rides
This template works when you have both time and a solid fitness foundation.
Common Questions About Structuring Your Cycling Training Week
How many high-intensity sessions should cyclists do per week?
Two is ideal for most cyclists. Three for advanced riders with strong aerobic bases.
How much Zone 2 should I do?
Minimum 2-3 hours per week for general fitness. Performance-focused cyclists benefit from 4-8 hours weekly. With Zone 2 it’s more the merrier, although keeping in mind long Zone 2 rides (3hrs +) will be contributing to weekly fatigue levels.
Can I replace intervals with a group ride?
Yes, if the group ride is truly hard enough. Use them as your third intensity day, not your primary training stimulus. However, avoid making group rides your main form of intensity as you’ll end up plateauing very quickly.
Should beginners follow the same structure?
Beginners should be focused on building based fitness as a priority. If you are eager to optimize your long term performance you need aerobic fitness first and foremost. Therefore, the best strategy would be to limit intensity and work on Zone 2 as a predominant focus. Of course, go do your intense rides as we’re fully aware they’re the most fun. But that should not be your priority as a beginner. Master Zone 2!
What if I miss a workout?
Don’t panic. Skip it and move on. Never try to “make up” missed intensity by stacking sessions back-to-back.
Six Mistakes That Ruin Your Cycling Training Routine
Cam sees these constantly. Fix them and watch your fitness jump:
1. Stacking Intensity on Consecutive Days
You think you’re being dedicated, but you’re actually preventing adaptation. Fatigue compounds and progress stops.
2. Living in the Grey Zone
This is commonly riding in tempo / Zone 3 on your supposed Zone 2 or recovery days. It’s easy to do as Zone 3 feels like you’re working more. But it becomes a grey zone. As a general rule, respect the Zone 2 rides and respect the intense days. When this happens, you’re respecting aerobic fitness and upper end gains!
3. Skipping Rest Days
Your body adapts during recovery, not during the workout. Rest days are when you actually get fitter, so don’t skip them for ‘intense’ sessions. Embrace them and relabel them ‘adaptation days’.
4. Ignoring Zone 2 / Base Training
Your aerobic engine supports everything else. Without a strong base, your high-intensity work has no foundation.
5. No Clear Cycling Training Week Structure
Random training creates random results. Structure removes guesswork and creates consistency.
6. Never Progressing Intervals
Doing the same workout for six months? Add reps, add watts, reduce rest, change the cadence and so on. Always be progressing aka ‘progression overload’.
Fix even three of these mistakes and you’ll see dramatic improvements in 4-6 weeks.
When Should You Get a Structured Cycling Training Plan or Coach?
If you’re constantly fatigued, your FTP hasn’t moved in 6+ months, or you’re confused about what to do each week, you need more structure.
RCA offers several proven options:
Off-the-Shelf Training Plans: Affordable, proven structure built by experienced coaches.
One to one coaching: Work one on one with a coach to create a custom plan that suits your needs while following the above protocols.
12 Week Custom Plan: Work with a coach upfront so they can build a bespoke 12week plan suited to your needs. Build in TrainingPeaks.
These programs remove guesswork and ensure you’re training intelligently, not just training hard.
The Bottom Line: Your Cycling Training Week Simplified
If you’re overwhelmed by cycling training, start with one simple rule:
✔ Never do two intense days back-to-back.
Follow the weekly structure outlined above. Respect recovery. Keep base rides genuinely easy. Let intensity be truly intense.
Use the templates that match your experience level and available time. Progress your intervals week by week. Track your metrics monthly.
This simple framework can transform your training and your results.