By Hunter Allen
What you do this winter will determine how great your 2025 season will be. It’s the time when you do your homework, and it’s obvious when spring comes who has done their homework and who hasn’t. Over the years, I usually teach fall camps and teach power seminars around the world. I have been able to ride with many different cyclists and teach diverse groups, ranging from gold-medal-winning Olympians and their coaches to beginning cyclists that have never used a power meter. Teaching diverse groups is always challenging, but simultaneously forces me to teach with clarity, focus and patience.
A common question that I get in the early winter of each year in my seminars and camps is, “I really want to improve this winter. What are three things I can do to really make a difference?” A broad and general question, of course, and the great thing about being a cycling coach is that pretty much the answer to every question begins with, “It depends….” There are many factors that go into improvement and lots of things that affect improvement, so there is no easy answer. We are each highly individual and respond differently to different training stimuli, and have different goals at different parts of the year. So, before I can answer a broad question, I have to dig a little deeper and learn more about the athlete, their goals, time constraints, and strengths and weaknesses. These basics create the foundation of my answers, and from there, I can build actionable answers for the athlete. Thinking of the basics of cycling is where we all have to start in order to improve, and therefore let’s consider three solid, basic fundamentals that can help you or any cyclist this winter to improve and make the 2026 season great.
Cycling is an aerobic sport, which means you will need to have the highest output of wattage possible to give yourself a chance to be successful (you can be the strongest person in the peloton and still lose!). The higher your FTP (functional threshold power), the fitter you are, and the more likely you will be able to succeed in your given event. For that big MTB race in March or that first MTB ride of the year in April, you will do better if your FTP is higher than it is now. So, first and foremost, you must always consider doing everything you can to improve your FTP. That’s the number-one thing you can do this winter to improve your chances for more success in 2026.
What does that practically mean, though? What kind of workouts should you do, how often and when? The answers to these questions have more to do with when your season will begin and how far away your first race is from now and go beyond the scope of this article. Right now, though, this December, you need to be riding in your tempo and sweet-spot/sub threshold power levels. These zones fall between 76–90 percent, with sweet-spot/sub-threshold between 88–93 percent. Start with intervals at the 20-minute mark and your intensity around 85 percent of your FTP, then build the time and intensity until you can do at least 45 minutes at 93 percent of your FTP. It’s perfectly fine to break these into smaller portions, but don’t do anything for less than 20 minutes, as that will give you enough time at that intensity to make sure you are improving your aerobic fitness. I really like doing 30-minute efforts at sweet spot, as they are physically and mentally challenging, and I can just complete the 30 minutes with enough mental games. This workout should be done at least twice weekly in December and increasing to three times weekly in January and February. Again, the main goal is increasing your aerobic fitness/FTP, and if you can do that, then you’ll be on your way to creating an excellent 2025 season.
Big-gear intervals
Yup, that’s number two. Once a week, I want you to work on “applicable strength.” This means strength that you can apply to make the bike go faster, not strength that will help you squat a piano on your back or carry a couch up eight flights of stairs. It also is not about pushing a big gear for 30 minutes. It’s not even doing it for one minute! This type of big-gear work does not increase your muscular strength, and just makes you better at pushing a marginally harder gear in a slower-than-normal cadence, but it does not really help your on-the-bike strength.
This is done by slowing your speed down to 5–8 mph, putting the bike in your hardest gear, gripping the handlebars tightly, tightening your abdominals and, while staying seated the entire time, exploding with force on the pedals and getting that gear to 85–90 rpm. You will grunt and strain, and think you might rip the handlebars right off the stem, but eventually, you’ll get to 85–90 rpm and start feeling the burn. Then it’s over; that’s it. Not long, but with lots of strength. The effort has been completed, and now you are ready to recover those muscles for another “feat of strength,” so give yourself at least 3–4 minutes between each effort.
These are very similar to standing starts in track racing. In the past, I was privy to a standing-start practice/training session with the top sprinter on the New Zealand track team, and he was making almost identical efforts as the above. He did them for 45 minutes, with a solid five minutes of rest between each to ensure he could get the maximum effort out of each. Here, the effort must be in Quadrant II of the Quadrant Analysis chart; see Figure 2. This means that you are putting out maximum force with a lower cadence, and once you cross over into a faster cadence (over 90 rpm), then you are no longer in the correct quadrant.
Long rides when it’s nice out
That’s #3. Every time from now till April, if it’s nice out (and you live in a normally cold area), then go for a long ride. Throw away the training plan for that day—or, even better, integrate it into a long ride—and go for a four-, five- or six-hour ride. You don’t know when the next nice day will be, so you need to get in those long rides in order to increase your endurance and aerobic efficiency. The long rides will take you to the next level of fitness with a higher FTP and more fatigue resistance, and, unfortunately, there is no shortcut. You must get out there and put in the longer miles. I have talked to many mountain bike riders and racers over the years, and when they get stuck at a certain wattage for their threshold, they always ask how they can get to the next level and why they are stuck there. The answer is the same for all, and that is, longer rides! You don’t think Tom Pidcock’s FTP is 440 watts because he only rode for two hours a day, do you? No, if you want an FTP higher than 250 watts, then you are going to have to do at least two rides a month that are longer than five hours.
What should you do in these rides? I would make sure that the majority of the ride is in the Zone 2 endurance range, but then also be sure to get in one solid section of 45 minutes at your sweet spot, and also do 20 fast pedaling efforts at 110-plus rpm for one minute each, resting a minute between them. The goal is to come home tired like you finished a long ride, but not crushed like you barely finished a long ride. It’s just that simple—and difficult. Longer rides increase the stress on the aerobic and muscular system, and that, in turn, causes it to adapt and get stronger, which results in a higher FTP. Nothing can substitute a long ride; this is key for increasing your FTP this coming season. Even if your longest race is two hours, you still have to ride big, long rides if you want to improve your FTP above that 250-watt glass ceiling.
What about putting it together in a training plan?
How would a week look like? First off, it’s important that you decide on your “work/rest ratio.” Are you going to do two weeks of build and one week rest, or two weeks of build and one week of rest? Super-simple rule that won’t apply to everyone, but it’s a general guideline: If you’re under 40, then 3:1; if you’re over 40, then 2:1 as it just takes a little longer to recover, and you definitely don’t want to dig too deep of a hole.
Here’s a good idea for four weeks, using the 3:1 work/rest ratio that you can do this winter.
Week 1
Getting restarted after some time off the bike, establish your FTP. Monday: Rest day. Do the yoga video or go take a yoga class! Tuesday: MTB endurance ride/warm-up (WU): 15-minute solid warm-up with two to three accelerations to open up the legs. Main set (MS): Let’s hit the singletrack! Today is about riding in the woods and mountains to get in some good, solid endurance training in your endurance training level (power Z2, HR Z2, RPE 2–3). Keep the effort steady and avoid taking too many mini-breaks. Think about your technique over obstacles and rock gardens. Smooth riders win races because they conserve energy over the tough stuff, while others are muscling it out. The effort should be hard, but not so hard that you can’t talk to a friend while riding. Enjoy the day! Cool down (CD): 15–20 minutes with effort at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2). Wednesday: WU. 15-minute solid warm-up with two to three accelerations to open up the legs. MS: See main set above CD: 15–20 minutes with effort at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2). Thursday: Go for two hours if you can today! Just get in more time! It will be good for you! Thursday: WU: 15-minute solid warm up with two to three accelerations to open up the legs. MS: See main set on page 42 CD: 15–20 minutes with effort at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2). Friday: Active recovery/MS. You get faster when you are resting and recovering, not when you are working hard! Rest days are about going easy enough to really allow your legs to recover, so no hard efforts today. Take it easy and look at the scenery. Saturday: FTP testing. What’s your baseline? WU: Warm up for 20-plus minutes of riding, starting out at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2) and gradually moving into endurance (power Z2, HR Z2, RPE 2–3). During the warm-up, complete three 1-minute efforts of fast pedaling at 110-rpm cadence or above. MS1: Once warmed up, complete a five minute effort at your perceived threshold. This is a hard effort but not all out. It should be hard to breathe but not leave you breathless. Once complete, ride in your active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2) for 10 minutes, spinning and recovering, then move to MS2. MS2: Test. Now that you are fully open and warmed up, let’s go for a killer 20-minute test result! Find a long stretch of road or preferably a low-grade climb where you can ride for 20 minutes without interruption. Set your lap function and kill it! Really go hard here, but don’t start too hard! A secret tip: Hold back a little bit in the first 2–3 minutes, then really push! Let your body prepare to handle the lactate generated by this type of effort. Make sure you are recording power, heart rate and/or distance so we can measure the results. CD: Spin for 15 easy minutes to shake off the pain! Sunday: WU. 15-minute solid warm-up with two to three accelerations to open up the legs. MS: See main set above. CD: 15 – 20 minutes with effort at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2).
Week 2
Build some endurance and begin some big gear efforts. Monday: Repeat week 1 Monday Tuesday: Repeat week 1 Tuesday Wednesday: Big-gear intervals! WU: 15 minutes working into endurance (power Z2, HR Z2, RPE 2–3) with three 1-minute fast pedals to wake up legs. MS1: Time to get your legs ready for the big-gear efforts. Complete five minutes at FTP (power Z4, HR Z4, RPE 4-5), and then complete five minutes at endurance (power Z2, HR Z2, RPE 2–3). You are now ready for MS2. MS2: For the next 60 minutes you are going to ride in endurance zone (power Z2, HR Z2, RPE 2–3), adding a 20-second effort at neuromuscular power (max) every five minutes. Complete the neuromuscular power effort in the 53:13 or 12, whichever is your biggest gear, keeping cadence below 60 rpm and staying seated. The goal is to develop muscle strength from your core. Contract your core abdominal muscles just before this effort, and then see if you can bring that force into your legs and push the big gear. In between your neuromuscular power efforts, ride at endurance (power Z2, HR Z2, RPE 2–3). CD: 10 minutes with watts at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2). Thursday: Sweet-spot work WU: 10 minutes with effort at endurance (power Z2, HR Z2, RPE 2–3). MS: Sweet-spot training is all about hitting the trail hard and building time just below threshold! Find your favorite fast course that you use to hit some hard laps. Once your warm-up is complete, punch it for two 12-minute efforts in your sweet spot (power Z3.5, HR Z3.5, RPE 3-5) with five minutes of easy pedaling between efforts. Push hard and try to stay on the gas regardless of terrain! CD: 5–10 minutes with effort at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2). Friday: Repeat week 1 Friday. Saturday: WU. 15-minute solid warm up with two to three accelerations to open up the legs. MS: See main set above CD: 15 – 20 minutes with effort at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2). Sunday: Sweet-spot workout WU: 10 minutes with effort at endurance (power Z2, HR Z2, RPE 2–3). MS: Sweet-spot training is all about hitting the trail hard and building time just below threshold! Find your favorite fast course that you use to hit some hard laps. Once your warm-up is complete, punch it for two 13-minute efforts in your sweet spot (power Z3.5, HR Z3.5, RPE 3-5) with five minutes of easy pedaling between efforts. Push hard and try to stay on the gas regardless of terrain! CD: 5–10 minutes with effort at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2).
Week 3
Keep rebuilding, similar to week 2. Monday: Repeat week 1 Monday Tuesday: Big-gear intervals and a taste of VO2! WU: 20 minutes working at endurance (power Z2, HR Z2, RPE 2–3) with two 1-minute fast pedals to wake up your legs. MS1: Once warmed up, complete six big-gear wind-ups. Get in your 53x13 (ish) gear, grab some brakes to a track stand, then hit the big-gear sprint! Explode from the start with the focus of getting on top of that gear as fast as you can! Sprint until you hit 90 rpm, then rest for two to three minutes. Recover for at least five minutes before going on to MS2. MS2: VO2 max intervals. Find a long stretch of road where you can complete this workout without stopping or interrupting the interval efforts (low-grade hill/rise of about 1.5 miles works perfect). Complete three 5-minute VO2 max intervals at 106–115 percent of FTP (power Z5, HR Z5, RPE 6–7) with five minutes rest between intervals. Cadence: Complete the interval efforts at 75–85 rpm! CD: 15 minutes Wednesday: Endurance WU: 15-minute solid warm-up with two to three accelerations to open up the legs. MS: See main set above CD: 15–20 minutes with effort at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2). Thursday: Repeat week 2 Thursday sweet-spot workout Friday: Repeat week 1 Friday. Saturday: Repeat week 2 Saturday endurance ride. Sunday: Repeat week 2 Thursday sweet-spot workout.
Week 4
Rest week. It’s important to rest!!! This is what a real rest week looks like. Monday: Repeat week 1 Monday Tuesday: Repeat week 1 Monday Wednesday: Active recovery MS: You get faster when you are resting and recovering, not when you are working hard! Rest days are about going easy enough to really allow your legs to recover, so no hard efforts today. Take it easy and look at the scenery. Thursday: Repeat week 1 Monday. Friday: Repeat Wednesday’s workout. Saturday: Repeat week 1 Saturday/FTP test. Let’s get another baseline in. Sunday: Endurance ride. WU: 15-minute solid warm-up with two to three accelerations to open up the legs. MS: See main set above CD: 15–20 minutes with effort at active recovery (power Z1, HR Z1, RPE <2).
That should give you some structure, and if you use that for at least 12 weeks, you’ll lay a great foundation for the coming spring. They also apply to just about everyone, and in the coaching world, it is hard to do, but if you only did those three things, you would be moving in the right direction and towards a very strong 2025. Regarding training with power, you must remind yourself that these ideas came from the demands of the event first, then wattage-based workouts were born from them. While you don’t have a specific focus of wattages for the big-gear intervals, you have a quadrant that you need to adhere to to ensure you are training properly. Use your power meter to train to the demand of your events, use your power meter to help guide your sessions, use your power meter to hone in on your training zones, and then analyze the data afterwards to make sure you are on track for new peaks!
Editor’s note:
Hunter Allen has online training programs available, including this plan, but the full 12-week-long plan can be found at www.shoppeaks.com. Check out the e-book on plyometrics as well at his site, which makes a difference and could be your fourth ingredient to help you train this winter. You can purchase an autographed copy of Hunter’s new book at www.TrainingandCompetingwithaCGM.com . Hunter has created a master class for both athletes and coaches that you can enroll in to take a deep dive into understanding and optimizing your performance with a CGM. Follow his tips on X at “TrainingwithCGM” . Hunter Allen is a USA Cycling Level 1 coach and former professional cyclist. He is the co-author of Training and Racing with a Power Meter, co-developer of TrainingPeaks WKO+ Software, and CEO and founder of Peaks Coaching Group. You can contact Hunter directly through www.PeaksCoachingGroup.com and follow him on X at “Hunterpeaks.”