Building a Workout Plan That Actually Sticks

Tried for years to wing my training. Sometimes I’d ride a lot. Sometimes I’d lift. Mostly I’d do whatever felt interesting that day. Progress was… inconsistent. When I finally built a structured plan, things changed. Here’s what I learned about creating workout schedules that work.

Start With Why

Before any planning: what’s the goal? Building power for climbing? Losing weight? Finishing a century? Getting stronger for cyclocross season?

The goal shapes everything else. Training for endurance looks completely different from training for 20-minute power. General fitness is different from race preparation. Nail down what you actually want before building the schedule.

The Essential Elements

Every effective training week includes these components:

• Warm-up before intensity
• Some form of strength work
• Cardiovascular training (easy and hard)
• Flexibility and mobility
• Recovery (actual rest, not just easy riding)

Warming Up

Five to ten minutes of light movement before any hard effort. Gets blood flowing, prepares muscles and joints. I skip this sometimes and always regret it — everything feels harder and takes longer to click in.

Strength Work

Two to three sessions weekly for most cyclists. Focus on legs, core, and back. Squats, deadlifts, lunges, planks. Doesn’t need to be complicated — basic compound movements work.

Three or four sets of 8-12 reps covers most strength goals. Rest a minute or two between sets. Add weight when movements feel comfortable.

Cardio (The Bike Part)

This is obviously the main event for cyclists. Mix easy endurance rides with harder interval work. The ratio depends on your goals and where you are in the season.

General guideline: 80% easy, 20% hard. That “80% easy” is easier than most people think — you should be able to hold a conversation.

Flexibility

Neglected by most cyclists until something hurts. Stretching major muscle groups after rides helps. Yoga once a week works wonders for hip flexors and lower back.

Hold stretches 15-30 seconds. Don’t bounce. Focus on hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, calves, and lower back — the areas cycling tightens.

Cool Down

Easy spinning or walking after hard efforts. Helps clear metabolic waste and brings heart rate down gradually. Five to ten minutes is plenty.

A Week That Works

Here’s a template I’ve used with good results:

Monday: Strength (Upper Body)

• Short warm-up
• Push-ups, rows, shoulder press, arm work
• Core finish
• Light stretching

Tuesday: Ride (Zone 2 Endurance)

• 60-90 minutes easy
• Heart rate in conversational zone
• Focus on spin, not power

Wednesday: Strength (Lower Body)

• Squats, deadlifts, lunges
• Calf raises, leg curls
• Core work
• Mobility focus after

Thursday: Ride (Intervals)

• Warm up 15-20 min
• Hard intervals (threshold or VO2 max)
• Easy spin recovery between
• Cool down 10-15 min

Friday: Rest or Light Activity

Walk, gentle stretching, nothing strenuous. Recovery is training too.

Saturday: Long Ride

• Build aerobic base
• Mostly easy with maybe some tempo blocks
• Practice nutrition strategy

Sunday: Active Recovery or Full Rest

Easy spin if feeling good. Complete rest if tired. Listen to your body.

Tracking Progress

Keep some kind of log. Doesn’t need to be elaborate. I track:

• What I did
• How I felt (1-10 scale)
• Any notable sensations
• Key metrics (power, heart rate for hard efforts)

Look back monthly. Patterns emerge. Maybe you always feel terrible Wednesdays. Maybe Saturday rides keep getting longer. Data helps adjust the plan.

When to Back Off

Not every signal from your body is laziness. Learn the difference between normal training discomfort and warning signs:

Back off if: unusual fatigue, persistent soreness, elevated resting heart rate, poor sleep, irritability, loss of motivation lasting more than a few days.

Push through: normal muscle fatigue, general tiredness after hard blocks, occasional “I don’t feel like it” moments.

Fuel the Work

Training without proper nutrition is like driving with an empty tank. Lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fats. Hydrate constantly, not just during rides.

Probably should have led with this section, honestly. Nutrition determines more than most people realize.

Make It Yours

This template is a starting point. Adjust based on your life, goals, and recovery capacity. Some people thrive on more volume. Others need more rest. Experiment and observe.

Structured training beats random workouts. Doesn’t have to be complicated. Consistency matters more than perfection. Show up, do the work, track progress, adjust as needed.