For those of us who are time-crunched, finding the right balance between training and other commitments can be a challenge. As a cycling coach, I often encounter amateur athletes who are eager to improve their fitness but are unsure about how much time they should dedicate to training. In this article, I'll explore the question of how much training is enough when you're juggling work and family life.
The Importance of Stress and Rest
Getting fitter is all about generating stress and resting appropriately. Stress comes from increasing volume or intensity, which can be tracked using measures like Training Stress Score (TSS). This score, which uses data from each ride, determines how much load the session has put on the body. By increasing stress, we provide the training stimulus needed for our bodies to adapt and become fitter.
However, without adequate rest, our bodies don't enter a state where they can adapt to the training stress. This is where the concept of balance becomes crucial. Without it, we risk issues like dysfunctional overreaching and overtraining syndrome, which can take months to recover from. It's essential to consider the sum of all stresses, including training load, family responsibilities, work stress, sleep quality, and nutrition.
Intensity Distribution: Polarized Training
One key aspect of training is intensity distribution. The polarized training method suggests that 80% of your time should be spent on low-intensity training, while 20% should be dedicated to higher-intensity efforts. This ratio can vary for professionals, who might work closer to 90/10, depending on the season and goals. For those with less time, spending more time at higher intensities can be beneficial, as it generates a greater training stress in a shorter period.
Real-Life Examples
Let's look at some examples of how different athletes approach their training volumes and intensity splits:
- ATHLETE 1: A UCI Continental rider with 18-24 hours of training, 10 sessions, and an 81/19 intensity split in favor of low-intensity training.
- ATHLETE 2: A medical shift worker expecting a baby, with 6-8 hours of training, 6 sessions, and a 66/34 intensity split in favor of low-intensity training.
A Rule of Thumb for Training
As a coach, I recommend a rule of thumb for my athletes. Aim for two to three sessions that include higher-intensity efforts (above 8/10 on the RPE scale or 80% of threshold) per week. Ensure that these sessions are not on consecutive days. For the rest of your training time, include longer-duration endurance rides, which should be around 6 or 7/10 in effort or 60-70% of threshold power, and ideally last at least two hours.
The duration of these endurance rides is crucial, as it's during this time that muscle glycogen stores deplete, and we enhance our fat-burning capacity. This, in turn, drives certain aerobic fitness elements, helping us produce more power over longer durations or making longer rides easier.
Finding the Right Balance
The number of hours you should aim for depends on your specific circumstances. As you become more experienced or increase your training volume, you'll require more training stress to see gains. A good starting point is managing two to three 45-60-minute intense sessions per week. If you can add recovery rides or endurance rides (at least two hours long), you'll optimize your training.
When choosing between endurance rides, opt for the longer session if possible. For instance, a three-hour session will generate more aerobic training gains than two 90-minute rides. However, if 90 minutes is your maximum, it's still better than nothing.
Quality Over Quantity
Ultimately, the optimum training volume for you is individual. Quality beats quantity. Three to seven hours of structured training will yield greater gains than seven to ten hours of random efforts. Remember, rest is crucial. Your work, family life, sleep, and nutrition all play a role in your recovery and overall fitness progress.
