by Michael McCormack

Ahh, but what to measure...

At M2 Revolution, we focus on the most relevant fitness metric: how much power can a rider sustain for a given period of time - very simple, very direct, and easily tested with our CycleOps bikes which provide accurate and consistent measurement of power output, or shall we say fitness.

Many riders are drawn to Lab testing as a means to measure fitness. While this option can at times be useful, its drawbacks include that it is expensive, can be invasive, and often does little to shed light on the most basic of fitness variables - how much power can I generate for 20, 30, or 60 minutes.

It is far easier to measure precisely that which we seek to improve – how fast can I ride my bike for a particular effort. At M2 we evaluate our fitness on a regular basis, on bikes that are accurate and repeatable, and in a controlled environment that allows us to draw meaningful conclusions from our results.

For more than 20 years I have experimented widely in different training approaches. During this same time I have shared my experiences with hundreds of coached athletes ranging from beginners to professional Ironman Champions.

Outlined below are some of the basic fitness ingredients that I have observed in these diverse athletes over the years:

Keys to improving your Cycling Fitness:

- Measured and focused indoor sessions of 45-70min duration will be what most advances the average athlete's fitness and offer the best return on training time investment. - Consistency is important – two sessions per week is the minimum – a 3rd ride indoors or outdoors solidifies your base.
- For your training sessions, come prepared to work - bring fresh legs, know your wattage numbers, and execute the workout as instructed.
- Listen to your body. Feeling off your game for whatever reason > work just below that palpable edge where your body is sending unwelcome signals. Feeling sharp > enjoy the buzz and gravitate toward the higher end of the indicated intensity.

Common Training Mistakes and Misconceptions:

"I am training more so I must be getting stronger."

Often times I will have folks drop in to class on a periodic basis, and yet despite having followed a plan that increased their training, they see no change in their wattage numbers.

Are these rider more fit? No.

You can either lift more weight or not, rider faster for the same effort or not. Fitness is about what you can do, not how much you train. You are stronger if you can push more watts, not simply because you trained more, are slower than when you started, but prefer to think you are more fit.

"My legs can't push the watts today because my plan called for weightlifting in the morning."

Athletes should always focus on sport specific activities first - if you wish to improve your cycling, make cycling your priority. Bring fresh legs to your more intense focused training sessions and you will get far greater return for you training time investment.

Michael McCormack is the founder of M2 Revolution in San Francisco, a professional Ironman Champion, and a pioneer in performance training methodology. Over the years hundreds of cyclists and endurance athletes have enjoyed M2's coaching expertise via the internet, at M2's perennial Best of the Bay Spin class, and now at his cutting edge Indoor Cycling Studio, M2 Revolution. Learn more about Michael and his training philosophies on his website www.m2rev.com.