Semi-pro Cycling Podcasts

This show is about a new product on the market called Graspor. A product that might be able to help you:Find your optimum training intensity zonesFind which physiologic systems are limiting performance and which are compensatingFind how fast you recover after loadFind your recovery state from previous workoutsAnd more...Big promise hey and while this is somewhat of a product review it turns out to really understand the benefits of the product, this episode is also a primer on muscle oxygenation and muscle activation and the technology behind it - in the near future we’ll discuss how to use this technology for training and performance.

We’re not far from a future of 24/7/365 monitoring of all of your body vitals.,but how close are we really? What technologies are available today - what’s next in line and for us cycling tech keen beans - how does all of this fit into the world of sports performance?You can check out our membership program SEMIPRO+ where you save time and expand your coaching knowledge with the latest and best scientific research and analysis every month - head over to semiprocycling.com/plus to learn more.

The science of cycling performance is always changing. But you already know that - if you’ve been around cycling even for a few years you might have changed the way you do something based on a new study or new trend or even a new product.Coaches are often in the front line when it comes to any new training or performance interventions - and expected to answer questions regarding new and unfamiliar topics. So as part of developing it becomes important to keep up with popular claims and scientific research. Hunting around for information is about continually gathering knowledge from external sources - and having a finely tuned BS meter because finding quality, scientific evidence on the information-oversaturated Internet is tremendously difficult and time-consuming. Knowing this all too well, and knowing coaches (and athletes) are extremely busy, today I have a  streamlined process to help you find, analyse, and interpret peer-reviewed research. Plus I’ve got a shortcut that can help you learn faster.You can ch

Where do you fall in the common road cyclist categories? Are you a climber, a sprinter, a time trialist, a rouleur, a sandbagger...If you didn’t know, part of these categories is a loose translation of your predominant muscle fibre type. This used to be thought of as two distinct categories: slow-twitch and fast-twitch. The truth is muscle fibres exist on a continuum between explosive but easily fatigable and slower but more fatigue-resistant.Why does this matter? Well, a new group of studies has found a new way to assess, classify and use your individual muscle fibre typology to help you to know which cycling discipline to focus on and also help you individualize your training sessions and loading.Because what we’re seeing now is the confirmation that the exact same workout can have drastically different impacts on two riders because of their athlete types. And that’s an exciting step in the future of training personalisation. Find more cycling podcasts and information on our coaching and aero services at se

In this episode, not only are we going to try to work out how to perform in the middle of the night - but ask the question - how does the time of day impact performance and how can you optimise your training and racing according to your circadian phenotype?Find more cycling podcasts and information on our coaching and aero services at semiprocycling.com.

In this episode, how I analyse rides in WKO5. Plus - an immersive indoor training app with an epic 790km ride across the Pyrenees.Find more cycling podcasts and information on our coaching and aero services at semiprocycling.com.

In this episode, 3 ways to finish long rides strong even if you don’t have time to train your endurance as much as a pro. Working on positioning, both on the bike and in the group, pacing and nutrition you can get most of the way there - while working on your endurance in training. Plus - heat training revisited - a new study that gives us a new protocol and I talk about how I plan to roll this out to the right athletes.  Find more cycling podcasts and information on our coaching and aero services at semiprocycling.com.

With a maximum elevation of 171m or 561ft, Denmark is one of the flattest countries on earth, yet, it’s produced some of the world’s best climbers and cross country mountain bikers. The latest of which is Simon Andreassen who recently won an elite men’s cross country Olympic world cup round and today we are going to dig into his training to find out how a mountain biker from Denmark wins a mountain bike world cup race.In this episode, we get down and dirty with 18 weeks of training before an elite men’s mountain bike world cup win - taking a look at the guy behind the training as well.  Plus - a core body temperature wearable - can you get big performance gains from knowing your core temp in real-time?Find more cycling podcasts and information on our coaching and aero services at semiprocycling.com.

Take a deep dive into the training of Belgium pro Victor Campenaerts as we get a look at his power numbers, training load, FTP, Vlamax, etc. and the methodology and training his coach uses and a bunch of other cool inside info.Plus - training masks - are they all hype or do they have some specific use cases for cycling?Find more cycling podcasts and information on our coaching and aero services at semiprocycling.com.

Today, the Aero Testing Field Guide, where share everything I know about reducing your CdA, and the process of testing to find the gains.Plus - another continuous glucose monitor - this time, a sport-specific option that was co-founded by a cyclist and they have signed Team Jumbo-Visma and CANYON//SRAM as partners.If you want help with aero testing, we offer this as a remote service. For more information or to get started click here.

The Power Speed Profile Aerobic Assessment is used to assess your medium and long critical period power.There are a few important things to understand. During the test, you're going to ride two all-out efforts, 4 minutes and 20 minutes in duration. You will need to keep going as hard as you can for the entire duration of both tests. Pacing is important in these tests and covered in the audio.That’s it. Ridewell.Note: If you don’t want to go on RPE, have your computer set to display % of FTP for warm up and recovery.

On this show a quick and dirty listicle with 7 Common Mistakes that Cyclists Make (and How to Fix Them). Plus - in the ‘Science of Fast’ segment two studies that look at how to maintain performance in a transition period. - so you come back stronger than before.

In this episode, the components of compound training that deliver long term compounding growth as opposed to short term results. Plus - how Chirs Froome loses weight and measures whether he is fueling his training with fats or carbs.

The Power Speed Profile Anaerobic Assessment is used to assess your short critical period power so you know understand your current power.This is day one of this two day assessment. Once completed you can enter your power data at powerspeedprofile.com to get your profile.Before completing this assessment, here are a few important things to understand. During the assessment, you're going to ride a series of all-out sprints increasing in duration from 6 seconds to 30 seconds, to 60 seconds. The longer efforts will be challenging but will only hurt for a little while.You will need to keep going as hard as you can for the entire duration of the effort.You can start each effort as a standing sprint then sit down to finish out the time.That’s it. Ridewell.Note: If you don’t want to go on RPE, have your computer set to display % of FTP for warm up and recovery.

Critical periods, such as the forcing of a break-away or a final sprint, are often decisive in a cycling race. It is therefore important to know how you perform on these critical periods and how these performances relate to the performance of competitors.Yes, it's another power profile test but this test takes as much effort as any other test, it's free, and it gives you the information that is missing from other test protocols, that is, performance in 8 different critical periods in racing and using aerodynamic drag it differentiates between the climbing and time trial qualities of a rider.Plus - I have made an audio version of the test - why audio? - There are some intervals that should not be capped by power prescription - it’s kind of like erg mode on a trainer - it might be holding you back.Find more cycling podcasts at semiprocycling.com.

In this episode - intervals, what is the optimal interval prescription in 2020, what does the latest science say and does it change the way we’ve been doing intervals?Plus - foam rolling - 8 years after it first came up on this podcast - does a new review give us any scientific evidence to stop foam rolling?Find more cycling podcasts at semiprocycling.com.

In this episode, Real-Time Tools for Focus and Motivation. Meditation is often brought up as a way to learn how to be calm and focussed - but when you’re in real life you need something that will work in real-time. We find out what that is. Also, N+1 adventure bikes - how do they fit into your riding if you’re a competitive cyclist - and how do you know what one to buy?Find more cycling podcasts at semiprocycling.com.

Learn how attentional focus through external coaching cues can speed up your learning process so that you reach a higher skill level, faster.Plus in the Science of Fast segment - we take a deep dive into a type of cycling‐specific resistance training that could increase your peak power output and get you sprinting faster.Find more cycling podcasts at semiprocycling.com.

On this show, we’re going to talk about how AI will impact your cycling training. Inspired from a beautifully written and thought-provoking article from Alan Couzens called Coaching in 2030: How Artificial Intelligence Will Change Our Profession. We will take a look from the perspective of an athlete and follow the chain of evolution in analytics and how they relate to training platforms, then we will imagine what the future looks like as an athlete and a coach.Plus - find out what repeated sprint training in hypoxia is and how it can make you sprint better, faster, in our new ‘Science of Fast’ segment of the show.Find hours of more cycling podcasts at semiprocycling.com.

We explore communication in this episode - how communication is related to your performance and what’s important to communicate both as an athlete and a coach.Plus - we take a look at a brain training tool that fatigues the mind during workouts to help athletes prepare for competition.Find hours of more cycling podcasts at semiprocycling.com.