Winter Training: Build the Foundation Without Peaking Too Early

Winter builds the foundation

For a cyclist, winter is when you build the foundation. You train sessions that don't produce peak form on their own, but that build up a base which allows you to handle the training and racing in the coming season. The foundation defines the starting point for the level you can reach — a solid, strong foundation means great potential for good form, and form that lasts over a long time.

If you have great form but a weak foundation, and then lose form for whatever reason, you suddenly drop very far down in level. With a solid foundation you don't fall as far, and you respond better to training afterwards. The foundation isn't just a starting point — it's insurance.

Sweetspot + zone 2: The winter combination

I've trained with good results using a combination of sweetspot, volume, and zone 2 to build a solid training base. Sweetspot sits in the intensity range of 85–90% of FTP, where lactate is in the 1.5–2.5 mmol/L range. Sweetspot sessions improve lactate metabolism and build aerobic qualities in the muscles — this is an intensity where the body tolerates a lot of training time per session.

Zone 2 is significantly lower intensity, placed at 64–70% of FTP. It's bonus training that takes us from 2 to 5 quality sessions per week. Zone 2 focuses on fat oxidation instead of lactate metabolism, and sits near the intensity we expect as average watts in races. Our general motto: it's better with a bit more time at a bit lower intensity than the opposite.

The purpose is to train so you can handle a lot, and absorb harder training when the season arrives to make further gains. Personally, I've also felt that after long periods of sweetspot training I recover better — likely from those long intervals just below threshold building up lactate metabolism in the muscles.

Why not build peak form in winter?

You might get faster threshold and FTP gains from a harder training program through winter. But the purpose is to build a foundation solid enough to last the entire coming season. Many experience great progress through a whole winter of continuous training without injury breaks, but then can't build further in the summer season. They may have trained too hard too early.

Sweetspot + zone 2 is a good winter combination precisely because it ensures the body gets stronger without building a premature peak mid-winter. The purpose is to create a base that makes you receptive to training when the season starts — so you can absorb the hard sessions and races and actually make further gains from them.

Winter vs. summer: Different volume, same philosophy

The training philosophy changes through the year, but the core principle holds: most of the training is easy. The difference is in volume and distribution.

In winter we train with more zone 2 and slightly fewer total hours, but with higher quality per session. Zone 2 is like fake volume — many of the same effects as long zone 1 riding, but in fewer training hours. This is very useful in winter training when daylight and weather limit the long rides.

In summer with many long rides and lots of zone 1 volume, total hours increase, but it's the long rides and races that drive the volume up — not more intensity. The ratio between low-intensity and high-intensity shifts from 85–90% low in winter to 75–80% low in season, but the aerobic base is always maintained.

Strength pedaling: Winter's special tool

Zone 2 on the trainer can be combined with strength pedaling — long heavy intervals at low cadence that build muscular endurance. Strength pedaling is especially useful in winter because it builds the specific leg strength you need in the season without requiring high cardiovascular load.

In practice, strength pedaling means dropping cadence to 50–60 rpm while maintaining watts in the zone 2 range. It burns in the muscles, but the cardiovascular load is moderate. Over time this builds muscular endurance that makes climbs feel easier and sprints last longer into the season.

Strength pedaling can be incorporated as intervals within zone 2 sessions, for example 4–6 minutes at low cadence followed by normal pedaling. Start conservatively — the legs need time to adapt to the load. And be careful with your knees: if you have knee problems, be extra cautious with low-cadence training.

Cross-country skiing and running: Winter's opportunities

Winter is perfect for using other activities to build the base. Cross-country skiing is especially valuable for cyclists — it builds aerobic capacity, trains the upper body, and provides variation from the monotony that indoor training can bring. For Norwegian cyclists with access to ski tracks, cross-country skiing is a natural part of winter training that builds volume and foundation.

Running can also be used to build volume, but be careful with the load on legs and joints if you're not used to it. Start with short sessions and build up gradually. A 30–40 minute jog can replace a trainer session and provide variation in loading pattern — and you get fresh air even on dark winter days.

Practical guidelines

Winter training is about patience and continuity. The goal isn't to impress with watt numbers in January, but to arrive at March with a body that's ready to absorb harder training.

Be careful not to overestimate your FTP. Better to do a slightly tough session on the trainer, for example 4x12 min, hard but controlled — you should be able to do one more interval. Then FTP can be estimated as roughly the average watts of the intervals, maybe slightly below. A correctly calibrated FTP ensures that sweetspot sessions hit the right intensity and that zone 2 is actually easy enough.