When it comes to following a structured training plan, many cyclists may believe this is best left to professionals alone. The truth is, structured training plans are meant for anyone working towards a goal – a race, person best on a local route, or looking to complete a century. No matter how large or...
The Performance Myths Between Men and Women
It is obvious that there are physical differences between men and women. Men are typically taller, more muscular, and therefore usually outperform women when it comes to upper body performances (like lifting), strength, and power events. This is also true when it comes to shorter-distance events; historically, men outperform women. That being said, this...
What is Overload Training?
Whether you are planning to implement a training camp or a stage race into your next training block, there are a few key pieces to consider when planning your build. We will dive into what makes up overload training, and how to safely implement these high-volume weeks into your own training plan. What is...
The Importance of Indoor Training
Indoor training has had a bad rap for a long time. While indoor training has historically been viewed as the training “alternative” option, it is quickly becoming the go-to option for many athletes globally. This shift is not just due to weather patterns affecting their outdoor riding plans, but instead the wide range of...
Why Focusing on FTP is Making You a Slower Triathlete
If you’re a triathlete you’ve probably heard this piece of training advice: If you want to get faster on the bike, you need to focus on steady-state workouts to build your FTP. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Not only does the bike leg demand more than just steady power, focusing on FTP might actually be...
Using Sleep Tracking To Make Performance Gains
Sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our body, and yet still 1 in 3 adults do not get enough of it. Many of us are endurance athletes, and it usually goes without saying that we care about our bodies, we care about our performance, and we want to...
Bring Your Indoor Workouts Outside
The SYSTM Training App will now be able to support both indoor and outdoor workouts. What does this mean as a user? You can now select a training plan or workout from the app, add it to your calendar, and sync it with your bike computer for both indoor and outdoor training sessions. The...
Indoor Cycling Tips For Training in ERG Mode
There was a point when riding the trainer was viewed for times only when the weather was too treacherous to ride outside, or for rehabilitation from an injury. Wintertime was the only season when cyclists could muster up the mental strength to subject themselves to riding in a fixed position for a few hours...
How to Build the Ultimate Indoor Cycling Setup
It’s time to remove all distractions. It’s time to upgrade everything. It’s time to build the ultimate pain cave. Making the ultimate indoor cycling pain cave is a three-step process. Upgrade your cycling gear Upgrade your entertainment Upgrade your ambiance The Ultimate Cycling Gear The Core Gear Start by getting the right trainer, the...
Benefits of High Cadence Training
High cadence can be a very subjective matter. While one may say that pedaling at 80 rpm is an extremely high cadence, a track sprinter may say that 240 rpm is a high cadence. Whatever your view of “high cadence” may be; the importance of incorporating high cadence drills into your training repertoire does...
Ask the Experts: What Is & How Do I Use The Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale?
At one point in our lives we have all heard the expression, “how hard does this feel?” Even at the doctor’s office, we are asked to rate our level of pain on a scale of 0-10. Rate of perceived exertion (RPE), has been a term used since the very beginnings of endurance exercise. Way...
How Does Your Personality Type Impact Goal Setting?
We are all different, and these differences are reflected in not only the way we train, but in the way we set our goals. Whether on the roads or in the office, how we approach planning is very dependent upon the way we best operate mentally. Are we organized to a T? Or do...