FasCat Cycling Training Tips Podcast

Are you making this gravel pacing mistake? It could be costing you 30 minutes or more — and you won't even feel it happening until it's too late.   In this video, Coach Frank breaks down the #1 pacing mistake I see in gravel race power files, why it happens, and exactly how to fix it. I'll show you the one tactical decision you need to make in the first hour of your next gravel race that could save you 30 minutes — without being any more fit than you already are. What you'll learn: - Why gravel racing is really a time trial (and why that changes everything) - How to use Intensity Factor (IF) as your real-time pacing gauge - The art of "self-dropping" — and why the tortoise always beats the hare - A 4-step process for finding the right group without blowing up - First-hour IF targets for every race duration from 2 to 8+ hours Want course-specific pacing instructions in watts for YOUR next gravel race? CoachCat's AI can give you section-by-section wattage targets so you always know what's too hard and what's just right. 🚀 Start your free trial: https://fascatcoaching.com/app

Learn how not to be the Group Ride Hero and Train the Right Way, Free for 30 days → https://fascatcoaching.com/app One of the most common mistakes cyclists make is piling on high-intensity intervals before they've finished building their aerobic base. It feels great in February. You're flying on the group ride. You're winning town line sprints. But by May, when racing and big events actually matter, you're flat, stale, and wondering what happened. In this video, Coach Frank Overton from FasCat Coaching shows you how to bridge the gap between base season and race season the right way. You don't need to live in Zone 2 forever. But you also shouldn't be smashing yourself with full-gas workouts every week. The answer? A smart, controlled progression that introduces just enough Zone 4, 5, and 6 intensity to wake up speed while still building durability and aerobic strength.  Inside, Frank walks through four proven winter workouts from the CoachCat training system: 🐆 The Cheetah Pounce – Sweet Spot control with explosive attacks. Practice commitment and fast-twitch recruitment without blowing up recovery. 🎯 Sprint → Stalk & Catch – Learn how to handle the surges that drop riders in real races and group rides. 📊 The Three 8's – A powerful combination of testing and training that reveals your true ability and builds fatigue resistance. 💳 The AmEx Ride – FasCat's signature terrain-driven session. No timers, no ERG, just smart execution and a mission: don't come home without your prescribed OTS. These workouts help you: ✔ build the engine ✔ touch high power ✔ improve repeatability ✔ arrive in spring ready for true interval work  Instead of peaking early, you'll keep stacking fitness when it counts. If you're following a structured plan, this is the step many athletes miss. Try These Workouts Yourself They're available inside the CoachCat AI app, where you can follow your training plan, track OTS and LEVEL, and get guidance based on your real data. 👉 Start your free 30-day trial https://fascatcoaching.com/app Have questions about winter training or how to balance intensity with base work? Drop them in the comments. And tell us: Which workout looks the hardest? Which one would you skip if you could? 😈

Getting sick or injured during a training block doesn't have to ruin your season. Try Coaching (AI or 1:1) Free for the 1st 30 days → https://fascatcoaching.com/  In this video, Coach Frank breaks down how to use your coaching in the event of sickness or injury without making things worse and without losing weeks of fitness to a preventable layoff. You'll learn a simple 6-step process used with real coached athletes to: ✅ decide when to rest vs train ✅ adjust intensity and volume ✅ avoid overdoing it ✅ revise your training plan ✅ rebuild day by day Most athletes don't lose fitness from missing a few workouts — they lose it by pushing through pain or sickness and turning small issues into multi-week layoffs. This video shows you how to avoid that mistake. We'll also show you how CoachCat, our AI Coach, handles illness, injury, and "something feels off" situations by revising the training plan automatically when life happens.  –––––––––––––– Try CoachCat Free for 30 Days: https://fascatcoaching.com/app Work with a 1:1 Coach Free for 30 Days (limited offer) https://fascatcoaching.com/pages/hire-a-coach What is CoachCat? CoachCat is an AI Coach that builds custom training plans, analyzes your power files, revises workouts automatically, and helps you train smarter all year round.  

Learn how to eat right for your cycling. Most cyclists try to lose weight by eating less and riding more and that doesn't work. Get the Go Fast Grocery List mentioned in this video for FREE → https://fascatcoaching.com/app  In this video, Coach Frank breaks down the #1 nutrition mistake most cyclists make and explains why watts per kilo don't improve on the bike… they start in the kitchen. This video introduces our long-standing FasCat concept called Winning in the Kitchen: a simple, sustainable approach to performance nutrition and weight loss that works for real cyclists with real lives. You'll learn:  why you can't out-ride bad nutrition the 80/20 rule of weight loss for cyclists the Go Fast vs Go Slow food framework why grocery shopping matters more than recipes how to avoid "Losing in the Breakroom" what Winning in the Kitchen actually looks like day-to-day and one of our favorite cyclist meals: Salmon Watts This is not calorie counting. It's not a fad diet. And it won't sabotage your training. It's how cyclists fuel smarter, lose weight sustainably, and improve watts per kilo. 🛒 Want help putting this into practice? When you start a free trial of the CoachCat app, you'll get: our Go FasCat Grocery List, Performance-focused meal plans and nutrition guidance built around the Winning in the Kitchen framework including "How Much you Should Eat" before that big ride tomorrow.  👉 Start your free trial here: https://fascatcoaching.com/app

The base training advice you've been getting from social media and indoor riding platforms is wrong.  Riding only Zone 2 all winter doesn't work for cyclists with less than 8 hours a week to train. Riding hard indoors doesn't work either. In this video, Coach Frank Overton (aka BigCat) breaks down how to build a REAL aerobic base on just 4–8 hours per week, using the Sweet Spot training methodology he has pioneered for the past 20 years. You'll learn: 1️⃣ Where base training actually fits in your annual plan 2️⃣ Why Zone 2-only training fails when volume is low 3️⃣ The biggest base-training mistakes cyclists make indoors 4️⃣ Why Sweet Spot delivers more aerobic gains per minute 5️⃣ How to measure base fitness using OTS & Level 6️⃣ What a real month of base training looks like (calendar example) This is the same approach we've used for over 20 years to help time-crunched amateur cyclists get stronger, more durable, and faster without burning out. 🎁 FREE BASE TRAINING + GIVEAWAY  If you listen to the end, you can get ✅ A full month of base training for free ✅ A chance to win a FREE YEAR of the CoachCat app How to enter the giveaway: Start a free 30-day trial using the link below Comment "CoachCat" on this video (plus any questions or thoughts) No purchase necessary. One winner will be randomly selected and announced in the comments 5 days after this video goes live. Even if you don't win, you'll still get full access to this month of base training for free. 👉 Start your free trial here: https://www.FasCatCoaching.com 

What happens when you mix a live Sweet Spot group ride, real-time coaching, fueling advice, tech questions, and unfiltered athlete Q&A? You get a live, no-BS training session led by Coach Frank that covers how cyclists train. Pardon the audio as we recorded from our discord channel that was live during the ride. In this ride & podcast, we dove into a dozen or more topics, including: 1. How to ride Sweet Spot by feel (no rigid intervals required) 2. Why Sweet Spot is "not too hard, not too easy — just right" 3. Fueling correctly indoors (70–90g carbs/hr and why it matters) 4. ERG mode: when to use it and when it hurts your training 5. Using time-in-zone instead of chasing perfect watts 6. Heart rate vs power for Sweet Spot Time in Zone Accuracy 7. Training consistency, durability, and long-ride fatigue resistance 8. How to adapt training when life, travel, injuries, or holidays happen 9. Festive 500 strategy for road, gravel, crit, and masters athletes 10. Strength training + endurance: how to blend them without burnout 11. Why most plateaus are caused by doing the same thing too long 12. How CoachCat helps revise plans, answer questions, and guide decisions in real time 🎯 Who this ride and podcast is for: Masters cyclists Time-crunched athletes Gravel, road, crit, and fondo riders Athletes training indoors on Zwift Anyone tired of over-complicating training 🧠 Key takeaway: Fitness comes from doing slightly more work than yesterday and recovering well enough to do it again tomorrow. Sweet Spot training done right builds durability, raises FTP, and teaches you how to pace long efforts — without burying yourself. 🚴 Join us live again on January 3rd, 2026 Sweet Spot Saturday is part of a 7-ride progression series: Each ride gets 30 minutes longer Builds durability and confidence Ride #7 culminates in the legendary Uber Pretzel 📅 Next ride: January 3 👉 Join the FasCat Coaching Club in the Zwift Companion app 👍 Like • Subscribe • Share If this helped your training, hit 👍, subscribe for science-backed cycling advice, and share with a riding buddy who trains hard but wants to train smarter. Train Smarter. Ride Faster. — Coach Frank 🐾

Sweet Spot Training is one of the most widely used and effective ways cyclists build their base and improve power. Sweet Spot Train the Right Way for FREE in the CoachCat App → https://fascatcoaching.com/app But very few people know the story behind the development of 'sweet spot training'. Long before Sweet Spot Training was mainstream, it was developed inside a secret, private beta group of coaches and sport scientists that I was part of. We were testing a new power-based performance model that would later go on to become the Performance Manager Chart inside TrainingPeaks. And what we discovered & developed changed endurance cycling training forever: there was a  training intensity that built the most fitness for the least fatigue. And that this type of training enabled time crunched athletes to develop a massive aerobic engines that previously weren't possible with Zone 2 training. That discovery became Sweet Spot Training. Do you remember your first sweet spot workout?

Pro Coach Sierra Sims (M.S. Exercise Physiology) breaks down the science and technique behind muscle tension intervals: one of the most effective ways to turn gym strength into real power on the bike.   Whether you're building your base, coming back from the off-season, or looking to climb stronger, these workouts teach your neuromuscular system to produce MORE torque and apply it efficiently across the pedal stroke.   You'll learn: ✔️ What muscle tension (high-torque) intervals actually are ✔️ Why low cadence is so effective for force production ✔️ How to combine torque work with strength training for maximum gains ✔️ How WorldTour pros use torque blocks from October–February ✔️ How to structure these sessions indoors or outdoors ✔️ Real-world workout examples you can try this week  ✔️ How to avoid knee pain and progress safely   Watch till the end where Sierra shows you two practical ways to perform these intervals so you can do them anywhere — on Zwift, on climbs, or on rolling terrain.   🚴‍♂️ Want workouts like these? Hire Coach Sierra, https://fascatcoaching.com/collections/coaches/products/sierra-sims   or Start your 30-day FREE trial → https://fascatcoaching.com/app   The CoachCat App includes: • 15+ muscle tension interval workouts • 600+ cycling workouts • 100+ training plans • Daily AI coaching • Human coach in-app support!

Most cyclists don't realize it, but our entire training lifestyle is basically built for longevity. Endurance & VO2 max training, weight lifting, real food, and good sleep are the same fundamentals that help you live longer and stay healthy as you age. With books like Outlive and the rise of longevity science, I finally decided to share my personal plan to live to 100 and the 8 fundamentals I'm going to use to get there. This video is the first in a full series on Longevity & Health for cyclists and non-cyclists alike. No hacks. No supplement stacks. No billionaire biohacks. Just the fundamentals science keeps pointing to again and again. You'll Learn: 1. Exercise: The #1 lever for healthspan: aerobic base, strength, muscle mass, and durability 2. Nutrition: Real food, protein, plants, hydration, and sustainable habits 3. Sleep 4. Stress Management: Daily habits that keep the nervous system calm 5. Relationships: Backed by the 80-year Harvard Study as a top predictor of long-term health. 6. Purpose & Mission 7. Safety: Smarter riding choices (more gravel/MTB, less traffic), and stepping away from high-risk environments 8. Blood Testing: FTP testing for your health: measure, benchmark, track trends, adjust early. If you want to live well, ride long, and build the longest streak of your life… you're in the right place. Train Smarter. Ride Faster. Live Longer with the CoachCat App https://fascatcoaching.com/app 

Learn how to use your HRV along with three other essential recovery metrics to train smarter and recover better. Then try the CoachCat App → free for your first 30 days https://fascatcoaching.com/app Coach Frank Overton (the BigCat), founder of FasCat Coaching and creator of the CoachCat App, breaks down what HRV really means, why single-day numbers don't tell the whole story, and how to actually use HRV to train smarter. You'll learn: ✅ What HRV really measures ✅ Why daily HRV scores can be misleading ✅ The importance of trends (7-day, 1-month, 6-month) ✅ How sleep, training stress, and how you feel matter just as much ✅ The four pillars of real recovery ✅ How CoachCat's AI Coaching Intelligence analyzes your data and gives daily guidance — just like a real coach Whether you use Whoop, Oura, Garmin, or Apple Watch… HRV is powerful only if you know how to use it correctly. This video & podcast shows you how to take control of your recovery and confidence in your training.

Start Training for Next Year NOW with these 4 "On Season" Training Methodologies. Use the CoachCat to do your Winter Training free for the first month ➡️ https://fascatcoaching.com/app Most cyclists call it the off-season… but that's a mistake. The truth is, winter is GO TIME and its actually the "On-Season" when you lift weight build base and ride Zwift that'll carry you to your best results next year. 💪🚴‍♂️ In this video, Coach Frank Overton breaks down exactly how to train this "off-season" so you can come into spring stronger, faster, and more durable than ever. You'll learn: 🔥 The 4 key pillars of On-Season training: 1️⃣ Weight Lifting for Cyclists 2️⃣ Muscle Tension Intervals 3️⃣ Sweet Spot Base Training 4️⃣ Zwifting for Consistency & Progress 📈 Follow these methods now and add 10–50 watts by next Spring. Don't hope to get faster, train to get faster. Ready to Start? Train smarter this On-Season with: 👉 The CoachCat APP: https://fascatcoaching.com/app 👉 Hire a 1x1 FasCat Coach https://fascatcoaching.com/pages/hire-a-coach  

Muscle Tension Intervals are those big gear, low cadence masher that are like lifting weights on the bike. You can do them in the CoachCat app → https://fascatcoaching.com/app where the first month is free. The problem? Not everyone has access to a steady 3–5% climb like we do here in Boulder.  That's where Zwift comes in. In this video, Coach Frank walks you through two ways to perform Muscle Tension Intervals on Zwift: 1️⃣ Exporting your workout into ERG mode and using the Incline setting in the Companion app. 2️⃣ Riding free-form in the Climb Portal and simulation riding uphill for work intervals, then turning around and coasting downhill for recovery. Additionally, you'll learn how torque (force on the pedals) connects to power, and why these intervals build the kind of strength that pays off when you combine it with higher cadence later in the season. 💡 Try both methods, or even all three if you include the outdoor version, as part of your Fall Foundation plan.

Weight lifting for cycling can help you gain 15 to 50 watts by next spring — but only if you do it the right way. 🚴‍♂️💪  Watch this podcast on our youTube channel for a better visual learning experience: https://youtu.be/J5nTl0sXrFQ In this video, the BigCat (Frank Overton) show you exactly how to lift weights for cycling to increase your power output, improve your FTP, and have your best season ever. This isn't just theory, we've used this exact 10-week, 4-phase weight lifting plan over the past 20+ years, to coach hundreds/thousands of cyclists to higher FTP's, podiums and group ride hero status 🏋️‍♂️💪 What You'll Learn in This Video: ✅ Why weight lifting works for cyclists and what makes this plan cycling-specific ✅ When to lift heavy — and when to switch to explosive, high-velocity movements ✅ How many days per week to lift ✅ How many sets and reps to do each day ✅ How much weight to lift for each set ✅ How to combine lifting with on-the-bike workouts to turn gym gains into real watts By the end of this video, you'll understand the entire 10-week plan, including sets, reps, percentages, and timing so you can start lifting right. Why This Weight Lifting Plan Works: Not all gym workouts are created equal. A lot of cyclists waste time swinging kettlebells or following generic strength programs that don't translate into more power on the bike. Here's why our plan works: 1️⃣ Lift Heavy → Build strength to generate more force per pedal stroke 2️⃣ Lift Explosively → High-speed lifts simulate pedaling velocity 3️⃣ Neuromuscular Sprint Work → On-bike sprints teach your new muscle to fire faster 4️⃣ Muscle Tension Intervals → Lock in your strength on the bike and crush climbs Get the Full 10 Week Weight Plan Plan in the CoachCat App You could write everything down and try to follow the plan manually… but why guess? Download the CoachCat app for free and get: Your 10-week weight lifting plan Daily workouts with the right weight, sets, and reps Integrated on-bike workouts A downloadable PDF plan Unlimited plan adjustments and training guidance 📲 Start your free trial → https://fascatcoaching.com/app

Are you masters cyclist wondering why your FTP is plateauing or dropping — and what to do about it? 🚴‍♂️ Watch the podcast with visual charts & graphs on our youTube channel: https://youtu.be/DChZyc_7BWM  In this video, the BigCat, Frank Overton, explains the science behind why masters cyclists get slower with age and, more importantly, how to fix it with a smarter, age-appropriate training plan. We'll cover: ✅ The science behind slower recovery for masters cyclists ✅ Introduction to "tear & repair" and why it takes longer after 40  ✅ How age related decline in hormones increases the time to recover  ✅ Masters cyclists training strategies to boost power and speed ✅ Top tips for adjusting your training plan to fit YOUR physiology Whether you're in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, you can still get faster:  you just have to train smarter, not harder. The BigCat shares the exact adjustments he's made in his own training and the athletes he's coached, plus what's worked for thousands of athletes we've coached at FasCat Coaching. Follow a Masters Based Training Plan FREE for 1 month ➡️ https://fascatcoaching.com/app

Intervals for Masters cyclists don't have to be complicated but they do have to be different. 🚴‍♂️ Watch this video on our youtube channel for a more immersive visual learning experience: https://youtu.be/12H-rYEylo0 If you're over 40, 50, or even 60, you can still train like the pros with the same intervals, the same intensities, the same power zones. But here's the secret: you can't handle the same volume or recover as quickly as younger riders. In this video, Coach Frank from FasCat Coaching breaks down how to adjust your interval training based on your age, recovery, and goals using real data from coaching both pros and masters athletes for over 20 years. What You'll Learn in This Video: ✅ The best VO₂ max intervals for masters cyclists ✅ How to modify anaerobic (Zone 6) intervals to match your recovery capacity ✅ Why Sweet Spot training still works — but needs less volume as you age ✅ How many hard interval sessions per week you should actually be doing ✅ The science behind slower recovery after 40 — and what to do about it    Whether you're training for a Gran Fondo, crit, gravel race, or just chasing FTP gains, these strategies will help you train smarter, not harder — and get faster without burning out. 🚀 Get Your Free Month of CoachCat Want age-appropriate, personalized interval plans built from your power data? Download the FasCat App and start training with CoachCat — your first month is FREE: 🔗 https://fascatcoaching.com/app

The AmEx Ride is a style of cycling training thats fun, flexible, and it makes you hella fast. 💨  There is no strict structure, and they are variable power rides in all zones, 2-7.  Watch this tip on our youTube channel: https://youtu.be/_v3KjeloYfM Unlike cookie-cutter intervals, the AmEx Ride blends old-school cycling wisdom with new-school data to give you the ultimate race simulation. You'll ride all zones (2–7) based on feel, but track your OTS & TSS in real time to know you've done the work. 📈 Today, I'm taking you through the power analysis of a recent 75 OTS AmEx Ride. 💨 Train like this using the CoachCat App where the 1st month is FREE https://fascatcoaching.com/app

Coach Frank gives you a cycling season review by asking questions about your training and data. T Watch this podcast on youTube for a more visual immersion: https://youtu.be/-gma7xCqftU Know what you did, so you don't make the same mistakes again and go insane. Coach Frank will ask: 1️⃣ When did you start training this past year and how consistent were those first weeks?  2️⃣ Did you lift heavy in the winter (full squats/hinges à la Dr. Stacy Sims), and did it carry over to the bike? 3️⃣ Did you spend at least 8 weeks building your aerobic base? What did your volume and Z2 time look like? 4️⃣ Did you do true full gas intervals with progression and planned recovery?  Why it matters A simple cycling season review turns scattered numbers into a clear game plan of what worked, what didn't, and exactly what to change. Get help: 🆓 Try CoachCat free for 30 days where a season in review coaching call included → https://fascatcoaching.com/app

FasCat Coach Elliott Baring shares what kind of power output and training it took for him to race a sub 7 hour and 30th place in the Pro Men's Leadville 100 MTB Race.   See his watts / kg up all the significant climbs, learn how much he ate and about the heat training he did for altitude acclimation.    Want help with your Leadville Training? Hire Coach Elliott!  https://fascatcoaching.com/collections/coaches/products/elliott-baring   Elliott will give you a data review just like this video and talk with you about your life, your goals - EVERYTHING that it takes for tackling the Leadville 100 MTB race.

Think you're training in Zone 2? Many athletes aren't and this #1 training mistake could be slowing your progress and sabotaging your endurance gains. 💡 Train your Zone 2 the Right Way with CoachCat Free for 30 Days https://fascatcoaching.com/app In this video, Coach Frank explains the #1 Zone 2 training mistake, why it happens, and how to fix it so you can ride smarter, recover faster, and get more from your training. You'll learn: ✅ The correct Zone 2 ranges for power, heart rate, and RPE ✅ Why heart-rate-based training often beats power on long rides and tired days ✅ How to avoid "junk miles" and keep your easy rides truly easy ✅ The fat-burning and mitochondrial benefits of doing Zone 2 right ✅ Why even Sweet Spot fans still need Zone 2 Watch this podcast on youTube for an immersive visual experience: https://youtu.be/FiYzyPu6Zz0 

Start training for your first time with these 3 easy steps.  Watch this podcast on our youTube channel for a more immersive visual experience: https://youtu.be/mWbzHdGuT00 If you've caught the cycling 'bug', maybe you've signed up for a group ride, a charity event, or even your first race and now you're wondering how to actually start training.  In this video, Coach Frank shares three simple steps to start cycling training. You'll learn how to:  ✅ Use your Why ✅ Get a Training Plan that fits your schedule ✅ Track Your Progress to see real improvement Cycling is a sport where you get back what you put in and when you train with purpose, the results are motivating and fun. Follow these steps and turn your casual rides into real fitness gains and a lifetime of cycling enjoyment.