FasCat Cycling Training Tips Podcast

The official podcast of FasCat Coaching, based in Boulder, CO. Coach Frank "Big Cat" Overton shares his extensive experience as a cycling coach to help you ride faster through training and racing tips, nutrition, and beyond.

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August 30 · 37 min
How to Take a 'Proper' Post-Season Break + Demo of the new CoachCat FuelTrix Nutrition Feature in app release v6.4.9
Coach Frank demos the brand new Fuel Trix feature** in CoachCat version 6.4.9, live on screen. Fuel Trix tells you exactly how many grams of carbohydrate to consume for every workout on your calendar based on duration and intensity, built from an algorithm Frank created using the findings of 11 scientific journal articles. He walks through the fueling matrix on the FasCat website, explains why your gut can only absorb 60 grams per hour of glucose and how adding fructose opens a second pathway to get you to 90 and even 120 grams per hour, and breaks down which of 30 popular sports nutrition brands are suitable for short, medium, and long rides. Plus a tour of the new workout view, calendar tags, sweet spot's new color, and the post workout analysis screen. ** Learn more -> https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/coachcat-fueling-matrix/ Then it's time for the hardest workout of the year: the two week postseason break. Frank explains why two weeks is just right and six weeks is way too long, what to do (and not do) during your break, soul rides, cross training, yoga, hiking, fixing that nagging injury, and how to come back hungry and motivated for 2027. He also answers live questions on end of season field tests, cyclocross timing, VO2 max blocks, and tracking cross training in the CoachCat app. New episodes live every Friday at 2pm Eastern. Drop your questions in the comments and Coach Frank answers them live. Work hard, ride fast, have fun, and FtFP.
August 22 · 42 min
Learn How to Review Your Season with your Power Data
The power data you have from your 2026 season is a goldmine of insight for what worked, what did not and how to leverage your learnings to plan for an even better 2027. Join Coach Frank, and dive into your data with the 5 prompts +a bonus prompt to ask CoachCat about your season for planning 2027 ahead! Key Takeaways from this training tip: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/using-power-data-to-review-your-season/ See below for 6 Prompts you can copy and paste into CoachCat's chat to review your season. Zoom out in steps. Last month, then 3 months, then 6 months, then the full year. Trends that hide at one zoom level jump out at another. Translate your Level into weekly hours. That is how you actually plan training around life. Compare your power PRs to a fixed reference point like January, not to your best day ever. Copy the prompts below into CoachCat and it builds every one of these charts from your own files. Want to be able to review your season and be able to follow a custom training plan? Try CoachCat where the 1st week is free: https://fascatcoaching.com/app
August 15 · 54 min
How to Build Your Annual Training Plan for 2027 + Who Will Win the Leadville MTB
Coach Frank describes how to build your Annual Training Plan (ATP) for 2027, as described in this training tip: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/yt-using-an-annual-cycling-training-plan-atp-all-the-phases-explained/ Key takeaways are: Take a two-week post-season break, not six. Six weeks costs you the adaptations you spent all year building. Three dates anchor the year: when you want to be fast, when base starts, when weights start. The full plan is 46 of 52 weeks, leaving six weeks of flexibility for travel, illness, and life. The 10-week weight block is the phase most athletes skip and the one that most reliably separates a breakthrough season from a flat one. Use the custom plan builder in the CoachCat app to work backwards from your A race
August 7 · 28 min
CoachCat 4.0 + Tour de Femmes Ventoux Power + LIVE Q&A
Coach Frank goes live with the brand new CoachCat mobile release v6.3.8 and breaks down the winning power up Mont Ventoux at the Tour de France Femmes. Bring your training questions and get them answered live. In this episode: NEW MOBILE RELEASE v6.3.8 Frank shares his screen and walks through everything you can do in the app: The new Recovery tab: your percent recovered readout, plus Sleep, HRV and OTS with tap to ask conversation starters The brand new Progress tab: Power PRs, weekly duration and OTS, all answering the one question every athlete has, am I improving The new Conversations tab: how to ask CoachCat about your own data and get real coaching answers back The new Power Analysis view: what your ride data is telling you and what to do about it TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES VENTOUX POWER ANALYSIS We predicted 5.5 watts per kg for the winner on the first ever summit finish atop Mont Ventoux, 15.7 km at 8.8 percent. Frank puts the actual numbers up against the prediction, walks through the physics behind the estimate, and explains what those watts mean for your own climbing. YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED LIVE Drop your training questions in the chat and Frank answers them in real time. Sweet Spot, FTP, intervals, recovery, race prep, whatever you are working on. Try CoachCat free for a week: https://fascatcoaching.com/app Tour de France watts per kg predictions: https://fascatcoaching.com/pages/tour-de-france-femmes-watts-per-kg/stage-07.html
July 18 · 48 min
Ask a FasCat #32: Tour de France Power, Cyclocross Training, Using the CoachCat App + Q&A
div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> Frank "the Big Cat" Overton is back for the Friday livestream with a full walkthrough of the new CoachCat app plus a deep dive into the numbers behind this year's Tour de France. Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iolohdWoyTQ&t=130s In this episode: Getting started in CoachCat. Frank tours the custom training plan builder, the 12 most popular conversation starters, adaptive training, and how to push your workout to your bike computer, Zwift, or Rouvy. He also explains why "follow the plan" beats letting your wearable give you the morning Jedi mind trick, and why a low recovery score does not mean you skip the work. Tour de France power analysis. Frank breaks down how Pogačar won Stage 10 with an 8.2 watts per kilogram attack, then held 6.8 watts per kilogram up the final climb. He covers the physics behind his stage by stage predictions and what to watch for on the true mountaintop finishes to come. Cyclocross season timeline. From summer sweet spot base to the six weeks that switch you from base to race, Frank lays out run training, skills practice, Wednesday Worlds, and how to build your own cross course at your local park. Plus live athlete Q and A on pacing at altitude, recovery weeks, ERG mode off for burst workouts, transitioning from road A races into cross, and more. New free trials get a 30 minute consultation with a real FasCat coach, a $100 value. Live every Friday at 2 PM Eastern. FTFP. Did you like this episode? What would you like to learn about in future episodes? Let us know in the comments 🙏 Until the next episode, you know what to do: work hard, ride fast, have fun and as always: FtFP
July 10 · 53 min
Ask a FasCat #31 , LIVE Q&A + your Summer Training
Summer Training is here 🚴 This week on Ask a FasCat (#31): durability rides, heat adaptation, race week tapers, and how to survive your local Tuesday night crit. You may also watch this podcast on our youTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zuvdWqk_Dw Coach Steve joins us for 30 minutes fresh off his win at the Tosa Criterium. He's breaking down what it takes to podium in a crit and how he can help you build your own crit training plan. Bring your questions. All of them. FTP plateaus, structured workout tweaks, "should I skip this interval because it's 95°F" — we're answering live, no filter. Plus: we're unveiling new features and tools you can start using in your plan right now. New season, new toys. 📅 Live this week ❓ Bring your questions — we build the show around what YOU want to know 🔥 New features, live demos, real answers
May 29 · 1 hr 1 min
Ask A FasCat #30
On Ask a FasCat #30, we gave away a Stages Power Meter to the listener who asked the most thoughtful question + an annual CoachCat subscription to analyze all that shiny new power data. 🎥 Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/live/bnLrNhVL0jk Here's how it worked: participants dropped their training questions in the comments, and Coach Frank Overton picked the winner live at the end of the show. Not sure what counts as "most thoughtful"? Go back and binge the previous 29 episodes of Ask a FasCat 😂 Just kidding, it's simply the question that sparks the most interest and helps the greatest number of listeners.
May 18 · 16 min
The 8-Minute Workout That Increases Your VO2 Max
8 minutes of full-gas work. 14% VO2 max gain. But only if you do them right on the CoachCat training app. Your first 7 days FREE: https://fascatcoaching.com/app Dr. Izumi Tabata's 1996 study proved that 20-second efforts at supramaximal intensity produce more anaerobic capacity AND VO2 max gains than traditional steady-state training, and in a fraction of the time. In this training tip, Coach Frank Overton breaks down the exact workout 20+ years of FasCat athletes have used to win races: 3 sets of 8 × 20 seconds at 170% of FTP, with 10 seconds rest and 10 minutes between sets. There's a RIGHT way to do Tabatas and a WRONG way that wastes the workout. This video covers both, with the pacing strategy, terrain selection, ERG-mode trap, and mental tips you need to actually finish all 24 reps and get the adaptation Dr. Tabata's research promised. 📊 THE WORKOUT (found in the CoachCat app) 3 sets × 8 reps 20 seconds at 170% of FTP 10 seconds easy between reps 10 minutes rest between sets Flat road. Fresh legs. ERG OFF 🧠 THE SCIENCE Tabata, I., et al. (1996). "Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 28(10), 1327–1330. 📖 KEEP LEARNING → Full Tabata blog post: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/tabata-intervals/ → The Right Way and Wrong Way to do Cycling Intervals: https://youtu.be/-7Ui3MORgbk → All FasCat training tips: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips 🐾 ABOUT FASCAT & COACHCAT FasCat Coaching has been turning amateur cyclists into faster, fitter, race-ready athletes for over 20 years. Coach Frank Overton invented Sweet Spot Training, holds US Patent #7202067B2, and built CoachCat — the AI-powered cycling coaching app that prescribes workouts like this one automatically, based on your data, your goals, and 20 years of proven FasCat methodology. 1:1 coaching & training plans: https://fascatcoaching.com Instagram: @fascatcoaching Work hard. Ride fast. Have fun. And as always — FtFP. #TabataIntervals #VO2Max #CyclingTraining #CoachCat #FasCat #SweetSpotTraining #HIITforCyclists #CyclingIntervals #FTP #BikeRacing #AnaerobicCapacity #CyclingCoaching #BikeTraining #IndoorCycling #PowerMeter
May 1 · 19 min
Build a Custom Training Plan from these 5 Questions
Build a custom cycling training plan in 5 questions. For a visual walk through of the custom plan builder watch this podcast on our youTube channel here https://youtu.be/nO94dhqgjBg In this podcast & video, Coach Frank walks you through the new CoachCat Custom Training Plan Builder. We use over 100 of our coach-built training plans as phases of your training — Sweet Spot base, builds, intervals, weight lifting, and event-specific phases for road, gravel, fondo, century, time trial, triathlon, mountain bike, cyclocross, and crits — and stitch them together based on your answers to 5 simple questions: 1️⃣ Your fitness level and how many hours a week you can train 2️⃣ What you're training for 3️⃣ When that goal is 4️⃣ Whether you want to include strength training 5️⃣ Your availability — including the days you can't train and your preferred long ride day The result: the right phase at the right time, lined up to your goal date, fit to your week. What's new in this builder: → Specify the days you can't train (3, 4, or 5 days a week — your call) → Choose your long ride day (Saturday default, but pick any day) → Climbing-specific training if your event has climbs → Smart strength training: 10-week lifting in Fall/Winter, maintenance in Spring/Summer Plus, a closer look at: Event-specific phases for every cycling discipline Why timing your peak matters The strength training question — and why most athletes get it wrong Already training with CoachCat? Click "Build a Custom Plan" inside the app — your plan also comes with a complimentary coaching consultation to verify the build and suggest improvements. 🚴 About FasCat & CoachCat FasCat Coaching has been training cyclists for 20+ years. CoachCat is our AI-powered coaching app that delivers personalized training, daily check-ins, and the same coaching methodology we've used with World Tour pros and amateurs alike — at a fraction of the cost of 1:1 coaching. 🔗 Links → Build your custom plan: https://fascatcoaching.com/app → Browse training plans: https://fascatcoaching.com/collections/training-plans/ → FasCat Training Tips blog: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips
April 16 · 10 min
Full Gas Zone 4, 5 & 6 Intervals
Are you doing your zone 4, 5, and 6 intervals as hard as you can? Try CoachCat free: https://fascatcoaching.com/app In this video, Coach Frank shows you how to go full gas and get more out of your intervals — more watts, more physiological benefits, and more race craft. Plus the 3 best zone 4, 5, and 6 interval workouts we prescribe to our 1:1 coaching athletes and in the CoachCat app. 🚴 THE 3 WORKOUTS Zone 4 Threshold: 3 x 8 minutes @ 103-110% FTP Zone 5 VO2 Max: 2 sets of 2 x 3 minutes @ 106-120% FTP Zone 6 Anaerobic: 2 sets of 3 x 1 minute @ 120%+ FTP 🐱 TRAIN WITH COACHCAT Your AI cycling coach built on 20 years of FasCat methodology. CoachCat builds your custom training plan, prescribes these exact intervals at the right time, tells you what wattages to hit, and analyzes your power data after every ride. 👉 Start your free week: https://fascatcoaching.com/app 🏆 WORK WITH A FASCAT COACH 1:1 Ready for personalized coaching? Our coaches work with athletes from World Tour pros to weekend warriors. 👉 https://fascatcoaching.com/coaching 00:00 Introduction 00:50 SmartTrainers = DumbTrainers 01:17 What "Full Gas" Means 01:56 The Art of Pacing 03:07 Turn ERG Mode Off 03:25 Imperfect is better than "Perfect" 03:44 Outside is Better ‼️ 04:33 Coach Frank's 3 Favorite Zone 4 Interval Workout 06:16 Favorite VO2 Max workout 06:51 Zone 6
March 25 · 12 min
5 Training Rules for Masters Cyclists (What Bicycling Magazine Left Out)
Are you a master's cyclist trying to get faster but feel like something is missing from mainstream advice? Train this way FREE for 1 Month https://fascatcoaching.com/app In this video, Coach Frank breaks down the 5 most important training rules for cyclists over 40, 50, and 60+ , and more importantly, what Bicycling Magazine didn't have space to tell you. Frank was recently featured in their article on coaching older cyclists, and while they nailed the headlines, there's a lot more nuance that can make or break your performance. Today, Coach Frank is giving you the full coaching perspective. 🚴‍♂️ What You'll Learn: - Why more miles ≠ more fitness (and how to balance training with recovery) - The truth about high-intensity (Zone 6) work for older athletes - How to strength train the right way (without sabotaging your riding) - Why you don't need a race to train with purpose - The #1 mistake masters cyclists make: taking extended breaks ⚠️ Stick Around for Rule #5 If you take winters off, skip riding on vacation, or think breaks help you reset… this could be holding you back more than you realize. 📖 Read the Original Article https://www.bicycling.com/training/a70723113/older-cyclist-training-rules/ 🤖 Want Help Applying This? Try the CoachCat AI Coach: ✅ Personalized training plan ✅ Feedback on your workouts ✅ Built specifically for masters athletes 👉 Start your FREE 30-day trial (includes coaching consultation): https://fascatcoaching.com/app or Hire a FasCa Coach: https://fascatcoaching.com/pages/hire-a-coach 💬 Let Us Know: Which of these 5 rules are you already following—and which one surprised you the most? 👍 If this helped, hit like and subscribe for more training tips for masters cyclists. Work Hard. Ride Fast. Have Fun. FtFP.
March 4 · 17 min
Unbound Gravel Training: Developing Your Diesel Watts
Coach Frank describes a 3 month Unbound training plan that you can follow FREE for 30 days → https://fascatcoaching.com/app Develop your Diesel Watt power by knowing how to train it in March, April, and May to arrive in Emporia fresh, fit, and ready to send it. Whether you're lining up for the 200, 100, or XL, this video covers the training concepts that have helped thousands of FasCat athletes finish strong,from sweet spot base building to full gravel simulation rides to the art of a proper taper. You'll learn: the Gravel Power Workout (the single best workout for gravel racers) how to build your long ride from 2.5 hours to 5+, why Flint Hills repeats matter, and what race-winning power data from Ian Boswell, Pete Stetina, and Cam Jones tells us about pacing Unbound. 📱 The CoachCat app gives you a custom Unbound training plan, AI coaching to adjust on the fly, and nutrition guidance — all free for 30 days. 🚴 Let us know what distance are you riding at Unbound 2026? #UnboundGravel #UnboundGravel2026 #GravelTraining #FasCatCoaching #CoachCat #SweetSpotTraining #DieselWatts #GravelSimulationRide #FlintHills #EmporiaKansas #GravelPowerWorkout #HowToTrainForUnbound #GravelRacing #CyclingTraining
February 27 · 17 min
Gravel Pacing: the Right and the Wrong Way
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
February 25 · 9 min
Winter Workouts that bridge the gap between Base and Race
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? 😈
January 27 · 8 min
How to Use Your Coach, When You Get Sick or Injured
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.
January 22 · 10 min
The #1 Nutrition Mistake Cyclists Make
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
January 6 · 12 min
Base Training Advice is broken, and How to Make it Right with 4–8 Hours a Week
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
Dec 22, 2025 · 52 min
Ask a FasCat Q&A from our Sweet Spot Saturday Group Ride
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 🐾
Nov 19, 2025 · 13 min
How Sweet Spot Training Was Developed
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?
Nov 17, 2025 · 11 min
High Torque, Muscle Tension Intervals
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!

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