Cycling Programme

Cycling Guidelines

[See separate gym and body weight guidelines] This program is for novices or beginners, strong and ready for longer training and distances.

Intermediate athletes can also use this program to get faster by pushing the interval portions and by increasing the time by between 20-60min on all rides.

If you are feeling confident and HR Zones/RPE is good you can push harder on sessions as the weeks progress…

If you miss a session do not let it worry you too much. However, if you miss 3 or more try to start with the last session you did.

If you are sick – DO NOT TRAIN – recover and then start from the week prior to getting sick.

If you are injured or get injured – recover and then start from the week prior to getting injured.

Do not try to make up sessions missed.

Do not go overboard with intensity etc especially to start.

As you build the confidence you can increase the intensity as you feel you are able


Heart Rate – HR – Zones Rate or Perceived Exertion (RPE ) out of 10, are as follows and can be used accordingly:

Zone 1 – 50-60% of Max HR / 2-5 RPE – Warm ups / Easy rides

Zone 2 – 60-75% of Max HR / 4-6 RPE – Easy – Steady rides, you can talk for the most part but not always in full sentences and would be described as fairly comfortable but not easy

Zone 3 – 70-80% of Max HR / 5-7 RPE – Tempo riding – Fairly hard but sustainable – can breath but speech is broken but the longer the session the harder talking becomes

Zone 4 – 80-90% of Max HR / 7.5-9 RPE – Where the magic happens and you increase fitness, speed, speed endurance and train muscle resilience. You will not be able to talk 🙂

Zone 5 – 90-100% of Max HR / 8.5 -10 RPE – Short periods of work to increase speed and anaerobic capacity but generally not necessary for the most part. This is super hard!!


Contact Phillipe Van Der Leeuw: 071 442 3000 | triedgedynamics@yahoo.com