Articles on Consistency Compounds

VO₂max Training Explained: A Smart and Effective Approach

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

For a long time (and honestly, still to this day), I was an absolute believer in the Zone 2 theory, which gained mainstream popularity through Dr. Iñigo San Millán (then coach of Tadej Pogačar). The way I interpreted his theory, Zone 2 was the absolute gold standard. Just look at Tadej’s famous podcast with Peter Attia: he explains his Zone 2 hovers around 300 Watts with a heart rate of barely 150 beats per minute. How on earth do you beat someone like that? He saves the vast majority of his glycogen to strike lethally at the end or on the steepest climbs by just throwing an extra layer on top.

The Physiology of Fuel Management: What I Learned from Cycling 377 km

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Beyond hyper-modern bikes and advanced training techniques, the single biggest revolution in modern professional cycling is without a doubt nutrition strategy. Fully loaded tanks at the start and strict fuel management along the way allow pros to sustain unprecedented power outputs. But how does that actually work, and can everyday cyclists simply copy this strategy?

The advice sounds simple: depending on the intensity, you consume 80, 100, or even up to 140 grams of carbs per hour. But does the same strategy apply to a short pro race versus an ultra-endurance effort, or is there a world of difference between fuel management for 3 hours versus 10+ hours in the saddle?

Why Your Training Software and Wearables Are Not a Mirror of Your Biology

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Data Addiction

We are all guilty of it. You upload a ride, APIs work overtime, and within minutes you are staring at the charts. One line that constantly catches my eye is “the blue line.” In Intervals.icu, it is called Chronic Training Load (CTL). In cycling jargon: your ‘Fitness’. Strava also displays this information (only in the paid version), as does TrainingPeaks.

If that line goes up, you feel like a champion. If it drops after a recovery week, panic strikes as if all your hard-earned gains vanished in one fell swoop.

The Zone 2 Paradox: Why Riding Easy Feels Harder the Fitter You Get

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Zone 2… It’s that easy, steady training ride you must do to build your aerobic engine, usually completed while whistling a tune. Your heart rate stays perfectly low, and after three hours, you step off the bike feeling fresh as a daisy. Granted, it can be frustrating: you were probably overtaken by almost every other cyclist out on the road. Did I actually even train? You feel like you could almost put your cycling kit back in the closet without washing it.

From LT1 to the Gray Zone: Decode Your Own Engine and Avoid 'Junk Miles'

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Many amateur cyclists train blindly based on standard formulas or use the well-known “220 minus your age” heart rate rule. You cruise along nicely, sweat pours from your forehead, and afterward, you feel like you had a ‘good workout.’ But does your fitness plateau after a few months anyway? If so, there is a high probability that you are unconsciously riding in a physiological no-man’s-land: the notorious Gray Zone.

To ride faster, you need to know what is really happening under the hood of your muscles. And you don’t need to be a bio-scientist to understand it. It all revolves around understanding two (magical?) thresholds: LT1 and LT2. What are these thresholds, why do we use a specific zone model to understand them, and why is this the key to escaping that Gray Zone?

Why your sports watch lies: how one short climb holds your fat burning hostage

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

You know the drill: it is Sunday morning, the sun is shining, and you have a targeted 90-minute Zone 2 training session scheduled. Just spinning the legs, keeping your heart rate or power strictly within the lines. The goal? To train your fat oxidation and build that unshakeable aerobic base.

But then, halfway through, that steep railway bridge appears. Your cycling ego starts to tickle. You push through, click into a heavier gear – and bam, you fly up. Heart rate and power skyrocket out of their tight boxes. Reaching the top, you ease off the pedals, your breathing calms down, and your watch quickly signals you are right back in Zone 2.