The Roadman Cycling Podcast How To Winter Train - Intensity, Frequency, Duration Explained
Jan 13, 2026
Daryl Fitzgerald, an exercise scientist and coach from Science to Sport, discusses essential winter training strategies for cyclists. He explains the crucial levers of intensity, frequency, and duration, emphasizing that getting it right sets the stage for a successful season. Daryl advocates for tailored training structures based on rider goals and stresses the benefits of low-intensity sessions and proper fueling. He shares the importance of balancing training intensity, spotting stress signals, and maintaining consistency for optimal performance.
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Three Core Training Levers
- Training reduces to three levers: intensity, frequency, and duration, and all programs manipulate only these.
- Daryl Fitzgerald stresses simplicity: coaching complexity always maps back to these three variables.
Individualize Winter Structure
- Individualize winter structure to the athlete's life, goals, and time availability before prescribing sessions.
- If unlimited time, build slow base then progress; if time‑crunched, adapt with reverse periodization and targeted sessions.
Value Of Low‑Cadence Work
- Low‑cadence (low‑gear) work develops neuromuscular pathways that many athletes lack and produces strong responses.
- Daryl positions it as a valuable precursor to base endurance blocks for many riders.