Over 40 and wondering why the same workouts, rides and races hit harder than they used to? On this episode of the FasCat Podcast Coach Frank answered that question and gave you a simple way to train for it: the Masters Diamond.
The biggest change isn't intensity, it's recovery. A hard workout that took one night to bounce back from at 30 can take two nights at 55. After 20+ years of coaching Masters athletes at FasCat, here's how we train athlete's over 40/50/60/ & 70:
⚾ The Masters Diamond
Picture a baseball diamond with four bases:
1️⃣ First base is Time: how many hours a week you actually have to train
2️⃣ Second base is Dose: your intervals, sets and reps
3️⃣ Third base is Recovery: the rest you need to absorb that dose
🏠 Home plate is Life: staying flexible when life happens
Touch all four bases and you score a run, and that run is consistency. The bases are connected. Change one and you change the others. Skip a base and you're out.
In this episode:
🔹 The four age bands we coach by (40+, 50+, 60+ and 70+) and what changes in each
🔹 VO2 max intervals by age: why 50+ athletes do 2 sets of 2 x 5 minutes instead of 3 x 5
🔹 The new Rønnestad VO2 workouts in CoachCat
🔹 Sweet Spot for Masters: shorter sessions (45 to 90 minutes), done more often
🔹 Sprint work at 40, 50 and 60+ and why you shouldn't give up Zone 6
🔹 The golden rule: cut sets and reps before you cut intensity, and pull the plug before you're fully cooked
🔹 How many hours a week you really need (even retired, more isn't better)
🔹 Recovery weeks, comebacks and why your plan's rest is the floor, not the ceiling
🔹 Year round strength training for Masters cyclists
🔹 How CoachCat adjusts your training for your age, from morning recovery scores to 8 to 12 week adaptation blocks
🔹 Live Q&A with your Masters training questions
Whether you're 42 and chasing a PR or 68 and hanging with the fast group on Saturdays, this one's for you. Run the bases, stay consistent and you'll keep getting faster.
📖 Read the full article: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/masters-coaching/
Want help? We provide two types of coaching to help you ride faster:
🚴 CoachCat, your AI cycling coach built on 20 years of FasCat coaching: free trial at https://fascatcoaching.com/app
🤝 1x1 Coaching with a FasCat coach: book a complimentary consultation
Join us LIVE every Friday at 2pm ET and bring your questions.
