Topics Covered In This Episode:

•  Why shorter cranks and narrower bars?
• Determining the right road, gravel, MTB handlebar width
• Recommendations for amateur and time-crunched cyclists
• What is crank length and why it matters
• Benefits of shorter cranks
• Should cranks on all your bikes be the same length?
• Bonus: How do you choose a good saddle?

Guest:

Renee Eastman is a CTS Premier Level Coach and has been coaching with the company for more than 20 years. She has been a professional bike fitter for 15 years and was one of the first fitters to use the Retül bike fit system. She has a master's degree in exercise science, has worked for USA Cycling, and is a 6-time Masters National Champion.

Show Links:

• Renee Eastman bio: https://trainright.com/coaches/renee-eastman/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renee.eastman/?hl=en

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Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 14 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Questions/Topics Covered In This Episode:

• Strategy #1: General fitness, picking from a "workout buffet"
• Strategy #2: Performance training, specific duration/workout goals
  • Threshold workouts: ~30-60min of Time in Zone (TiZ), 8-60min interval durations, 2:1 work to rest ratios, 91-105% FTP, RPE: 7-8, extensive or intensive 
  • VO2 Max Workouts: 10-25min of Time in Zone, 1.5-5min interval durations, 1:1 work to rest ratios, 106-121% of FTP, RPE: 9
  • Extensive Anaerobic Capacity workouts: 4-12min of total time in zone ,30-60s interval durations, 1:2 and up to 1:10 work to rest, RPE: 9-10
  • Intensive Anaerobic Capacity workouts: ~1-2min TiZ, 10-20s interval durations, full rest (~7-12min), RPE: 10
• Strategy #3: Other Goals
  • Specific workouts for weight loss goals, 
  • Specific workouts for metabolic flexibility
  • Specific workouts for gaining mass

RESOURCES
- An Introduction to the New iLevels in WKO4 | TrainingPeaks
- How to determine workout targets using WKO iLevels
- Episode 168 - Zone 2: Testing to personalize your Zone 2 and improve base training
- Episode 169 - Sugar Burner vs. Fat Burner Cyclists in Lab Testing, Training, and Competition
- Episode 46: Periodization, Training Modalities with Tim Cusick
- Episode 8: Deciphering Training Methodologies with Tim Cusick

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Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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The pros are eating 120 grams of carbohydrate per hour in some races and hard training sessions. Should you consume that much? Would you perform better if you did? In Episode 192 of The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast, Outside Magazine's Sweat Science columnist Alex Hutchinson joins Host Adam Pulford to discuss the latest trend toward super-high carbohydrate intakes during exercise. 

Topics in this Episode:

• History of carbohydrate fueling recommendations
• Endogenous vs. Exogenous fueling
• When would more carbohydrate be beneficial?
• Why might more carbohydrate not be better?
• Super-high carbohydrate for elites vs. masters and amateur cyclists
• Why replace 30-40% of energy expenditure on performance days
• Practical carbohydrate fueling recommendations for Time-Crunched Cyclists

Resources:

• Youtube video of this episode  
• Alex's Twitter(X) @sweatscience
• Website: https://sweatscience.com/
• Resources:
  - Alex’s Article on Outside:
  
  - Study: Assessing exogenous carbohydrate intake needed to optimize human endurance performance across sex: insights from modeling runners pursuing a sub-2-h marathon
  
  - Study: Increased exogenous but unaltered endogenous carbohydrate oxidation with combined fructose-maltodextrin ingested at 120 g h−1 versus 90 g h−1 at different ratios 

Guest: Alex Hutchinson, PhD
Alex Hutchinson is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist and Outside’s Sweat Science columnist, covering the latest research on endurance and outdoor sports. His most recent book is the New York Times bestseller Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. Before becoming a journalist, he completed a PhD in physics at the University of Cambridge and worked as a researcher in the National Security Agency’s Quantum Computing group. He also competed for the Canadian national team in track, cross-country, road, and mountain running. He lives (and runs) in Toronto.

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Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 14 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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In Episode 191 of The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast, Outside Magazine's Sweatscience columnist Alex Hutchinson joins Host Adam Pulford to discuss the keys to long term success as an athlete. In particular, they draw on skills acquisition research from Mark Williams of the Institute of Human and Machine Cognition in Florida and Nicola Hodges of the University of British Columbia. 

5 Keys to Long Term Success in Endurance Training:

1. Balancing Performance with Learning
2. Choosing Quality over Quantity
3. Fostering Autonomy
4. Being Specific
5. Respect Individual Differences

Resources:

• Youtube video of this episode  
• Alex's Twitter(X) @sweatscience
• Website: https://sweatscience.com/
• Resources:
  - Alex’s Article on Outside: How to Train for Long-Term Success 
  - Effective practice and instruction: A skill acquisition framework for excellence: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37603709/

Guest: Alex Hutchinson, PhD
Alex Hutchinson is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist and Outside’s Sweat Science columnist, covering the latest research on endurance and outdoor sports. His most recent book is the New York Times bestseller Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. Before becoming a journalist, he completed a PhD in physics at the University of Cambridge and worked as a researcher in the National Security Agency’s Quantum Computing group. He also competed for the Canadian national team in track, cross-country, road, and mountain running. He lives (and runs) in Toronto.

ASK A QUESTION FOR A FUTURE PODCAST

Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 14 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Join our weekly newsletter

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Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
Twitter: @trainright
Facebook: @CTSAthlete

Questions/Topics Covered In This Episode:

• How much difference will it make if I train on a heavy bike and race on a light bike
• Why Total System Weight matters
• Cheapest way to lower total system weight
• How do I know if I've maxed out my Functional Threshold Power?
• Have you maxed out training volume or intensity?
• How to lengthen rides and use mini-camps
• What to do when you can't add more time
• Polarized training to pull FTP up

RESOURCES
- Total System Weight Calculator: https://www.broleur.com/hill-climb-calculator/
- Trainright Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/
- Episode 48 with Dr. Stephen Seiler: https://youtu.be/KfvRy_b1z2k
- Episode 164 on Extensive and Intensive interval training: https://youtu.be/S-95GTC52mA

ASK A QUESTION FOR A FUTURE PODCAST

Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 13 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
Twitter: @trainright
Facebook: @CTSAthlete

In Episode 189 of The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast, Outside Magazine's Sweatscience columnist Alex Hutchinson joins Host Adam Pulford to discuss the details that separate crappy training from high-quality training. Whether you're balancing your passion for cycling with a demanding schedule or aiming to refine your training routine, this conversation offers invaluable insights into achieving peak performance.

Key topics in this episode:

• What is "training quality"?
• The role of device data in defining training quality
• How to adjust training on the fly, during workouts?
•  Indicators of training quality
• The role of iteration and reflection on personalizing training for you
• How do you know if your training plan is crap?
• Four indicators your training plan isn't working

Resources:

• Youtube video of this episode  (includes visuals described in audio version)
• Alex's Twitter(X) @sweatscience
• Website: https://sweatscience.com/
• Resources:
  - Alex’s Article on Outside: What Makes Training High-Quality—or Not?
  
  - Haugen et al: Training Quality—What Is It and How Can We Improve It?  

Guest: Alex Hutchinson, PhD
Alex Hutchinson is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist and Outside’s Sweat Science columnist, covering the latest research on endurance and outdoor sports. His most recent book is the New York Times bestseller Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. Before becoming a journalist, he completed a PhD in physics at the University of Cambridge and worked as a researcher in the National Security Agency’s Quantum Computing group. He also competed for the Canadian national team in track, cross-country, road, and mountain running. He lives (and runs) in Toronto.

ASK A QUESTION FOR A FUTURE PODCAST

Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 14 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Join our weekly newsletter

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Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
Twitter: @trainright
Facebook: @CTSAthlete

Questions/Topics Covered In This Episode:
00:45 - How can I strength train my legs with less stress on my hips, post surgery?
03:20 - Isometric holds (wall sits) for leg strength
04:52 - Lunge complex for mobility and strength
09:32 - Coming back from surgery, my cardiovascular system is good, but my leg strength needs work. How do I get both back on track?
11:33 - Sample workout for increasing strength training 

ASK A QUESTION FOR A FUTURE PODCAST

Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 13 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
Twitter: @trainright
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8-Time US National Champion and CTS Coach John Croom is the anaerobic king. His power numbers and FRC (functional reserve capacity) were phenomenal at the height of his career. In this episode of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", he reveals the techniques and workouts he uses to help athletes unlock the power of anaerobic capacity for race-winning performance. And anaerobic capacity is not just for racers... AC is the power all cyclists rely on for sharp accelerations in a group ride, to charge up a hill, or sprint against your buddies.

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Guest: John Croom
John Croom started his athletic career as a 305-pound football player turned wrestler before finding track cycling. Even at 200-215 pounds, he was frequently told he was too large to be competitive as a cyclist, but he persevered and won 8 USA Cycling National Championships on the velodrome! Shortly after realizing he would not qualify for Team USA for the 2024 Olympics, he seized an opportunity to join the American Magic professional sailing team as they prepare to compete for the 37th America's Cup. John continues to work as a CTS Coach.

Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 14 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
Twitter: @trainright
Facebook: @CTSAthlete

Episode 186 features a fascinating conversation with CTS Coach John Croom, who defied norms to make the leap from a team sport heavyweight to a professional track cyclist and now an America's Cup sailor with  the American Magic team. This episode chronicles Croom's physical transformation and mental fortitude, providing a goldmine of motivation and insight for heavier cyclists looking to leverage their size rather feel ostracized or disadvantaged because of it. 

Topics in this episode:

• John Croom's background and heavyweight pathway into sports
• Training and weight loss journey to become an elite cyclist
• Croom's struggle to balance fueling and weight management
• Croom's advice for effective weight loss and management
• Training and advancing to a Track Cycling National Champion
• Transitioning from Track Cycling to America's Cup Sailing
• A cyclist's role on an America's Cup sailboat
• Why John Croom is still working as a cycling coach

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Guest: John Croom
John Croom started his athletic career as a 305-pound football player turned wrestler before finding track cycling. Even at 200-215 pounds, he was frequently told he was too large to be competitive as a cyclist, but he persevered and won 8 USA Cycling National Championships on the velodrome! Shortly after realizing he would not qualify for Team USA for the 2024 Olympics, he seized an opportunity to join the American Magic professional sailing team as they prepare to compete for the 37th America's Cup. John continues to work as a CTS Coach.

Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 14 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

GET FREE TRAINING CONTENT

Join our weekly newsletter

CONNECT WITH CTS

Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
Twitter: @trainright
Facebook: @CTSAthlete

Episode 185 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast" is a quick one, at just about 11 minutes, but it's packed with great, practical information about checking and confirming your bike fit.

Questions in this episode:

• How often should cyclists redo bike fits?
• How do you translate bike fit measurements from bike to bike?

ASK A QUESTION FOR A FUTURE PODCAST

Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 13 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
Twitter: @trainright
Facebook: @CTSAthlete

Topics in This Episode:

• Recap of "Science of a Great Pedal Stroke" podcast (Episode 183)
• Why cyclists should train the full range of cadences
• "Normal" cadence ranges for different types of cycling
• How to train different cadences (low, high, high + high power)
• Fast Pedal workout (high cadence, low power)
• Muscle Tension workout (low cadence, high torque)
• Power Intervals (high cadence, high power)
• Sprinting!

Resources:

• Youtube video of this episode
• Youtube video of episode 183  (includes visuals described in audio version)
• Articles: 
  • Everything to Know About Pedaling to Maximize Your Cycling Power
  • Why and When to Use Low-Cadence Intervals in Cycling Training 
  • Cycling Cadence: How Fast Should You Pedal for Ideal Performance
• Research: 
  • Influence of duty cycle on the time course of muscle fatigue and the onset of neuromuscular compensation during exhaustive dynamic isolated limb exercise
  • Optimal cadence selection during cycling : review article | International SportMed Journal

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Guest: Charlie Livermore
Charlie Livermore first worked in Pro Cycling in 1989 with the Wheaties-Schwinn Cycling Team. Then he worked with Chris Carmichael at USA Cycling before spending three years with the Coors Lite Cycling Team, and finally seven years at the helm of the Volvo/Cannondale Pro MTB Team. In 2004, Charlie founded and operated a cycling performance center in Northern California. In 2006 he co-founded Continuum Sports, the management company of the BMC Pro Cycling Team. He joined CTS as a coach in 2011.

Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for more than 14 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

GET FREE TRAINING CONTENT

Join our weekly newsletter

CONNECT WITH CTS

Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
Twitter: @trainright
Facebook: @CTSAthlete