Description
Ride Harder 16-Week Cycling Plan – Get Faster, Ride Longer, and Train Smarter!
Want to become a stronger, faster cyclist and improve your endurance in just 16 weeks? The Ride Harder Plan is a complete power-based cycling program designed to help you build strength, boost efficiency, and ride further for longer—all while fitting around your lifestyle!
🔥 What’s New in 2025?
✅ Strength Training with TrainingPeaks New Builder – Now includes structured strength sessions designed to protect your muscles as you age, keeping you stronger for longer!
✅ Longevity Hacks – Practical strategies to help you live longer, ride further, and stay in top cycling shape for years to come.
✅ Yoga for Cyclist – Yoga specifically created for cyclists included FREE with this training plan. This programme has been created by KMC Yoga and will give you the exact sessions required to assist you with comfort and performance on the bike!
✅ Essential Cycling Skills & Secret Hacks – Master fundamental bike skills with clear, practical advice and insider tips to make you faster without extra effort—because smart riding beats just riding harder!
🚴♂️ This is more than just a training plan—it’s your ultimate cycling blueprint for 2025. Get started today and ride harder, ride smarter, and ride longer! 💪🔥
🚴♂️ What Makes This Plan Different?
Unlike generic training plans, this program goes beyond just prescribing workouts—it focuses on the complete cyclist:
✅ Structured Training: Targets all key physiological systems needed for cycling performance.
✅ Wellness & Mindset: Develop healthy habits and a positive ‘can-do’ mindset.
✅ Strength & Mobility: Improve pedal efficiency, core stability, and flexibility.
✅ Fuel for Performance: Get practical nutrition strategies to fuel your rides and recover faster.
✅ Real-World Results: Unlike Zwift-only plans, this will make you faster on the road, not just in virtual races.
🚨 Extra Month Free! 🚨
By choosing the 16-week plan, you get an extra month of structured training at no additional cost compared to the 12-week version. This makes it the perfect option if you have more time to train and want to reach peak fitness. However, if you’re short on time or unsure about committing to a full 16 weeks, the 12-week plan is still a fantastic choice to get you in top shape efficiently!
💥 16 Weeks to Transform Your Cycling
🔹 Month 1 – ECONOMY:
Pedal like a Pro and develop a CAN DO mindset while building your base fitness
In this first phase, you’ll establish your personal training zones and develop long-term healthy habits to support your cycling journey. The focus will be on refining your pedal stroke and technique to enhance efficiency. Additionally, we’ll dive deep into mindset training to help you think like a cyclist with confidence and determination.
🔹 Month 2 – BASE:
Lay the foundation for riding faster and longer
This phase is all about strengthening your aerobic engine and building base fitness—the cornerstone of every strong cyclist. You’ll work on endurance and strength through structured on-bike sessions while continuing off-bike conditioning to enhance overall performance.
🔹 Month 3 – THRESHOLD:
SMASH your previous Functional Threshold Power (FTP)
In this block, you’ll not only increase your threshold power but also improve your ability to sustain higher efforts for longer durations. As training intensity ramps up, the Ride Harder community will be there to keep you motivated. You’ll also fine-tune your nutrition strategy to optimize performance and recovery.
🔹 Month 4 – AEROBIC CAPACITY
Push your cycling fitness to new heights
With a solid fitness foundation, this phase is designed to elevate your aerobic capacity through targeted interval training. As sessions intensify, we’ll continue focusing on smart training principles, including wellness and nutrition, to ensure peak performance.
The end result? A fitter, faster cyclist equipped with the knowledge and healthy habits to live longer & ride further!
🗓️ How Many Sessions Per Week?
The plan is flexible! Typically, you’ll have:
✔ 2 Key Turbo Sessions during the week
✔ 1 Long Ride at the weekend (indoor or outdoor)
✔ 2 Optional Bonus Sessions for those who want to train more
💻 What You’ll Need
🔹 A turbo trainer or Watt Bike
🔹 Zwift, Rouvy, TrainingPeaks Virtual or a similar platform (optional)
🔹 A FREE TrainingPeaks account
🔹 A heart rate monitor or power meter (outdoor sessions can be done using heart rate alone)
🔥 Yours to Keep—Train on Your Terms!
✔ Start whenever you’re ready
✔ Reuse the plan as many times as you like
✔ Adapt it to fit your lifestyle
💬 What’s the Difference Between the Ride Harder Academy & This Plan?
This plan is a self-supported option delivered via TrainingPeaks, allowing you to train independently. The Ride Harder Academy, on the other hand, offers coaching support, expert guidance (nutrition, mindset, strength training), exclusive brand discounts, and a team environment—with intakes every October and an Advanced version in January.
🚀 Ready to Ride Harder? Get started today and take your cycling to the next level!
Carl Morris –
FTP up and body weight down! I only started cycling in April 2020 due to lockdown and after doing it for a few months I wanted to progress so started looking at training plans but didn’t know what sort of training to go for so thought it would be a good idea to sign up to the Ride Harder 16 week Plan.
I am so glad I did as my fitness and overall knowledge are improving, and I can’t wait to continue.
Mike Woods (@the_essex_cyclist) –
My FTP went from 244w to 269w after 16 weeks. Starting the Advanced Plan now!
Daniel Ward (Triathlon Dan, YouTube) –
Hit my biggest ever FTP! The plan ensured that I wasn’t wasting time on inefficient training and was maximising the fitness gains I made. The plan also gave me the knowledge to understand the specific purpose of each training session as well as periodisation as a whole. The volume was manageable and meant that I could re-arrange my training week around life commitments without missing key training sessions, James highlighted within TrainingPeaks which sessions are “key” and which sessions are “optional” which really helped me manage my training for the best possible results.
I think that this plan is excellent both for athletes who haven’t been coached before and are looking for a halfway step at a reduced cost for an entry to structured training, as well as those who have extensive experience and so wish to have more control and input into their training plan.
I follow this plan year after year with continued improvements and hope that many others will #TrainSmart and #RideHarder“”
Vernon Anderson –
I started working with James at the very beginning of Ride Harder as I wanted to add some structure to my bike training through the winter as I moved towards Triathlon more seriously.
I consider this one of the best decisions I could make, as James’ approach to the first of the Winter plans was superb and shows in the way it has grown to this point.
My Triathlon path has developed through Ride Harder, as I became a part of the full coaching offered.
During my time with James, I found him to be highly professional, massively knowledgeable, always looking to add to is knowledge, not afraid to make mistakes to grow and a great communicator.
In addition to this, he has and still does remain a great source of advice and support to me and my endeavours for which I am very grateful.
I am now self-coached but without the knowledge I built in the time is spent with RideHarder, I feel this would not be as successful as it has been.
My season this year has seen me go to Challenge Roth and set a new PB of 10:32 at the Full Distance, something I am very proud of and feel I can improve further.
One last point to add, James is also my bike fitter of choice. I feel this is not a one-off thing and having a consistent point to come back to has been great.
Thanks for all of the support over the years Ride Harder!
Doug Shawcross –
It seemed like a big leap for me to go from cycling for fun to full-on Academy hardcore training with all it’s associated jargon of FTP’s, Threshold Zones and ERG. But I have to say, it’s been the best decision of my cycling life to do this. The sessions are progressive and I loved the simplicity of how the IT worked to track progress and ensure accountability to do the sessions in the first place. 100% I would not have made the advances in fitness and benefit from targeted variation in exercise zones, should I tried to do this on my own accord without a plan or support from James and fellow Academy riders. If you’ve been umming and ahhing over doing Academy training I would thoroughly recommend Ride Harder and just taking the plunge, you won’t regret it!
Ray Knights –
Being a first-timer on a training plan I had nothing to gauge it by. But after a steady start it gradually built up over the 16 weeks & it worked very well for me. I have definitely noticed the improvements & would thoroughly recommend this plan. Looking forward to summer 2020.
Richard Goodwin –
I have found the Academy different in that I have less direct contact with you but being part of a larger group all trying to improve is great. I have made less use of the Facebook page than others, preferring to just get on with it and only reach out if I need advice, although the initial Tuesday web chats were helpful in establishing the degree of flexibility with the sessions. Certainly, I have found the power pedals make a difference – for example, I know that as I tire during higher intensity session if I was to maintain my HR then my power would decline but with the pedals, I maintain my power and my HR increases – so I work harder. I must admit I had expected the Academy to require fewer sessions per week than the 1:1 program over the summer but in hindsight, I know that starting the summer as fit as I was at the end of last summer will only mean I am that much fitter for the rides in the coming summer.
Jane Stockings (verified owner) –
I am five weeks into this plan and am loving it. I am very much a novice and have never had a plan before and had thought it would be too advanced but having purchased a Watt bike this is perfect to structure training. It also provides so much more than the plans available on the hub or other platforms as James provides the reasoning behind sessions and there is so much additional content including stretches and strength training. I don’t know about whether my FTP has increased yet however what I do know is I love having a focus, the reasoning behind the plan and already my weight and fat are down and my muscle is up and that includes over Christmas! – thanks James – can totally recommend this plan.