The British Cycling 8-week Track Cycling Training Plan is is aimed primarily at endurance focussed riders who want to prepare for their local track league, a specific event or championships or simply gain more track specific fitness.

The plan and the workouts within it are most suited to power users but can be adapted for heart rate. All of the cycling workouts are fully built within the plan and so, it’s compatible with smart trainers and many head units. Most of the indoor trainer sessions are also scripted to be used as custom workouts on Zwift.

To start the plan, you should ideally be riding three or four times a week, be familiar with structured training and be capable of riding for 3 hours.

The volume of training is between 5-9 hours per week. If you’re already familiar with TrainingPeaks and its metrics, weekly TSS is between 133-438.

The plan gives the option of a SQT (structured quality training) session each week. As well as being a focussed training session, these coached workouts also give you the opportunity to work on your track skills and race techniques. This session can also be a track league if you are already in season. If you don’t have weekly access to a track, follow the session given. We realise that your local track’s SQT session or track league may not fall on the same day as scheduled in our plan and so you may need to re-structure your week. This is easily done with the three rest days and, in general, simply schedule in a rest day on the days before and after each workout.

The cycling training is typically broken down into four rides; two mid-week and two at the weekend. The mid-week rides are more suited to an indoor trainer, with one giving the option for a track session, but can easily be completed on the road. The first weekend ride focuses on strength and acceleration and can be completed on the road, indoor trainer or even the track. The second is more endurance focussed.

Strength work was once the preserve of track sprinters but now it's accepted as an essential component of endurance riders' training too. You have two dedicated strength sessions each week which are scheduled in the morning as “split days” with a cycling workout in the evening. You will find advice in the session notes about how to minimise the interference between the two sessions. If you’re building to a specific event at the end of the 8-week plan, keep an eye out for notes telling you to back off the strength work during Weeks 7&8. If you’re not familiar with strength training, you should seek the advice of a qualified fitness professional.

At the end of Week 8, a track meet is scheduled but, if this isn’t the case for you, this session should be an easy Free Ride (see Week 4). If you’re competing in a track league and racing weekly, you can carry on back through the plan. Substitute your race night for the Tuesday session and don’t do strength work that morning. In-season, you can drop the strength work to one session a week and view it as maintenance.