Show Notes
Want to increase your FTP? Many cyclists assume the answer is simple: do more FTP intervals. While that can help, it's only one piece of the puzzle. In this video, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford introduces a simple coaching framework, Push vs. Pull, to explain how FTP is really built. You'll learn why aerobic training lays the foundation, how VO₂ max work raises your ceiling, and how to combine both throughout the season for your strongest FTP yet. HOST Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach ...
More from The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast by CTS
Free Cycling Training Assessment What would a professional cycling coach change about your training if he could see everything you've been doing? In the first episode of RATE MY TRAINING, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford takes a deep dive into the training history of a real amateur cyclist: Willy B, a 67-year-old gravel racer preparing for another shot at Unbound 200. Willy trains 10–15 hours per week, has experience racing demanding gravel events across Europe and the United States, a...
Free Cycling Training Assessment Cyclists can spend an extraordinary amount of money chasing performance. Supplements promise better recovery. Wearables promise better training decisions. Ketones promise another fuel source. Ceramic components and aero equipment promise free watts. But which purchases actually provide enough benefit to justify the cost? CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford evaluates seven popular cycling purchases through the lens of performance per dollar. He digs into su...
Free Cycling Training Assessment Preparing for your first gravel race can quickly become more complicated than it needs to be. What bike do you need? How wide should your tires be? What pressure should you run? What happens if you flat? How much should you eat? And how fit do you actually need to be? CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford strips gravel racing back to the essentials. He covers the bike and equipment you actually need, fueling strategy, flat repair, tire selection and pressure...
Your wearable gives you a recovery score every morning, but how much should that number influence your training? Adam Pulford breaks down the information coaches actually use when evaluating readiness, including subjective feel, life stress, recent training load, sleep, resting heart rate, and HRV. He also explains why he pays far less attention to proprietary readiness scores and detailed wearable sleep metrics, and why trends are often more useful than one morning’s score. HOST Adam Pulfo...
Strength training has a place in a cyclist’s program year-round, but that doesn’t mean doing the same lifts, loads, and routines for 52 weeks. Adam Pulford explains how he periodizes strength training alongside cycling throughout an athlete’s season. He covers annual planning, how strength priorities change as racing approaches, the anatomy of a well-designed gym session, and why tracking your lifting matters even when you’re not chasing PRs. The takeaway: treat strength training like your ri...