Frequency first: the order that actually works

When you train, you disturb the system. Your body adapts during recovery and becomes better prepared for the next time. The catch? That adaptation effect fades when the breaks between sessions get too long. If you only ride once a week, training might feel nice, but the stimulus is largely gone after six days of rest. So, before you chase bigger volume or harder sessions, you need to train often enough that the adaptations stack.

7 reasons Frequency First works

1) Training works by repeating the stimulus

The promise of training is improvement but only if you repeat the signal. Long gaps between rides mean you’re constantly restarting instead of building.

2) Long, hard workouts cost you days

The harder and longer you go, the more recovery you need. That often forces fewer sessions per week and ironically, less consistency. You see this even with pros: after blocks of mostly training (few races), performance especially when fatigued often looks better than after periods packed with racing, where recovery gets harder to manage.

3) Three short rides often beat one big ride

Training 3 times an hour has more effect than training 3 hours once a week. Indeed, a study with recreational cyclists found that a 10-week training period with 2-3 times per week of very short heavy HIT training had as much effect on endurance as nearly 7 hours per week of low-intensity work alone.* With a total of 1.6 hours of HIT training, the same effect was achieved as 6.8 hours of low-intensity work on a 3-hour test. This test then involved cycling at 50% of VO2max for 3 hours and looking at the extent of fatigue by looking at increases in heart rate, oxygen uptake and lactate, among other things. What was found is that both groups were equally improved.

4) No, intensity doesn’t replace volume

That same research doesn’t prove you can substitute all volume with intensity. Improvements were modest, and there are no shortcuts for long goals. The real magic is combining longer rides with some intensity but only once your weekly rhythm is stable. Still, if you must choose: 3 × 1 hour beats 1 × 3 hours.

5) It fits real life

An hour is easier to fit in than a long ride that eats your day and disrupts work, family, and recovery. Frequency is simply more realistic for most people.

6) Consistency creates rhythm (for you and everyone around you)

Regular sessions create a cadence your life can adapt to. Random long rides are harder to defend and more likely to get skipped.

7) The more you ride, the easier it is to ride again

Training builds momentum. The “starting friction” gets lower, habits form, and those feel-good hormones (serotonin, endorphins, dopamine) help pull you toward the next session.

How often is enough?

A strong baseline for almost every cyclist is: 3 sessions per week. If you have more room after that, the next step is usually to extend one of those sessions. But especially in winter, don’t protect one long endurance ride at the expense of frequency. The better foundation is still: three rides per week, consistently. Because once you have frequency, then volume and intensity can do their job.