It's one of the most frequently asked questions and one of the most difficult to answer. It won't come as a surprise that the unsatisfactory answer is: 'it depends'. It depends, for example, on your starting point, on how many hours you train per week, per month and per year and of course genetics (aka talent).

By Jim van den Berg, Founder & CEO of JOIN Sports

How ​​much does someone improve on average in JOIN in the first 3 months?

If you start training with JOIN for a number of hours per week and for 3 months, what would happen? There's only one condition: You need to complete 13 training sessions in total during these 3 months (= 13 weeks).

Thanks to aggregated data of JOIN this is a question that is much easier to answer. This should give novice JOIN users something to hold on to as well. As can be seen in the graph below, we have made a distinction between the number of training hours per week. Logically, more training means more progression. Progress is expressed in a JOIN Level. This score is a combination of a person's FTP, weight and fitness level.

With only 3 to 5 hours of training per week, the progression is already 8%. When the number of training hours is increased to 7 hours or more, progression increases to a whooping 24%! To translate this into actual power numbers, we also look at the improvement in Functional Threshold Power (FTP). On average, FTP increases with 12 Watts when training between 5 and 7 hours per week during the first 3 months (second graph). This may not look much, but a cyclist weighing 80 kilos will take 1 hour and 12 minutes to ride up Alpe d'Huez with 250 Watts. A 12 Watt increase results in a potential time improvement of 7 minutes.

Not bad for just 3 months of training, right?! Want to know more or give it a try yourself? Check out our website https://join.cc/ or get it in your favorite app store.

Your JOIN Level

JOIN cycling has one number, to rule them all. The JOIN-level! This score is a combination of your weight, your FTP, and your training level. This way you can easily measure your own progress and compare it with other cyclists. Please, watch the explainer video and learn all about the JOIN Level.