During the winter months, the days are shorter, and the weather is worse. Many cyclists also have limited training opportunities. Long endurance rides may not seem like the best option for building a solid foundation for the summer. If you search online for the best winter training methods, you will often come across the term HIIT. But what is the best choice for winter training? Endurance training or HIIT?
HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. Scientific research shows that intense intervals can improve your endurance, VO2max, and efficiency1. This seems ideal for cyclists with limited time who still want to prepare well for the new season. However, HIIT comes with certain drawbacks, and endurance training is often the better option.
Duration of scientific research
Scientific studies almost always compare HIIT with endurance training at moderate intensity. It is not difficult to predict that, in most cases, a group of cyclists will make more progress with interval training than a group doing only endurance training. The issue with these studies lies in their duration.
A scientific study typically lasts 8, 10, 12, or perhaps 16 weeks, whereas a cycling season is significantly longer. In the short term, intensive interval training is almost always more effective than low-intensity endurance training, but cyclists who train at a lower intensity in winter do not maintain this level year-round. They, too, will increase intensity at some point. Cyclists who train intensively for extended periods quickly reach a plateau, while those following a more traditional progression continually provide their bodies with new stimuli, allowing them to make greater progress over time than a HIIT group.
Variation and periodisation provide new training stimuli
In most scientific studies, well-trained cyclists complete three or four high-intensity interval sessions per week and are then compared with cyclists who only perform three or four endurance sessions per week. This setup may be realistic in a laboratory, but in real-world situations, cyclists rarely follow the exact same training routine for weeks on end. Training variation provides new stimuli, and periodisation structures the training plans for cyclists.
Over the years, various periodisation models have been developed. In the classic periodisation model2 3, volume is high, and intensity is low at the start, gradually shifting to lower volume and higher intensity as the peak phase approaches. Another example is ‘Block Periodisation,’ where athletes perform five HIIT sessions in one week, followed by three weeks with only one HIIT session per week, with all other sessions at low intensity4. ‘Polarised Training’ is another model in which 80% of training is done at very low intensity and 20% at high intensity (~90-95% of VO2max)5.
Through periodisation, a coach can incorporate necessary variation into a training plan, ensuring the body continually receives new stimuli. However, these models also include endurance training during the winter months.
No long winter training in reverse periodisation
To avoid long training sessions in winter, a model was developed that reverses the periodisation approach. In ‘Reverse Periodisation,’ cyclists train at high intensity with low volume during winter, gradually decreasing intensity while increasing volume in subsequent training periods6. Cyclists following this approach do not need to complete long, low-intensity rides when time is limited, and outdoor conditions are harsher.
On paper, this model seems to solve several problems for cyclists, but in practice, it does not work as well. If you are training for a short, intense event, this model suggests performing long, low-intensity rides in the final weeks before your event. If you are preparing for a long-distance ride, this approach may be beneficial. However, you may struggle to maintain intensity on climbs or find that your endurance base is insufficient, making the long ride more challenging.
Does endurance training take too much time?
Cyclists cannot avoid endurance training. When thinking about endurance rides, most people picture a long summer ride or a professional cyclist spending 6 to 7 hours on the bike. In winter, when temperatures are lower and daylight is limited, these kinds of sessions seem far from ideal. However, it is not necessary to ride for such long durations to achieve effective endurance training. What matters is what happens inside your body during the session.
If you have limited time, a 90-minute endurance ride can still be sufficient to stimulate adaptation. A cyclist training 6 to 8 hours per week in winter could do two 90-minute sessions during the week and a 3-hour ride at the weekend. This approach builds a solid endurance base that can be developed further in spring.
The most important factor is ensuring that endurance rides are performed at the correct intensity. Many cyclists ride too hard during their endurance sessions, which means they are not truly engaging in endurance training—even if the session lasts 6 hours. At low intensity, the body primarily burns fats; as intensity increases, carbohydrate utilisation rises. By performing endurance rides at very low intensity, you develop a much broader aerobic base. You can even introduce some variation by including a few short sprints or a sustained tempo block in your training plan.
1. MacInnis, M. J., Gibala, M. J. (2017). Physiological adaptations to interval training and the role of exercise intensity. J. Physiol. May 1;595(9):2915-2930. doi: 10.1113/JP273196.
2. Matveev, L. P., & Zdornyj, A. P. (1981). Fundamentals of sports training. Progress.
3. Bompa, T. O., Buzzichelli, C. A. (2018). Periodization Theory and Methodology of Training (6th ed.). Human Kinetics Publishers
4. Rønnestad, B. R., Ellefsen, S., Nygaard, H., Zacharoff, E. E., Vikmoen, O., Hansen, J., Hallén, J. (2014). Effects of 12 weeks of block periodization on performance and performance indices in well-trained cyclists. Scand J Med Sci Sport. Apr;24(2):327-35. doi: 10.1111/sms.12016.
5. Seiler, S. (2010). What is best practice for training intensity and duration distribution in endurance athletes? Int J Sports Physiol Perform. Sep;5(3):276-91. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.5.3.276.
6. Arroyo-Toledo, J. J., Clemente, V. J., Gonzalez-Rave, J. M., Ramos Campo, D. J., Sortwell, A. (2013). Comparison between traditional and reverse periodization: Swimming performance and specific strength values. Int. J. Swim. Kinet. 2013, 2, 87–96.
