If you've been cycling seriously for years, you've probably noticed something frustrating: the rapid improvements you experienced early on have slowed to a crawl. What once took months now takes years. You're not imagining it—and it's not because you're doing something wrong.
The culprit is your trainingg](/knowledge-base/training-across-the-menstrual-cycle-optimizing-performance-for-female-cyclists) age, and understanding it is crucial for setting realistic expectations and designing effective training programs as you progress from beginner to advanced athlete.
What Is Training Age?
Training age refers to the number of years you've been engaged in structured, progressive training—not your chronological age. A 45-year-old who started serious cycling training two years ago has a training age of two years. A 25-year-old who's been racing since age 15 has a training age of ten years.
This distinction matters because training age is a better predictor of how you'll respond to training than the number of candles on your birthday cake. Your body adapts to training stress over time, and with each year of consistent training, the adaptations become more difficult to achieve.
The Beginner Gains Phenomenon
When you first start structured training, nearly everything works. Ride consistently for a few weeks? Your FTP jumps 20 watts. Add some intervals? Another 15 watts. The improvements come fast and feel almost magical.
This phase—roughly the first 1-2 years of serious training—is characterized by rapid physiological adaptations:
During this phase, beginners can often improve their FTP by 30-50% or more in their first year with consistent training. The body is responding to a novel stimulus, and the low-hanging fruit is abundant.
After the initial honeymoon period, gains start to slow. Athletes with 2-5 years of training experience—intermediate-level cyclists—find that improvements require more deliberate programming and attention to detail.
The physiological systems that adapted quickly in year one are now operating at a higher baseline. To push them further requires:
More specific training stimulus (not just "more miles")
Better periodization and planning
Increased attention to recovery
Focus on weaknesses rather than strengths
An intermediate cyclist might see FTP improvements of 5-15% per year with good programming—still substantial, but nowhere near beginner gains.
Advanced Athletes and Diminishing Returns (5+ Years)
Once you've been training seriously for five or more years, you enter the realm of diminishing returns. At this stage, even small improvements require enormous effort and precision.
Consider the numbers: An advanced athlete with an FTP of 310 watts (like your current level at 83kg body weight, targeting 4 w/kg) might work an entire season to gain 10-15 watts. That's a 3-5% improvement—meaningful for performance, but modest compared to beginner gains.
This is where the concept of marginal gains becomes critical. Advanced athletes must optimize:
Training periodization down to the microcycle
Recovery protocols and sleep quality
Nutrition timing and composition
Equipment optimization
Psychological and tactical skills
Race-specific preparation
At this level, the difference between good and great often comes down to details that would have been insignificant for a beginner.
Why Training Age Matters More Than Chronological Age
A common misconception is that older athletes can't improve as much as younger ones. While chronological age does play a role (particularly after age 50-60 for most people), training age is often more limiting.
Late-start athletes—those who begin serious training later in life—often experience rapid beginner gains regardless of their chronological age. A 40-year-old starting structured training can see similar relative improvements to a 20-year-old beginner, albeit from a potentially different baseline.
The key difference is that late-start athletes may have less time to accumulate the years of training needed to reach elite levels. But for those focused on personal improvement rather than absolute performance, training age provides a more useful framework than chronological age.
Setting Realistic Expectations Based on Training Age
Understanding your training age helps set appropriate goals:
Beginners (0-2 years of structured training)
Expected annual FTP improvement: 30-50% in year one; 15-30% in year two
Focus: Building consistent training habits, increasing volume progressively, learning basic intensity work
Key principle: Almost any consistent training will drive improvements
Intermediate Athletes (2-5 years)
Expected annual FTP improvement: 5-15%
Focus: Structured periodization, addressing weaknesses, improving training consistency, beginning specialization
Key principle: Specificity and progressive overload become increasingly important
Advanced Athletes (5+ years)
Expected annual FTP improvement: 2-5% (or maintaining current levels while improving other aspects)
Focus: Marginal gains, precision in programming, recovery optimization, psychological and tactical development
Key principle: Small improvements in multiple areas compound to meaningful performance gains
How to Keep Progressing as Your Training Age Increases
1. Accept the Reality of Diminishing Returns
The first step is psychological: understand that slower progress is normal and expected. A 3% FTP improvement after five years of training represents a similar training stimulus and adaptation challenge as a 20% improvement in year one.
2. Shift Focus from Absolute to Relative Gains
Instead of comparing your current rate of improvement to your beginner gains, compare your performance to athletes with similar training age. The competitive landscape at advanced levels is defined by small differences.
3. Increase Training Sophistication
As training age increases, programming must become more sophisticated:
Move from simple linear periodization to more complex models (undulating, block, conjugate)
Incorporate training modalities that address specific limiters (VO2max work, neuromuscular power, threshold work)
Use data analytics to identify weaknesses and track progress in granular detail
4. Prioritize Recovery and Adaptation
Advanced athletes often find that the limiting factor isn't their ability to train hard, but their ability to recover from hard training. With your resting heart rate of 56 bpm indicating good cardiovascular fitness, focus on:
Sleep quality and duration (7-9 hours for most athletes)
Nutrition timing around key workouts
Active recovery protocols
Stress management outside of training
5. Focus on Marginal Gains in Multiple Areas
When physiological improvements plateau, look for gains in:
Technical skills: Bike handling, cornering, drafting efficiency
Tactical knowledge: Race strategy, pacing, when to attack
Equipment optimization: Aerodynamics, bike fit, component selection
A 2% improvement in aerodynamics combined with a 2% improvement in pacing strategy can yield performance gains equivalent to months of hard training.
6. Periodize Your Training More Precisely
Advanced athletes benefit from careful periodization. For your goal of reaching 4 w/kg by April 30th (approximately 332 watts at 83kg, up from your current 313 watts FTP), a 6% improvement, you'll need:
A well-structured base phase focusing on aerobic development
Progressive build phases with targeted intensity work
Adequate recovery weeks (typically every 3-4 weeks)
A taper period before key assessment or target events
7. Consider Specialization
Advanced athletes often benefit from specializing in specific event types or durations rather than trying to improve everything simultaneously. Focus your training on your primary goals and accept that some areas may plateau or even decline slightly.
The Training Plateau Myth
Many cyclists worry they've hit a permanent plateau. True plateaus—where no further improvement is possible—are rare except at the very elite level. More commonly, what feels like a plateau is actually:
Training stimulus mismatch: Doing the same training that worked last year without progressive overload
Life stress interference: Work, family, or other stressors impacting adaptation
Unrealistic expectations: Expecting beginner-level gains at an advanced training age
Addressing these issues often reveals that progress is still possible—just at a slower rate than early in your cycling journey.
Long-Term Athletic Development
Viewing your cycling through the lens of training age encourages a long-term perspective on athletic development. Rather than chasing quick fixes or unsustainable training loads, focus on:
Year-over-year consistency (the most underrated training principle)
Gradual, sustainable increases in training load
Skill development that compounds over years
Building training practices you can maintain long-term
This approach not only leads to better results but also greater enjoyment and longevity in the sport.
Conclusion: Embrace Your Training Age
Understanding training age transforms how you approach cycling improvement. Whether you're in your first year of structured training or your tenth, knowing where you are on the development curve helps set appropriate expectations and guides programming decisions.
For beginners, the message is encouraging: consistent training will yield rapid improvements. For intermediate athletes, the path forward requires more deliberate planning and attention to detail. For advanced cyclists, the challenge is embracing marginal gains and finding satisfaction in small, hard-won improvements.
As an advanced cyclist with a solid FTP and years of training experience, your goal of reaching 4 w/kg is achievable—but it will require the sophisticated approach befitting your training age. Focus on precision in programming, optimize recovery, and look for gains in multiple areas rather than expecting dramatic jumps in FTP.
The slower rate of improvement at higher training ages isn't a sign of failure—it's a badge of honor. It means you've already captured the easy gains and are now working at a level where small improvements represent significant achievements. That's not frustrating; that's the mark of a serious athlete pursuing excellence in a complex, demanding sport.