Best FTP Training Podcasts (2025)

1
Ten Minute Tips #60: The FTP Training Decision Tree 1:25:21

Play Pause

3h ago1:25:21

1:25:21

This is a practical guide to FTP training, through three lenses: where you are in your season, where you are in your training journey, and opportunity cost. In each instance we think about reasonable expectations for improvement, if you should add more power or interval time, when to switch to VO2max training, periodization strategies, and how to p…

1
Watts Doc #54: Glycogen's Effects On AMPK 1:23:11

7d ago1:23:11

1:23:11

This is a dive into research showing increased AMPK activation with low glycogen stores. We break down a paper discerning how AMPK does this, subsequent changes to AMPK's activity levels, and then come to some logical training conclusions. Along the way are some takeaways on interpreting and applying mechanistic research.…

1
Training Truths we Wish More Athletes Would Embrace 40:16

11d ago40:16

40:16

Send us a text In this episode of the Training Babble Podcast, host Dave Schell and guest Matti Rowe dig into the complexities of cycling, racing, and coaching. They discuss Matti's recent experience at Unbound, the importance of supporting athletes, the chaotic nature of racing, and the misconceptions surrounding training metrics like CTL. The con…

1
Ten Minute Tips #59: Considerations For Cramps 1:19:50

14d ago1:19:50

1:19:50

Our coaches Will and Giancarlo join the podcast to talk through their experience with cramps, and what's been done to attenuate them. We briefly discuss predictors of exercise associated muscle cramps as well as current theories about why they do occur, while most of the episode is spent on practical considerations, and the long list of potential s…

1
Ten Minute Tips #58: Why Rest Can Be So Scary 1:15:02

28d ago1:15:02

1:15:02

Taking enough rest can be intimidating if it's unfamiliar territory. Our resident philosophers of rest Rory and Maeghan join to take a deep dive into the most common reasons we see people being scared of sufficient recovery. We include plenty of practical takeaways for what to expect when resting, how much is too much, building new habits, knowing …

1
Ten Minute Tips #57: Our Coaches Answer Your Training Questions 1:22:52

1M ago1:22:52

1:22:52

Six of our Empirical Cycling coaches put their heads together to answer your questions on whether mid season breaks will set your fitness back to the dark ages, managing burnout and disappointment, if younger athletes can still overtrain, balancing intensity and volume, work and family stress, being a "good student" as a coached athlete, training h…

1
IMTalk's Legends of Triathlon 64 - Mirinda Carfrae 1:40:38

1M ago1:40:38

1:40:38

In this episode we have legendary Australian athlete Mirinda Carfrae. Support the show: Click on this link to become a patron.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
"Will this make me Faster or Slower?" The mindset for achieving great things with Lea Davison 40:13

2M ago40:13

40:13

Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Training Babble Podcast, host Dave Schell and guest Leah Davison discuss the challenges and sacrifices involved in pursuing athletic excellence, particularly in the context of Olympic dreams. Leah shares her journey from being a professional athlete to navigating the complexities of motherhood and retir…

1
Ten Minute Tips #56: Resetting Goals And Motivation 1:40:45

2M ago1:40:45

1:40:45

Today we use Rory's recent post event slump to discuss strategies for refocusing and finding motivation again. This is mostly through the lens of goal setting and how to incorporate season planning, fun and unstructured riding, new disciplines, time with friends and family, being flexible, as well as listener questions on realistic goal setting, c…

1
Perspectives #39: An Unexpected Balance, with James McKay 1:31:08

2M ago1:31:08

1:31:08

Our very own coach James Mckay sits down to talk about the road to achieving his cycling career goal, a victory at the Lincoln Grand Prix. As this was his last race being coached by Kolie, they take a retrospective look at all the challenges and hard work that went into the last four years of training that made this such an incredible moment: volum…

1
IMTalk Episode 977 - The Last Episode 1:57:57

2M ago1:57:57

1:57:57

In our latest episode, we share some of our favorite stories, proud moments, and heartfelt feedback from you, our amazing listeners. Big News! We're excited to announce that Legends of Triathlon will continue! This means more inspiring content, more legendary interviews, and a way for us to keep all of our old triathlon content freely available to …

1
Ten Minute Tips #55: When To Take A Rest Week, Trusting Subjective Metrics 2:05:30

2M ago2:05:30

2:05:30

After walking through the general structure and purpose of rest weeks, we break down the decision trees we use to plan rest weeks ahead of time, or what we look for to add them reactively. We also discuss using subjective metrics in rest week planning, plus if and when we wouldn't trust those metrics. Then we answer your listener questions, includi…

1
We Are What We Repeatedly Do: The Importance of Specificity, The S.A.I.D. Principle 46:10

2M ago46:10

46:10

Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Training Babble Podcast, hosts Dave Schell and Matti discuss the said principle of training, emphasizing the importance of specificity in fitness as athletes transition from general fitness to race-specific training. They explore various aspects of training, including building work capacity, the signifi…

1
IMTalk Episode 976 - Our Second to Last Show 1:53:04

3M ago1:53:04

1:53:04

This week we sadly announce that we are ending IMTalk next week. We also share some of the history of the show.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
Watts Doc #53: The Origins Of Newbie Gains 1:19:48

3M ago1:19:48

1:19:48

We go deep into a couple papers that measure the relative contributions to early VO2max improvements, and the evidence about whether they're more are muscular or cardiac in nature, and what physiological differences there are with more well trained people. Moderate and high intensity training are contrasted, as well as the obvious shortcuts, plus a…

1
IMTalk Episode 975 - How to do a swimming technique overhaul 1:16:03

3M ago1:16:03

1:16:03

This week John breaks how to do a swimming technique overhaul within your training year. Plus, we’ve got all the latest News, our Discussion of the Week, Pro of the Week, and Q&A’s.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
Be Here Now: Let Go of the Past, Forget about the Future, Perform Your Best 45:53

3M ago45:53

45:53

Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Training Babble podcast, hosts Dave Schell and Matti Rowe delve into the complexities of athlete mindset, focusing on time orientation, the burden of past performance, the impact of aging, and the role of metrics in training. They discuss how anxiety and depression relate to future and past thinking, re…

1
IMTalk Episode 974 - How to do a FTP test in a group 1:04:52

3M ago1:04:52

1:04:52

This week John breaks down how to do a FTP test in a group training environment. Plus, we’ve got all the latest News, our Discussion of the Week, Pro of the Week, and Q&A’s.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
IMTalk Episode 973 - Paul Newsome from Swim Smooth 1:38:14

3M ago1:38:14

1:38:14

This week we have an interview with Paul Newsome from Swim Smooth. Plus, we’ve got all the latest News, our Discussion of the Week, and Q&A’s.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
Ten Minute Tips #54: The Truth About Junk Miles 1:14:58

3M ago1:14:58

1:14:58

While the definition of a junk mile is still debated, we do our best to come up with a definition, analyze it in relation to training adaptations, and what should be done. We touch on volume, intensity, group rides, mental health, fatigue and security blankets, training camps, recovery, hyper-optimization, and lots more.…

1
You Should NOT Hire a Coach... 1:00:27

3M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

Send us a text Summary In this episode, Dave Schell and Matti Rowe dive into the intricacies of the coach-athlete relationship, emphasizing the importance of alignment between a coach's methodology and an athlete's goals. They discuss common misconceptions about coaching, the necessity of commitment from athletes, and the reality of athletic progre…

1
IMTalk Episode 972 - We Are Drilling It! 1:13:02

3M ago1:13:02

1:13:02

This week John does a Coach’s Corner to break down why drills are essential and how to make them truly effective. Plus, we’ve got all the latest News, our Discussion of the Week, Pro’s of the Week, and Q&A’s.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
Ten Minute Tips #53: Leveling Up Parenting And Training 1:37:22

4M ago1:37:22

1:37:22

Our coaches Fabiano and Giancarlo join to discuss the balance between parenting and training, both from a coaching perspective and as parents themselves. We talk about finding vs making time, getting sick, guilt, managing expectations, partner and family support, challenges changing as kids get older, and much more.…

1
IMTalk Episode 971 - Bevan's Coaches Corner 1:22:27

4M ago1:22:27

1:22:27

This week Bevan shares insights from his new product and his approach to building sustainable, long-term nutrition habits. Plus, we’ve got all the latest News, our Discussion of the Week, Pro’s of the Week, and Q&A’s.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
Ten Minute Tips #52: Intermediate Training Mistakes (And Solutions) 1:28:16

4M ago1:28:16

1:28:16

We discuss lists of the most common training mistakes that we see made by cyclists who have done about 2-5 years of structured training. Training focus, rehashing old plans, trying new things, monitoring fitness changes, incorporating fun rides, developing training skills, personalizing your plan, power vs weight, and more, including your listener …

1
FTP is everything, FTP is nothing 45:06

4M ago45:06

45:06

Send us a text In this episode of the Training Babble podcast, hosts Dave Schell and Matti Rowe dive into the complexities of training metrics, particularly focusing on Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and its relevance in endurance sports. They discuss the evolving definitions of endurance, durability, and the importance of volume in training. The…

1
IMTalk Episode 970 - Pro Athlete Jack Moody 1:17:15

4M ago1:17:15

1:17:15

This week we interview pro athlete Jack Moody. Plus, we’ve got all the latest News, our Discussion of the Week, Website of the Week, and Q&A’s.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
IMTalk Episode 969 - Pro Athlete Deb Lynch 1:21:05

4M ago1:21:05

1:21:05

This week we interview pro athlete Deb Lynch. Plus, we’ve got all the latest News, our Discussion of the Week, Age Grouper of the Week, and Q&A’s.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
Watts Doc #52: Hypoxia Inducible Factor's Diminishing Returns 1:03:40

4M ago1:03:40

1:03:40

Concluding the series on hypoxia inducible factor in skeletal muscle, we go in depth with a paper investigating regulation pathways that blunt HIF's effects in well trained athletes, plus speculate as to whether the Pasteur effect is something worth worrying about while considering other evidence and parallel adaptive pathways. We also ponder some …

1
IMTalk Episode 968 - Ironman New Zealand Wrap Up 1:10:20

4M ago1:10:20

1:10:20

This week we break down everything that happened at Ironman New Zealand. Plus, we’ve got all the latest News, our Discussion of the Week, Age Grouper of the Week, Coaches Corner and Q&A’s.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
Ten Minute Tips #51: RPE, Workout Feedback, Adaptation, and Health Outcomes 2:09:48

4M ago2:09:48

2:09:48

Our very own Coach Fabiano joins for an deep dive into his most recent articles on RPE and its origins in exercise physiology, workout feedback and what athletes should keep notes on, adaptation and the implications from another meta review as it pertains to well trained athletes and other groups. We then venture into health to discuss VO2max, HRV,…

1
We Hired an AI Coach So You Don't Have To! with Matti Rowe 44:52

5M ago44:52

44:52

Send us a text Summary In this episode of the Training Babble Podcast, Coach Dave Schell and guest Matty Rowe of Gravel God Cycling dig into the implications of AI in coaching. They discuss the rise of AI tools like CoachCat, the challenges of relying on flawed metrics, and the importance of human expertise in interpreting data. The conversation hi…

1
IMTalk Episode 967 - Pro Athlete Kacper Stepniak 1:11:53

5M ago1:11:53

1:11:53

This week we have an interview with pro athlete Kacper Stepniak. Plus, we’ve got all the latest news, our Discussion of the Week, and Q&A’s.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
Perspectives #38: Training Intensity Distributions, NIRS, and Iliac Arteries, with Jem Arnold 2:01:00

5M ago2:01:00

2:01:00

Jem Arnold takes a break from his PhD studies to discuss the implications of a recent meta review and systematic analysis on how training intensity distributions impact VO2max and time trial performance, on which he is a coauthor. We also dig into the methods behind a paper like this, and the statistical distributions of performance itself and how …

1
IMTalk Episode 966 - Pro Athlete Nico Mann 1:14:22

5M ago1:14:22

1:14:22

This week we have an interview with pro athlete Nico Mann. We also have News, Discussion of the Week, and Q&A’s.By Bevan James Eyles and 'Coach' John Newsom

1
Ten Minute Tips #50: Fat And Carb Burning Myths 1:35:46

5M ago1:35:46

1:35:46

As structure for a larger discussion on performance, adaptation, and energy needs, we tackle three myths about burning carbs and fats: that you only need to replace the carbs you burn on a ride, that burning fat on a ride helps you lose weight, and that total energy needs are as simple as converting bike kJ to calories and adding a calculated BMR. …

1
Athlete Spotlight with Megan Onweller: More Moms on Bikes!!! 1:01:41

5M ago1:01:41

1:01:41

Send us a text Send me a message, I'd love to hear from you! Summary In this episode of the Training Babble podcast, Coach Dave Schell interviews athlete Megan Onweller, who shares her journey from a competitive high school athlete to a busy mom rediscovering her passion for cycling. Megan discusses the challenges she faced, including injuries, bod…