Embarking on an Eight-Week Cycle Lean Journey to Optimise Fitness and Health

This week, I kicked off the Cycle Lean project—an eight-week initiative designed to help participants lose weight, gain strength, and prepare to hit the spring and summer seasons feeling their best. As someone who believes in practising what I preach, I'm diving in myself to document my progress and share insights along the way.

Measuring Baselines

To set the stage, I began by testing my baseline measurements. My primary focus over the next eight weeks is to maximise my fitness level. With an upcoming operation poised to sideline my training, building up enough fitness to mitigate any potential decline during that time is crucial.

Initial Training Week: Testing and Measurements

During the first week, I conducted several ramp tests. The first, a submaximal VO2 max test on the Wattbike, determined my FTP and VO2 max. I'm pleased to report a VO2 max of 60 millimoles per kilogram, placing me in the 90th percentile for cardiovascular fitness for my age group. However, my FTP hovered around 247, which is typical after some time off due to holidaying.

Later, I performed an FTP test on Zwift following our weekly Zwift Cafe ride with Cycle Lean members. This time, the results were slightly lower, around 225.

Despite this, I favour the Wattbike for its efficiency and prefer maintaining my FTP at 247 for upcoming interval management.

Body Composition Tracking

I also did my body composition checks—something I recommend to anyone chasing a transformation. Don’t just use the scales; take front, side, and back photos for real accountability.

Here’s where I landed:

Weight: 68 kg
Muscle mass: 59 kg (down 1.8 kg since June—probably too much cycling and not enough gym while on holiday!)
Fat mass: basically unchanged (+0.4 kg)
Visceral fat: 3 (was 0 before… maybe too much ice cream on holiday!)
Metabolic age: 27 (I’ll take that at 43!)

My aim for this block: build back some muscle, sharpen up definition, and hopefully push my FTP up another 10–20 watts.

Understanding Internal Health: Blood Metrics and Cholesterol

Beyond external metrics, internal health is a significant focus for me and my clients. I conducted a comprehensive blood test to evaluate my biomarkers. Here are the highlights from this round:

Total cholesterol: 3.67 mmol/L (well within healthy range, below 5).
LDL (“bad” cholesterol): 1.9 mmol/L (want it below 3—ideally closer to 1).
HDL (“good” cholesterol): 1.53 mmol/L (excellent, above 1).
Triglycerides: 0.51 mmol/L (low, which is good).
Cholesterol ratio: 2.4 (healthy—lower = better).
Blood pressure: 116/75 (spot on).
Resting heart rate: 48 bpm (measured mid-day, so at true rest it’s even lower).
Heart health risk (10-year Q-Risk): 1.3% vs the average of 1.9% for my age/sex. I’ll take that.

Blood Sugar & Diabetes Risk

While my current diabetes risk is low, maintaining optimal health is paramount. My HbA1c levels, while in normal ranges, have room for improvement.

This is the area I need to tighten up.

HbA1c (average blood sugar): 39 (still within healthy range of 18–42, but up from 37 in January).
With my family history of type 2 diabetes, this is one I’m paying close attention to.

Here’s the good news: if I can drop my HbA1c closer to 31, my diabetes risk falls from 2.3% to just 0.5% over the next 10 years. That’s a huge win.

So my goals here are:

Reduce carbs on lower activity days.
Build more lean muscle through gym work.
Run a 2-week continuous glucose monitor study next month to really see how my body responds to different foods.

My Focus for the Next 8 Weeks

So here’s the plan moving forward:

Build muscle and add definition.
Push my FTP up by 10–20 watts.
Reduce my HbA1c closer to the low 30s.
Stay consistent with tracking and documenting progress.

Stay consistent with tracking and documenting progress.Reduce my HbA1c closer to the low 30s.Push my FTP up by 10–20 watts.Build muscle and add definition.So here’s the plan moving forward:My Focus for the Next 8 Weeks

Join Me on This Health Journey

I'm excited to document this journey on my YouTube channel, providing weekly updates about my diet, workouts, and insights.

I'll also explore continuous glucose monitoring, sharing findings in future newsletters.

Follow along to witness the transformative potential of a dedicated fitness and health regimen. Don't miss a beat—subscribe to stay updated on my progress and learn alongside the Cycle Lean community.

P.S. I run all of these assessments with my one-to-one clients to help them track and improve their health on and off the bike.

Whenever you're ready, here are the ways I can help you:

The Cycle Lean Blueprint: This comprehensive, all-in-one product is everything you need to shed kgs and ride faster.
The Cycle Lean Collective: Get ready to transform your fitness journey with our new and improved monthly membership program.
Personalised One-on-One Coaching: Get the results you are aiming for with our one-to-one service. Explore our tailored coaching options designed to help you reach your goals fast.

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