The Overlooked Keys to Weight Control and Performance

The Climb (#155)

Many cyclists focus on training harder to lose weight and ride stronger, but overlook recovery, sleep, and stress. This week's THE CLIMB newsletter explains why off-bike habits are now recognised as critical to fat loss and performance, especially for cyclists over 40, and how better recovery leads to sustainable progress and long-term fitness.

Most cyclists assume that if results aren’t coming, the answer must be more training. Another ride. Another hard session. Maybe eating a bit less on top of that.

I used to think the same way.
And it’s still the most common mistake I see when new riders come into my coaching.

But more often than not, the issue isn’t training volume or motivation.
It’s recovery.

The wider fitness world has quietly shifted over the last few years. It’s no longer just about pushing harder. Recovery, sleep, and overall well-being are now top priorities, and for good reason. The industry is finally catching up to a simple truth: you don’t get fitter when you train, you get fitter when you recover.

For cyclists trying to lose fat and improve strength or power, this matters massively. And it matters even more if you’re over 40.

When recovery is neglected, progress stalls fast. You can follow the perfect training plan on paper, but if sleep is poor, stress is high, and recovery is an afterthought, your body won’t respond the way you expect. In fact, it often does the opposite.

High stress plus poor sleep keeps cortisol elevated.
Elevated cortisol makes fat loss harder.
Harder fat loss leads to more restriction or more training.
And suddenly you’re stuck in a cycle of effort without results.

This is why I talk about recovery, sleep, and stress management as meta-training. It’s the layer that sits above everything else. Sometimes what happens off the bike matters more than what you do on it.

Sleep is the foundation.

You don’t need perfection, but you do need consistency. Seven hours is a realistic target for most people. When riders are regularly getting five or six, fat loss becomes an uphill battle, no matter how disciplined their training is.

Simple things make a big difference:
– Going to bed at a consistent time
– Keeping the room dark and cool
– Cutting screens and working late at night
– Avoiding very late high-intensity sessions late in the day

Stress management is just as important.

Work stress, family commitments, under-fuelling, and training stress all stack together. Your body doesn’t separate them. Stress is stress.

This is why adding more rides to an already busy life often backfires. Instead of losing weight or getting fitter, riders feel flat, inflamed, and constantly tired. Sometimes the smartest move isn’t pushing harder, it’s backing off slightly so the body can actually adapt.

Active recovery and mobility work help here.

Easy spins that are genuinely easy, short mobility sessions, and light movement on rest days all support recovery without adding stress. These aren’t wasted sessions. They’re what allow you to show up fresh for the sessions that actually matter.

Nutrition timing plays a role as well, especially if you’re in a calorie deficit. Fuelling harder sessions properly, prioritising protein, and eating after training helps protect muscle, stabilise energy, and keep power levels steady while losing fat.

This approach is also about longevity. As we get older, the margin for error shrinks. Burnout, overtraining, and injuries don’t usually come from one bad week, they come from months of ignoring recovery signals. A recovery-first approach keeps you consistent, resilient, and enjoying riding long term.

This recovery-first approach isn’t a theory. I see it play out with clients all the time.

One of my clients recently increased his FTP in just 8 weeks, training less than 5 hours per week. No massive mileage. No burnout. Just structured riding, sensible nutrition, strength work, and, crucially, proper recovery. That’s what happens when everything works together instead of competing for energy.

And that’s exactly how the Cycle Lean Project is built.

The Cycle Lean Project starts in just 2 days, on 5th January 2026.
If you haven’t signed up yet, this is your moment to do it before we kick things off.

Once we start, that’s it. No late entries. No catching up from the sidelines.

If you want to lose fat, ride stronger, and train smarter, without needing endless hours or burning yourself into the ground, now is the time to join us.

You can still secure your place here before we begin:
Join the Cycle Lean Project, January 2026

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs don’t come from training more.
They come from finally training and recovering the right way.

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

1. The Cycle Lean Project: This comprehensive, all-in-one product group coaching programme is everything you need to shed kgs and ride faster.
2. The Cycle Lean Collective: Get ready to transform your fitness journey with our new and improved 1-2-1 coaching programme.

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