How I Gained 18 Watts on My FTP and Lost 2 Kilos in 8 Weeks Riding Just 5 Hours a Week

Here’s the full training breakdown I followed

The Climb (#148)

Going into this winter, I knew I had a bit of a problem. I’ve got an operation coming up that’ll put me off the bike for four to six weeks, and I didn’t want to head into that feeling sluggish or under-trained. I also wanted to give myself some clarity for the new year, so I can hit January with a plan and start building fitness towards Mallorca in April.

So I decided to jump fully into my own 8-week Cycle Lean structure, not just running it for clients, but actually following the full process myself. I wanted to see exactly how much I could improve in a short window if I trained with intention, clear structure, and just enough volume to be sustainable.

At the start, I ran a sub-maximal FTP and VO₂ max test.

FTP: around 245 watts
VO₂ max: 60 ml/kg/min

That gave me a solid baseline and a clear target to work from.

What I’m sharing below is the exact weekly structure I followed.
If you want to improve your FTP, VO₂ max, and your overall cycling performance with limited time… this is the system.

Step 1: Set Your Baselines

Before touching any training, I tested:

• FTP (via sub-maximal test)
• VO₂ max
• Bodyweight and morning metrics

This gave me a starting point:
247W FTP, 60 VO₂ max, and 68 kg bodyweight.

I wanted to monitor my weight closely, but I’ll go into more detail on the diet side next week, so stay tuned for that breakdown.

Step 2: Build a Weekly Structure You Can Actually Repeat

One of the biggest things I wanted to prove to myself over these eight weeks was that you don’t need huge training weeks to make serious progress. I knew this period was going to be busy, work, coaching, dark mornings, winter weather, and the general chaos that comes with life, so long four-to-five-hour rides just weren’t realistic for me.

Instead, my goal was simple:

How much fitness can I squeeze out of myself in eight weeks with the minimum time available?

By the end of the eight weeks, I’d racked up 56 hours on the bike, which averaged out to just 5 hours a week. Plus my 90 minutes of weekly strength training.

And this was all intentional.
I didn’t want to ride for the sake of riding.
I didn’t want “junk miles.”
I wanted every session to have a clear purpose and outcome.

If I only had an hour to train, that hour needed to move the needle.
If I had two hours, that session needed to build depth, not just time in the saddle.

So I built a weekly structure that was repeatable, sustainable, and high-impact. A structure anyone with a full-time job, family life, and busy schedule can follow.

Here’s exactly what it looked like, week in, week out:

My Weekly Training Routine (Repeat This for 8–12 Weeks)

Monday – Full Body Strength (45 mins)

• Legs - Walking lunges and set-ups
• Back - Body weight and weighted pull-ups
• Chest - Chest Press/ wide flies
• Core - Plank, dead bugs, hanging leg raises.

This set me up for the week and helped me stay injury-free and more powerful on the bike.

Tuesday – Key Interval Day

Morning: 1-hour FTP session

• 10-minute warm-up
• 3 × 10-minute intervals at FTP (aim: steady, controlled, consistent power)
• 3 minutes rest between intervals
• 5-minute cooldown

This was the engine-builder — the biggest session of the week.

Evening: 1-hour Zone 2 session on Zwift with coaching clients
Easy, conversational pace. Just spinning and building aerobic capacity.

Wednesday – Rest Day

A full reset after the double on Tuesday.
No training in the morning, sometimes a gentle walk at lunch.

Thursday – Full Body Strength (45 mins)

Same as Monday.
Two strength sessions a week were perfect for improving overall power.

Friday – Optional Zone 2 or Rest

If I felt good, I’d do:

• 45–60 minutes at low intensity
  If I were carrying fatigue, I’d rest completely.

Saturday – Big Interval Session (2 hours on the Wattbike)

This was my “make or break” session each week.

• 20-minute warm-up
• 20-minute FTP interval
• 20-minute easy spin
• Second 20-minute FTP interval
• Finish with 40 minutes in Zone 2

This session built real depth.
It taught my body how to sit at the threshold for longer and improved my confidence for the retest.

Sunday – Active Recovery

A walk, easy spin, or complete rest.
Nothing structured.

Step 3: Commute Riding for Extra Aerobic Volume

Whenever possible, I cycled to work:

• 20 minutes each way
• Zone 2
• No structure, no pushing
• Just easy spinning to keep the legs moving

On paper, it looks tiny.
In reality, this was the “secret sauce” that allowed my legs to recover faster and kept my aerobic foundation ticking over all week.

Step 4: Progress the Training Every Week

This was the most important part.

I didn’t try to smash sessions.
I tried to nudge the needle up a little each week.

• Week 1: hold 240 watts for the 10-minute intervals
• Week 2: hold 245
• Week 3: hit 250
• Week 4–6: hit 255–260 for the 10s
• Then I tried to match those numbers on the Saturday 20-minute intervals

If I could do it in training, I knew I could do it in a test.

That progressive overload — slow, predictable, controlled — is the reason I improved so quickly.

Step 5: Retest After 8 Weeks

By the end of the 8 weeks, I felt:

• Fitter
• Leaner
• Stronger
• More confident on the bike

The numbers backed it up:

FTP increased from 247W → 265W
(+18 watts)

VO₂ max increased from 60 → 65
(+8% improvement)

Weight dropped from 68 kg → 66 kg
(+ watts per kilo boost)

All done in 5 structured hours a week.

This is EXACTLY the training structure inside the Cycle Lean Project and the Cycle Lean Blueprint. It’s built for people who don’t have big training windows but still want big results.

If You Want to Follow This Exact Structure…

My Cycle Lean Blueprint is currently available in our Black Friday offer.

It normally costs $97,
But right now it’s $39 for 7 days.

👉 You can grab it here while it’s live.

And if you want the full coaching experience — the sessions, the structure, the accountability, and the weekly group rides — our next Cycle Lean intake starts in January.

If you want to get on the priority list for next year's Cycle Lean Project. Plus, gain early access to an upcoming Black Friday Deal.

Email me at neildamerell@damerellcoaching.com with the word "PROJECT" to reserve your place.

Next week, I’ll walk you through the exact nutrition changes I made to support this training and the simple tweaks that helped me drop 2 kilos and lower my HbA1c and cholesterol without feeling like I was dieting.

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

1. The Cycle Lean Blueprint: This comprehensive, all-in-one product 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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