Featuring Josh Friedman, USA Cycling Level 1 Coach · ATP Race Consulting

Winter isn’t the threat most athletes think it is — but only if you approach it with intention.

As the temperature drops and days get shorter, now is the chance to protect your winter training routine. Like most athletes in their 30s, 40s, and beyond, the calendar is filling up fast with travel, family commitments, and holidays.

This time of year feels especially fragile. Skipping workouts is easier to justify. Motivation dips when it’s cold and dark outside. There’s also a real fear of losing what you worked hard to build over the summer and fall.

Josh Friedman, USA Cycling Level 1 Coach and founder of ATP Race Consulting, has spent decades helping cyclists and endurance athletes navigate this stretch.

His approach isn’t about white-knuckling through the cold months. It’s about finding ways to stay engaged, build on what you’ve already earned, and start spring in better shape than you were in the fall.

For specific nutrition and hydration tips, including how and when to use energy gels, check out Part 2: Fuel Your Base. We also cover essential strength and recovery tips in Part 3.

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The Biggest Winter Training Mistake: Too Much Time Indoors

It’s tempting to stay inside when it’s cold and dark, but Josh explains that skipping outdoor sessions comes at a cost.

“Humans are made to move,” he explains. “If you take that away completely, you’re not getting full mental or physical stimulation — that can compound winter dullness.”

Even brief outdoor workouts provide mental stimulation and skill practice, such as terrain, balance, shifting, and handling, that even the best smart bike trainers can’t fully replicate.

Plus, there’s a higher risk of injuries. Indoor setups that aren’t dialed in can exacerbate existing imbalances over months of repetitive movement in a fixed position.

Getting outside, even occasionally, introduces variety that keeps the body more resilient. The fix is simpler and cheaper than you might think. In reality, the gear barrier that keeps many athletes indoors is a myth. A GPS cycling computer can help you dial in fitness, but it’s not necessary to get out the door.

Expensive winter gear isn’t necessary, explains Josh. “A pair of old ski gloves works fine. Put a sandwich bag over your feet before you pull on your shoes. Nitrile gloves. Protecting those extremities goes a long way — it’s not a financial burden.”

As you’re preparing for a chillier ride, don’t neglect the knees, Josh says. “Cover your knees when temperatures drop to around 60°F or below. There’s limited insulation on those ligaments and they’re more vulnerable to cold than most athletes realize.” Everything else, he says, comes down to comfort.

Get outside at least once or twice a week. Short rides or runs are enough to maintain skills, mental balance, and handling confidence. Once the gear excuse is off the table, the only thing left is the decision to go.

Training early or after sunset? See our Best Safety Gear for Running and Cycling in the Dark guide to stay visible.

Train With Purpose: Balance Easy and Hard Days

Winter is an ideal time to correct imbalances that race season doesn’t allow. Without the pressure of hitting splits or peaking for an event, athletes can experiment with structure, address weak spots, and build habits that compound throughout the year.

“Anyone working toward a goal should have a plan,” explains Josh. “Whether you build it yourself or work with a coach, make sure every session has a purpose. Add variety so it’s not just slogging through workouts that seem boring.”

That means combining indoor sessions for targeted intervals, outdoor sessions to maintain real-world skills and handling, and cross-training to keep both body and mind engaged.

The social dimension matters too. Community is one of the most underrated factors in winter consistency and is what helps Josh stay motivated. “Riding with friends — even when it’s crappy out, knowing we’re all there together and joking around — that’s what keeps me going.”

Strength Training Matters More Than You Think

Cyclists often have poor bone density. The sport is high in cardiovascular demand but low in skeletal impact — a problem that compounds over years of high-volume training without load-bearing work.

“Studies show you need load-bearing work to avoid osteopenia and osteoporosis. If you’re stronger overall muscularly, you’ll be better on the bike. And weight isn’t a deciding factor. If you put on a kilo but you’re stronger, that’s a win.”

Without the pressure of race-specific training, winter is the right time to address it.

Just 15–20 minutes of weight-bearing exercise three times a week builds the bone density and functional strength that translate directly to performance and longevity.

Short on time? Unilateral work with dumbbells or targeted kettlebell moves can also build muscle quickly and efficiently.

Simple tools like these resistance bands and trainer-approved resistance band exercises can also help you build serious strength at home.

Athletes who skip strength work in winter tend to find out why it mattered about six weeks into the spring season.

Quick Tip
Check out our quick strength-building workouts for power-boosting sessions that fit even the busiest schedules.

Heart Rate vs. Power: Which Matters More in Winter?

With smart trainers, power meters, and structured apps widely available, it’s tempting to train entirely by numbers. Josh reminds athletes that the body’s response matters more than perfect metrics, especially in the base season.

“Heart rate tells you more about how your body’s functioning,” he explains. “If you’re doing a Zone 2 workout and your target is 200 watts, your heart rate will climb over two hours as you fatigue or get dehydrated.” Instead, he says, “Sit at whatever Zone 2 heart rate keeps you in the aerobic zone. You get the benefit without the added stress.”

Heart rate becomes especially valuable during long base sessions, when fatigue or hydration can affect output. Put simply: Power tells you what you’re doing. Heart rate reveals how your body’s responding.

During endurance sessions, check your heart rate regularly, ideally with a chest strap heart rate monitor for highest accuracy.

If numbers drift significantly, hydrate or adjust resistance. Chasing power at the expense of heart rate control is one of the most common ways athletes accumulate fatigue they don’t notice until weeks later.

Recovery Starts Instantly

Josh’s first rule of winter recovery is simple: ditch your wet clothes immediately. Being cold adds physiological stress the body has to recover from — resources that would otherwise go toward adaptation.

“If you’ve been cold, your body requires more calories just to maintain homeostasis. That’s on top of what training already demands.”

For athletes balancing training with work and family, recovery is the easiest to cut. But athletes who stay healthy and keep improving year over year aren’t training the hardest. They’re the ones recovering best. That means protecting sleep, eating enough, and knowing when to back off.

“There’s a myth that if it’s above the neck, it’s OK to train through. If you’re sick, skip it. You can’t make things better — but you could make things worse. You’re not getting paid to train or race. Rest up and move forward.”

Staying Motivated When It’s Cold and Dark

When motivation is low, Josh leans on variety and accumulated wins rather than willpower.

Mixing training modalities helps — lifting, mountain biking when conditions allow, playing soccer through winter. The point is staying engaged with movement so that training doesn’t become forced.

But variety only goes so far. It’s finding satisfaction in the work itself that can make the biggest difference, especially during a long winter without race results or external validation to keep you consistent and motivated.

At that point, it’s about counting the smaller steps as a win. “Every rep, every set — I’ve done it, and no one can take that away,” says Josh.

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Meet Josh Friedman

USA Cycling Level 1 Coach and founder of ATP Race Consulting, Josh brings decades of experience helping cyclists and endurance athletes train smarter and race stronger. He blends science-based programming with real-world insight to help athletes balance fitness, recovery, and mindset.

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