In today's busy world, making time for regular exercise can be tough. As usual, a group of cyclists started sharing their excuses: too much work, taking care of kids, bad weather, a broken bike part – all of them were mentioned. It was surprising that any of us had showed up at the start.

Many riders use the term weekend warrior in a slightly mocking way, suggesting that those who only ride on weekends are less serious and less dedicated, and that they won't achieve high performance levels. However, for a lot of us, riding on the weekends is all we can do. Recent research shows that weekend workouts can be just as effective as daily exercise if you stick to the recommended guidelines.

No worries for warriors

The term weekend warrior often has a bad meaning, suggesting that someone isn’t consistent or dedicated. However, new research is changing this idea. A large study with nearly 90,000 participants from the UK Biobank found that people who did their exercise in one or two days a week got similar health benefits as those who spread their workouts throughout the week. Both groups had a lower risk of more than 200 diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart problems.

This finding is great news for people with busy schedules who have a hard time sticking to a daily exercise routine. It highlights that the total amount of physical activity is more important than how often you work out.

Great – it turns out we’re not losing fitness between Monday and Friday after all. We can keep doing our long rides on the weekends, knowing we’re getting similar benefits as those who ride during the week. But wait – there’s more to consider. How our bodies react to training really depends on how hard and how long each session is.

Turn up the volume

The success of weekend warrior workouts depends on how intense and long the sessions are. The American Heart Association suggests that people should get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week, plus strength training on two or more days. Those who pack all their exercise into one or two days can get the same heart and metabolic benefits as those who work out more often.

A study published in Obesity found that people who did the 150 minutes of exercise in one or two days had body fat levels similar to those who exercised regularly throughout the week. This suggests that the total amount of exercise is more important for managing weight and staying fit than how often it’s spread out over the week.

Muscle memory

How long you've been cycling affects how your body reacts to how often and how hard you train. Many weekend cyclists have trained seriously in the past. There appears to be a type of muscle memory – if you've done high-intensity training before, you can go back to it and still gain from that earlier effort.

In simpler terms, someone who used to train regularly can get back in shape faster and with less effort after taking a break. Even if they haven’t ridden in weeks or months, their past training still helps them. Think of it like decorating a Christmas tree: when you first start exercising, it’s easy to add new fitness gains, like hanging ornaments on the lower branches. As you get better, making progress becomes tougher, because you’re reaching for higher branches. Even if you’ve lost some fitness and are starting over, your body still remembers how to climb that tree.

That's the fun of being a weekend warrior: we feel energized and excited, ready to go after anything that comes our way. After five days of recovery, we show up on the weekend ready to give our all to our rides, which can lead to significant training improvements.

Stick to the plan

To train effectively, you need a clear plan and the discipline to follow it consistently over time. Consistency is key for making progress. Determining how much training you need for improvement is more complex. You must train enough to prompt adaptation but not so much that it hampers your recovery.

This research is good news for weekend warriors and anyone who feels guilty about only exercising twice a week. If the weekends are your only time to work out, you can still make real fitness gains. Those workouts are important, especially if you're just starting out or have some experience from before. However, if you want to improve beyond being a weekend warrior and boost your performance, adding just one or two more workouts a week can really help. Doing more training consistently seems to be key for long-term progress.

To make your training even more effective, the Coospo CS600 bike computer offers built-in training features that help you structure your rides. You can set interval workouts, track your heart rate zones, monitor your power output, and get real-time feedback on each session. This ensures that even if you only train on weekends, every ride is optimized for maximum fitness gains.

High intensity can lead to quick results, but those results might not last. The true power comes from being consistent, staying in control, and sticking to a structured plan—whether that plan involves working seven days a week or just two.

Train like a true weekend warrior

Maximize the benefits of your weekend warrior workouts with a structured plan and smart tools. Here’s how:

Plan Ahead

• Schedule your workouts in advance to ensure consistency and commitment.
• Avoid skipping sessions by treating them as appointments in your calendar.

Mix It Up

• Incorporate a variety of exercises to target different muscle groups.
• Alternate between strength, endurance, and high-intensity sessions to prevent boredom.

Saturday: Intensity

• Use a HIIT protocol or an intense group ride to challenge your VO2 max system.
• Perform intervals of 2–7 minutes at 90–100% of your maximum heart rate.
• Focus on pushing your limits safely to gain maximum cardiovascular benefit.

Sunday: Endurance

• Ride longer distances to build stamina and muscular conditioning.
• Focus on time in the saddle, not just speed, to prepare for longer events and sportives.

Prioritize Recovery

• Allow adequate rest between sessions to support muscle repair and growth.
• Include stretching, foam rolling, and light activity to reduce soreness.

Stay Hydrated and Nourished

• Proper nutrition and hydration are essential for performance and recovery.
• Fuel appropriately before, during, and after your rides.

Listen to Your Body

• Pay attention to signs of fatigue, discomfort, or overtraining.
• Adjust intensity or duration as needed to prevent injury.

Use the Right Tools

• Coospo heart rate monitor can track your heart rate in real time to optimize training zones.
• Ensure your Saturday HIIT sessions hit the right intensity.
• Monitor recovery to make Sunday endurance rides effective without overtaxing your body.

By following these steps and leveraging the right tools, weekend warriors can achieve and maintain a high level of fitness—even with a busy schedule.