163: Training Principles from the 1980s Are (Still) All You Need, with Jeff Winkler

Quick, name two things that hit their peak in the 1980s. Yes, mullets were one. But think cycling and physiology. What about training principles? How much has changed since the days of Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond?

Today, with the help of longtime coach Jeff Winkler, who, yes, once raced as a pro in the ‘80s with a mullet, we discuss what has and has not changed since the 1980s, focusing on the principles of physiology. Are they fundamentally sound and equally effective as the principles by which cyclists train today?

Jeff is what you might call an "old-school" coach; he believes, in large part, that since the 1980s when he was training with Eddy B. and the U.S. National Team, training hasn't really changed much—it's just that we can now measure things more than ever before.

So we’ll take a close look at the science and research, the equipment, the tools and software used for analysis, then and now. Which decade wins? Stay tuned.

As a bonus, we may also discuss our favorite euphemisms for the mullet… what did you call yours? Maybe it was “The Achy Breaky Big Mistakey” or “The Ape Drape”? How about “The Beaver Paddle” or “The El Camino Headrest”? Perhaps you’ve always been a fan of our friends up north, calling yours “The Canadian Passport”?

In any case, pull out those old photos of you with your hockey hair, it’s time to go way back to the ‘80s… let’s make you fast.

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