Top Training Tips from Jack Haig: Simple, Smart, and Sustainable Cycling Workouts

Jack Haig, the Australian climber for Bahrain Victorious, has quietly built a reputation as one of the most dependable GC riders in the WorldTour. He stood on the podium at the Vuelta a España, played key roles for his team in Grand Tours, and has proven himself on some of the toughest climbs in Europe. Yet when he talks about training, his philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: do the work, fuel the work, and enjoy the process.

In a recent conversation, Haig opened up about his training, nutrition, and mindset. What stood out was not a list of exotic hacks or secret formulas, but a practical framework built on years of trial, error, and refinement. For cyclists of all levels, from amateurs logging weekend miles to ambitious racers chasing FTP gains, there’s a lot to learn from how a WorldTour professional approaches the craft of getting better.

This article distills the top training tips from Jack Haig, complete with examples from his own career and lessons you can apply to your own riding.

1. Refinement Over Reinvention

At 31, Haig acknowledges he’s unlikely to see massive leaps in his power numbers. Instead, he focuses on sharpening execution. This is something that we ALL can work on. Executing the interval sessions and little things in training is what can give us a 1-2% boost.

  • Precision in intervals. Lactate testing provides accurate targets so he isn’t “accidentally” doing threshold work too hard. This helps maximize stimulus while minimizing unnecessary fatigue.

  • Recovery as training. He treats sleep, nutrition, and downtime as skills to master. “How can you execute recovery a little bit better?” he asks.

  • Learning from experience. Having repeated dozens of camps, he knows which approaches work for him and which don’t. Each year is about refining, not reinventing.

Amateur application: Most cyclists don’t need a new training fad; they need to execute the fundamentals better. That means riding the right zones, recovering properly, and sticking to the plan long enough to see progress. You don’t need to be doing lactate testing to do this; keep it simple; the zones aren’t rocket science.

2. Nutrition: Fueling Like a Pro

If there’s one area where Haig admits he got things wrong early in his career, it’s nutrition. Coming into the WorldTour during the low-carb wave of the mid-2010s, he often trained and raced under-fueled. Looking back, he sees it as a major performance limiter.

Today, his fueling strategy is crystal clear:

  • Endurance rides: 100–120g of carbs per hour, even on long 6+ hour days.

  • Race days: Never under 90g per hour, often up to 150g depending on demands.

  • Gut training: Practicing extreme intake during training to prepare the stomach for race intensity.

  • Favorite fuel: Bottles with 60–90g carbs, gels, and team-made rice-and-marshmallow bars (“Rice Krispies”) that pack ~30g carbs each.

Amateur application: Many riders still under-fuel, leading to flat rides, poor recovery, and stalled progress. Start with at least 60–80g/hr on long rides, and practice working up toward 90–100g/hr. Your training will feel easier, your recovery will improve, and your body composition may actually stabilize better than when riding under-fueled.

3. Endurance Rides: Keep Them Enjoyable

In an era where every zone is dissected and debated, Haig’s philosophy on endurance rides is refreshingly simple: just ride your bike and enjoy it.

  • Typical power range: For him, 210–240 watts.

  • Duration: 4–7 hours, with anything over 6 hours considered a “long ride.” (This is obviously different for us amateurs!)

  • Mindset: Explore roads, stop for coffee, and don’t overcomplicate it.

He contrasts his approach with some pros who push endurance days closer to tempo pace. For Haig, sustainability and enjoyment are key—especially over a 15-year career.

Amateur application: Don’t turn endurance rides into hidden intervals. Focus on accumulating hours at a comfortable pace, and remember that enjoyment is an underrated performance enhancer.

4. Strength Training for Longevity

Coming from a mountain biking background, Haig has always valued gym work—well before it became mainstream in road cycling.

His reasons go beyond watts per kilo:

  1. Durability. Squats, split squats, RDLs, and step-ups form his foundation, helping him handle the demands of racing.

  2. Bone health. Cycling alone is detrimental for bone density; Haig adds gym work and occasional running to protect against osteoporosis later in life.

  3. Lifestyle. Strength work lets him enjoy playing football with his son or skiing without soreness.

He typically lifts twice a week in the pre-season, tapering to maintenance as racing ramps up. Bahrain Victorious even brings squat racks to camps to keep lifting consistent.

Amateur application: If you’re a cyclist over 30, lifting isn’t optional—it’s insurance for your body. Two sessions per week of basic movements are enough to boost power, stability, and long-term health.

5. Bread-and-Butter Workouts

When asked about his go-to training sessions, Haig doesn’t name exotic intervals. Instead, he points to reliable workouts he’s used throughout his career.

  • Spiked Zone 3 Intervals: 15 minutes at tempo with 30s surges above threshold every 2–3 minutes. Repeat 2–3 times. Key focus: how quickly you settle back into tempo after each surge.

  • VO2max Intervals: Both steady (3×5 minutes at ~6.5 W/kg equivalent at sea level) and Tabata-style on/offs (30/30s, 40/20s, 20/40s). Haig prefers Tabatas for their mental variety compared to steady-state grind.

Amateur application: These workouts are scalable. Instead of copying exact wattages, think in terms of zones: tempo with surges for race simulation, and VO2max efforts that combine muscular and aerobic stress.

6. Knowing When to Back Off

Like many pros, Haig admits he’s fallen into the trap of “more is better.” But over time, he’s learned that restraint often produces the best results.

  • Signals of overreaching: Feeling cranky, skipping family walks, or lacking energy for small daily tasks.

  • Coach’s role: Sometimes, the most important job is holding athletes back, not pushing them harder.

Amateur application: Pay attention to life outside the bike. If you’re irritable, exhausted, or neglecting normal activities, it’s a sign your training load may be too high. Recovery is not weakness—it’s the foundation for adaptation.

7. Equipment Choices: Aero Beats Weight

In the age-old debate of weight versus aerodynamics, Haig is firmly in the aero camp.

Racing with Bahrain Victorious, he chooses his aerodynamic bike ~80% of the time, even with a 300g weight penalty. Only on climbs averaging over 8% does the team recommend switching to the lighter climbing frame.

Amateur application: Don’t obsess over shaving grams from your bike. Positioning, clothing, and aerodynamics often matter more than a few hundred grams of weight.

8. Altitude Training: Layered Stimulus Over Time

Altitude training has become a cornerstone of elite cycling preparation, and Haig is no exception. He typically schedules three altitude blocks before the Tour de France and sometimes another before the Vuelta.

At his recent camp in Tenerife, he described the rhythm:

  • Living high, training lower. Staying at ~2,000m means he can reap the adaptations from living up high, but training at a lower altitude, where putting out power is more reasonable.

  • Combining real and simulated exposure. After 12 days on Tenerife, he added nine more days in an “altitude hotel” with simulated hypoxia. The blend ensures ~22 total days of stimulus while balancing travel and racing demands.

  • Refining, not reinventing. With years of camps under his belt, Haig focuses less on novelty and more on replicating what’s worked for him in the past.

Takeaway for amateurs: For those undergoing this stimulus, more important than the method is the consistency of exposure and how you integrate it into your training blocks. More altitude training is not always better; it can just leave you flat and tired.

9. Training Philosophy: Underrated vs Overrated

Haig summarized his philosophy with two contrasts:

  • Underrated: Enjoyment. Training has to be sustainable and fun to last a career.

  • Overrated: Suffering for suffering’s sake, and unnecessary complexity.

Amateur application: Ask yourself: Do you look forward to your training? If not, you may be overcomplicating it. Consistency comes from enjoyment, not masochism.

10. Lessons from Injury

Haig has faced setbacks through injuries, forcing him to step away from cycling temporarily. While difficult, these experiences helped him build perspective.

“When cycling gets taken away, it forces you to appreciate identity outside the sport,” he explained. That balance makes him a healthier, more resilient athlete.

Amateur application: Injuries and breaks happen. Instead of seeing them as wasted time, view them as chances to reset, develop other areas, and return with renewed perspective.

Key Takeaways for Amateur Cyclists

Jack Haig’s training advice boils down to a few simple truths:

  • Fuel properly. Most riders under-eat; pro-level performance demands carbs.

  • Keep endurance rides enjoyable. Don’t turn every ride into a test.

  • Lift weights. Strength training supports longevity, bone health, and everyday life.

  • Refine, don’t reinvent. Progress comes from executing fundamentals well.

  • Rest when needed. Fatigue shows up in life before it shows up in numbers.

  • Focus on sustainability. The best training is the kind you can repeat for years.

Brendan Housler1 Comment