Secrets of the pro's revealed in one word: INTENSITY!

If you are wondering why your training has plateaued, perhaps it's due to a lack of intensity.

You should have at least one day per week that is considered a "BT" or "breakthrough" workout. This means that you are operating at your maximum capability for the duration of the interval. Bear in mind however, that these sessions are very strenuous on the body so there is an increased risk of injury. Make sure you're warmed up well before starting.

After a 10 minute spin to get your legs warmed up, ride for 3 minutes at 85%-90% of you maximum heart rate.  How hard should this feel?  On a scale from 1-10 (10 is hardest), this should feel like a 9.  Do 3 total repetitions and rest 1:30 between intervals.

As you get into better shape (after two weeks), make the interval 5 minutes long and do 5 repetitions.

The nice part about hard efforts is that they are short and sweet, and pay big dividends into getting you into better overall shape.  Who knows - after a while, you may start to look like THIS during your bike split!