AI quick summary
- 60 minutes on a trainer equals 90+ minutes on the road — no coasting, no stoplights, no descending. The trainer is pure, uninterrupted work. These 5 sessions cover every energy system
- The 5 workouts: Sweet Spot (4×15 min at 88–94% FTP — the biggest fitness-per-hour), VO2 Micro (30/30 intervals at 120% FTP — the ceiling-raiser), Threshold Builder (3×12 min at 100% FTP), Endurance Tempo (60 min steady at 75–80% FTP), and Recovery Spin (45 min at 50–60% FTP)
- All workouts use ERG mode (if you have a smart trainer): the trainer holds the exact target wattage. If you don't have ERG, use gears and cadence to approximate the target
- The weekly structure: 2 hard sessions (Sweet Spot + VO2), 2 endurance sessions, 1 recovery, 1 rest day. This produces 3–5% FTP improvement in 6–8 weeks
/ 01
Workout 1: Sweet Spot (4×15 min)
Sweet spot is the intensity just below your threshold — hard enough to produce rapid fitness gains, but not so hard that you need days to recover. The name comes from being the 'sweet spot' of training stimulus: more fitness-per-minute than Zone 2, less fatigue-per-minute than threshold. If you only have time for one workout per week, make it this one.
The highest fitness-per-hour workout. Sweet spot is just below threshold — hard enough to stimulate adaptation, easy enough to sustain.
| Segment | Duration | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 15 min progressive | Z1→Z2, a few short efforts |
| Work interval 1 | 15 min | 88–94% FTP (sweet spot) |
| Recovery | 5 min | 50% FTP |
| Work interval 2 | 15 min | 88–94% FTP |
| Recovery | 5 min | 50% FTP |
| Cool-down | 5 min easy | Z1 |
/ 02
Workout 2: VO2 Micro (30/30)
This is the hardest workout of the five — the 30/30 format keeps you at or near VO2 max for the duration of each block. The short recoveries don't let your heart rate drop fully, so you accumulate maximum time at maximum intensity. If you can't complete all 3 blocks, do 2. Quality over quantity.
The ceiling-raiser. Short, maximal efforts with short recoveries keep your heart rate near maximum.
| Segment | Duration | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 15 min | Z1→Z2 + 2×30 sec openers |
| Block 1 | 10×(30 sec at 120% FTP / 30 sec easy) | ~10 min |
| Recovery | 5 min | Z1 |
| Block 2 | 10×(30 sec at 120% FTP / 30 sec easy) | ~10 min |
| Recovery | 5 min | Z1 |
| Block 3 | 5×(30 sec at 120% FTP / 30 sec easy) | ~5 min |
| Cool-down | 10 min | Z1 |
/ 03
Workout 3: Threshold Builder (3×12 min)
Threshold is the intensity you can sustain for approximately one hour. Training at threshold (100% FTP) is the most direct way to raise it. These sustained efforts improve your body's ability to clear lactate — the limiting factor in long, hard efforts. If 3×12 is too hard, start with 3×8 and build up.
Sustained threshold efforts raise your FTP — the single most important number in cycling training.
| Segment | Duration | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 15 min | Z1→Z2 + 1 min at FTP opener |
| Work interval 1 | 12 min | 100% FTP |
| Recovery | 4 min | 50% FTP |
| Work interval 2 | 12 min | 100% FTP |
| Recovery | 4 min | 50% FTP |
| Work interval 3 | 12 min | 100% FTP |
| Cool-down | 10 min | Z1 |
/ 04
Workout 4: Endurance Tempo and 5: Recovery
Endurance Tempo (60 min): ride at 75–80% FTP (Zone 3 / upper Zone 2) for the full hour, with a cadence above 90 rpm. This session builds aerobic endurance and improves pedaling efficiency. It's the 'filler' workout that builds the base the hard sessions depend on.
Recovery Spin (45 min): ride at 50–60% FTP (Zone 1) for 45 minutes, high cadence (100+ rpm), zero effort. The purpose is active recovery — increasing blood flow to clear metabolic waste from yesterday's hard session. It should feel almost embarrassingly easy. If you're pushing, it's not recovery.
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