This workout is an introduction to strength training, yet suitable as a prenatal workout as the intervals are short, of a moderate intensity and critically at 60rpm (so not requiring you to generate too much crank torque).
While this is not a Strength Endurance workout, we still stress your Type II (fast twitch) muscle fibers - but not too much!
Focus on keeping your upper body still and allowing your legs to generate all the power - good form is key.
This session includes 5 x 3 minute regressive intervals, with 3 minutes recovery between each effort. Each effort will get easier as you progress, so brace yourself for a tough opening 30 seconds.
You should always be able to talk throughout and remember to listen to your body.
This session is a progression from the 30 minute Start-Stop workout where you will tackle 3 blocks of 4 efforts, with each block's effort increasing in intensity but decreasing in duration.
Each block roughly equates to the same training stress, but just varying type of stress and effort.
This workout starts and finishes with a pyramid style structure however this time completing 2 x 4 minute blocks of zone 3 in between to give a nice mix of aerobic and anaerobic effort.
The Wriggler is a little bit random - think of it as a Fartlek style workout, where you make efforts at a range of intensities and lengths.
No specific cadence to target today, and similarly feel free to ride out of the saddle. Go with the flow and get stuck into this rollercoaster of a session - it's one to keep you occupied, just like a wriggling toddler!
This workout takes on a pyramid style structure, where the efforts progress from 10 seconds up to 1 minute then after a recovery period reduce back down from 1 minute to 10 seconds. The rest mirrors the effort throughout.
This session is like walking with a 2 year old - constantly stopping and starting. You will complete 2 blocks of 5 x 45 second efforts with a good rest of 60 seconds between each effort.
While your heart rate and perceived effort will surge during the 45 seconds of effort, there is ample opportunity to recover well between each effort so a suitable workout for during pregnancy or starting slowly to gain fitness.
This workout contains 4 x 3 minute ramps with a 15 second surge on the end to sting the legs a little. The ramped part of the efforts should feel controlled and with a 2 minute rest after each surge, your heart rate should not get too high.
This workout consists of 5 sets of 3x 1-minute steps building from 80-100% of your FTP (Tempo to Threshold) with a :30 second relief after each and a 1:30 minute recovery segment following each set.
This ride includes three sets of a gradual build taking the intensity from 70%-90% of your FTP which is an Endurance pace up to an upper Tempo zone. After each there will be a short :30 second recovery followed by a :30 second effort, "earning your stripe", reaching in to the anaerobic zone. After each build, you will earn an additional stripe for a total of 6 in todays 40-minute session.
This workout is filled with a number of inconsistent segments ranging from :10 seconds to 2 minutes in duration. This is a great way to train "tackling the unknown". Being nimble whether it is on the bike or off is important. Sometimes we just need to go with what's put in front of us! Enjoy, it's a fun one and will fly by before you know it.
This ride consists of three sets of four 2-minute, 1-minute and :30 second efforts. As the efforts get shorter in duration, the intensity increases. Throughout this session you will work from 70-100% of your FTP which ranges from a Basic Endurance to Threshold zone. There is plenty of rest prescribed throughout this 40-minute workout.
This ride has efficiency written all over it. Throughout this short 30-minute session you will spend time working between 70-90% of your FTP which is Basic Endurance to a Tempo zone. The time spent in each zone will vary, the ride is broken in to 3 sets of 5:30 minutes with a nice 2-minute recovery in between each.
This workout consists of 3 sets of 30-20-10 second build ups for a total duration of 5 minutes each set. The simplest way to approach this ride is :30 seconds at a basic endurance level, followed by :20 seconds taking it up a notch to a tempo level, and straight in to a :10 second mini-burst. Think of this as a "Peek-a-Boo". A short reminder of "Mom, I'm here do you see me".
This ride is a hybrid style combining Strength Endurance (lower cadence) with Tempo. Todays session consists of 3 sets of 8 minutes. Each of the 8-minute sets will be broken in to 8 1-minute increments. The even minutes will be strength endurance efforts keeping RPM's between 60-70 and the odd minutes will be tempo efforts back to a cadence of 80-90RPM. After each set there will be 2:30 minutes of recovery.
This workout consists of 27 microbursts with plenty of breaks in between each. There are 5 sets in total beginning with :40 seconds in duration and decreasing to :15 seconds as we enter in to the last set. Each set will decease in duration; however, increase in power. This is a great workout and easy on the mind. There are a number of different ways to keep a baseline fitness level.
This workout is focused on gaining strength through pedaling at a lower RPM's 60-70 (cadence) for 3-minutes at a time. At the end of each set there will be a :30 second rev up where you will try and increase power by increasing your RPM's.
Let's think of each set as "stuck in the mud" and rev'ing up your cadence to get out each time.
This workout includes segments beginning with 3-minutes in duration decreasing to :20 seconds in duration. The challenge is while the duration decreases the intensity will increase throughout working between 70-120% of your FTP. Once you hit the peak intensity, it's time to come back down in intensity and build back the duration. There will be plenty of pit stops along the way allowing for recovery as well as an opportunity to continue hydrating.
This ride follows a routine, a pattern, a plan! Sometimes, it's just what we need. The session includes 4 sets of a ramp style build consisting of a stair step of 2mins, 1 min and :30 seconds ranging from 75-100% of a riders FTP (Tempo to Threshold).
This workout will ebb + flow from Endurance to Tempo 1-minute at a time working from 75-90% of your FTP. You will repeat this 6-minute set 4 times throughout the 40-minute ride. This is a great way to keep your aerobic system going while maintaining a moderate heart rate.