Explore workouts that keep your heart pumping and boost your aerobic capacity, also known as cardio. These endurance workouts are varied in duration and will prepare you for your next long ride.
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It's all about that Base. Right? Today we're getting into some aerobic fitness with a little bit of direction. Nothing hard today, but lots of time doing some "work". Don't adjust the watts up at all today as some lower effort will be good for us. On the other hand if you are tired and need to click the down button on the "higher" watts, today is the day to do so.
A bit longer so don't forget a snack and a couple of bottles with mix. Get used to forcing the hydration as it's going to be important for race day.
We start this program with some basic aerobic endurance intervals. Small 30 sec spikes to load the legs up every 3.5 mins throughout the interval. A chance to climb out of the saddle. 4 x 12 min aerobic efforts with 3min recovery.
This is the very first session of the Dirt Destroyer, which takes us back to basics and focuses on developing your endurance and aerobic conditioning which are fundamental attributes for anyone looking to train hard, hold their form and perform in a mountain bike event.
We are going to push ourselves right up to our threshold, by completing 6 efforts, split in to two blocks of 3 efforts (85%, 95% and 100% of our FTP). The first effort within each block alternates between your chosen cadence and a low cadence of 65rpm. As the intensity of each effort goes up, the volume goes down! You're going to need to use a Cadence Sensor to make the most of these workouts
The goal of this workout is to get in some good solid cardiovascular work and then doing some seated cadence bursts for 30 seconds within the sustained effort. Warm-up for 10minutes with 3 x 1minute fast pedaling intervals >110rpm and then do do 40 minutes at tempo pace- 80% of FTP and do a burst every few minutes. Cooldown.
It's important to have balance to your training and have easy days to let your body respond to the training you've done. Today's workout is a favorite for any rider: the cafe ride! Enjoy today and just take it easy :-)
Long, low intensity efforts aren't the only way to build endurance. By incorporating short surges into a steady effort you will increase your oxygen uptake and training stimulus.
Completing a low intensity effort with a surge every 4 minutes should feel comfortable, but the constant change in power and surging, will provide you with big gains in endurance.
Endurance sessions are the ideal time to focus on improving your pedaling. Power is not the focus in this session:
Throughout today's endurance ride we will be increasing the focus on your cardiovascular endurance, by challenging your ability to pedal at a high cadence. A fun session that includes a range of high rpm intervals.
Today we've got a nice "easy" aerobic effort for you today. The last 3 blocks will go up to 90% but just for a bit. Goal of today is to just get on the bike and put a little bit of pressure on the pedals, but not too much.
If you'd like to visualize these builds as hills and smooth and steady climbing, please do. In fact, do! Good aerobic effort is all I'm looking for, so please don't go above what is prescribed for today. More hard stuff this week to focus on.
This workout is designed to improve your ability to change cadences without worrying too much about your wattage output. This workout also makes the time go much faster! Warm-up 10minutes and then begin your Fast pedaling drills! One minute pedaling fast at >110rpm and then 1 minute at 80rpm. Cool-down
In today's workout, you will complete 3 x 12 minute blocks of 'Tempo - Endurance' - this should feel nice and comfortable as you alternate between Zone 2 and Zone 3.
At the end of each 12 minute block, there is a 1 minute 'free ride' - depending on your current level of fitness, you can either drop the hammer and give it your max effort, or take some extra recovery. Today's workout is one of the purest type of endurance workouts there is - no nonsense, keeping the chain tight and getting it done.
This workout is absolutely designed as a recovery workout, but still have some "work" to do with a little RPM focus. The RPM's prescribed may be tough to hit, so work into it, and make sure you can do so without actually riding hard. Again, recovery focused. 3x9min blocks as 6 times through 30sec low endurance at 90 rpms, 30sec upper endurance at 100 rpms, 30sec tempo at 110 rpms take 3min easy spinning between blocks
Team Jumbo-Visma is one of the most dominate teams in the pro peloton, and it's not for a lack of hard work, and smart work. For this workout we will be following Jumbo-Visma's lead and working some zone 2 blocks. This likely won't be your hardest workout of the week, but I'd argue it will be one of the most important ones!
This is a low intensity endurance session that focuses on your ability to judge your pacing.
By completing some steady state intervals under threshold power, you will develop the ability to gauge your effort based on "feel" without having to look at the data for feedback.
This session also serves the purpose of effectively building endurance.
A low intensity endurance session today focusing on your ability to judge your pacing. By completing some steady state intervals under threshold power, you will develop the ability to gauge your effort based on "feel" without having to look at the data for feedback.
This session also serves the purpose of effectively building endurance.
This endurance session focuses on replicating the demands of outdoor rolling hills. Just like outdoors, we have a targeted lower cadence for the hills, but the power is well under threshold. The body of this workout involves repeated medium intensity efforts ranging in length from 2 to 3min.
This session aims to develop your endurance by completing 3 blocks of 15 minutes around Zone 3, made up of short ramps to add in the constant variation in effort involved in mountain biking! There are also a few sprints thrown in there too, to simulate navigating across a technical uphill section.
Additionally, the middle ramp within each block is to be completed at a low cadence, of 65rpm.
Long base ride to give the endurance needed to tackle the Zwift Fondo. We will increase the overall duration of this workout each week while maintaining a similar structure for the workouts. The focus here is on foundational fitness which will support the shorter and harder mid-week intervals.
In today's workout, you will complete 3 x 12 minute blocks of Zone 3, with some surges thrown in for good measure! The Zone 3 riding should feel nice and comfortable, however the surges may sting a little. The surges in each block increase in intensity, but decrease in duration; Block 1 - 100% of FTP for 30 seconds, Block 2 - 110% of FTP for 20 seconds, Block 3 - 115% of FTP for 15 seconds.
At the end of each 12 minute block, there is a 1 minute 'Free Ride' - depending on your current level of fitness, you can either drop the hammer and give it your max effort, or take some extra recovery. The significant volume of Tempo riding, coupled with the surges will help develop your endurance.
This third workout is a continuation of the endurance build. Structured much like the first workout this session increases the intensity and also omits the breaks between the three sets. It should still feel "do-able" but put you under a bit of pressure towards the end of the workout.
This workout also has a focus on higher RPM's in the first 5 minutes of each block. This will prep you for the situations where you will have to spin faster in the stages and in this workout also serves the purpose of trying to loosen the legs from Z4 much as you would try to do out on the trails.
This is a pyramid style workout, which is an all round session which will help to boost your endurance, but also your strength as we hit the peak of the pyramid. Here we complete a 2 minute effort at 109% of FTP, critically at 70rpm which really draws on your strength and is what really makes this part of the pyramid a challenge.
Metabolic waste will build up throughout this session, and you will be forced to continue producing power with lactate present - this is known as your lactate tolerance, which we are trying to improve.
This workout keeps things interesting by changing the intensity and the monotony of a steady state workout. Real life racing is often more comparable to this type of workout than a very steady state type of workout. The changes in cadence also try and mimic the conditions of real world riding.
Start with a 10 minute warm up - Zone 1. Then 30 minutes Zone 2, but for the first 20 seconds of each and every minute, lift your cadence to 110 rpm - whilst maintaining the same power. So lower the resistence/gear and raise your cadence. 10 min cool down