10 minute warmup, 2x15 minute FTP efforts with a short recovery, and a quick cool-down. While not as infamous as 2x20's the 2x15's will still help build base power and get you done in under an hour. This workout should be done after an easy or rest day.
4x 800 m @ 110% of 5k pace, 400 m @ 70% of 5k pace
400 m from 80 to 50% of HM pace
Workout overview
Distance: 6.8 km
Zone distribution
Z1: 170 m
Z2: 2513 m
Z3: 917 m
Z4: 0 m
Z5: 3200 m
Z6: 0 m
3%
37%
13%
0%
47%
0%
These 800m or half mile intervals are short and painful. Go as fast as you can and hold for the duration of the interval, up to the point that you can continue jogging during the rest intervals. One interval workout should be enough to help build the speed for those hoping to improve their race pace in longer events.
4x 1600 m @ 102% of 5k pace, 400 m @ 70% of 5k pace
800 m from 85 to 50% of HM pace
Workout overview
Distance: 10.4 km
Zone distribution
Z1: 292 m
Z2: 2341 m
Z3: 1296 m
Z4: 71 m
Z5: 6400 m
Z6: 0 m
3%
23%
12%
1%
62%
0%
These 1600m or 1mi intervals are perfect for getting you way out of your endurance comfort zone. One interval workout should be enough to help build the speed for those hoping to improve their race pace in longer events.
8x 400 m @ 110% of 5k pace, 400 m @ 84% of 5k pace
400 m from 80 to 50% of HM pace
Workout overview
Distance: 8.4 km
Zone distribution
Z1: 170 m
Z2: 913 m
Z3: 4117 m
Z4: 0 m
Z5: 3200 m
Z6: 0 m
2%
11%
49%
0%
38%
0%
These 400m or quarter mile intervals are short but valuable, especially for those training for a 5km or 10km event. Go as fast as you can hold for the duration of the interval, up to the point that you can continue jogging during the rest periods. One interval workout a week is the only speedwork you should need.
A progression run where you'll start off relatively easy and kick to the line. Too many runners are eager to floor the gas pedal right out of the gate, but progression runs help strengthen discipline.
A Fartlek variation where you'll run for 1min at just over 5K pace with 30sec easy jog, 5x. These will touch on your VO2 Max and serves to improve your maximum sustainable speed.
A Fartlek variation with increasing interval lengths and decreasing intensities. Fartlek runs challenge the body to adapt to various speeds, conditioning you to become faster over longer distances.
A longer Fartlek run with descending duration intervals. Fartlek runs challenge the body to adapt to various speeds, conditioning you to become faster over longer distances.
A zone 5 focused workout featuring a 5min finishing interval that will push you to your limits. Can you grin and bear it and finish strong? I know you can!
This workout blends hill training and tempo work to get your legs stronger and aerobic system fitter. Use this workout to prepare for hill races, training runs or just to burn a few slices of pizza. Key details of the workout are 60 second hill effort immediately followed by 3 minutes of tempo running.
This workout was often used by the Zwift development team to test features as well as get a solid hour of training in. It starts with a brief warmup and goes straight into short anaerobic bursts, shortly followed by max effort sprint training, only to be finished with 2 10 minute blocks of Sweet Spot Training.
If you want to get a solid effort done in 30 minutes or less, this is a fun one to do. A little something for the sprinters, and a SST block to build a little FTP, all wrapped up in a tasty 30 minute session.
A Fartlek variation with increasing interval lengths and decreasing intensities. Fartlek runs challenge the body to adapt to various speeds, conditioning you to become faster over longer distances.
A hill workout where you'll become quite friendly with the 10% incline on your treadmill :-) Hill workouts are designed to increase leg-muscle power, increase intensity of the workout, and add in variety.
This progressive workout is at a faster than tempo pace and only gets hard as you go on, and may be helpful with finding your 5km race pace as you figure out just how fast you can go.
Sweet Spot Training (or SST for short) will give great bang for buck. Training at around 90 percent of your threshhold (aka the Sweet Spot) is useful because you can spend quite a bit of time there without building up undue amounts of training stress. You can do this workout as much as you'd like and watch your FTP rise over time.
AKA 'The Quitter'. This is a tough workout that you may be unable to finish. Give it your all and remember that riding to failure pays in both mental and physical gains. You should use this workout to hone your climbing potential after you've developed a solid FTP. Perform 1-2x per week for best results.
This is a workout with lots of anerobic efforts that build up over time, as recalled by Zwift's resident World Champion cyclist Mike McCarthy. With lots of near threshold effort it should help increase your FTP as it simulates an effort towards the end of a race.
The Michigan is the ultimate cross country workout, created by Ron Warhurst from the University of Michigan, it simulates a hilly and hard 10k cross country effort. This workout will make you strong and fast!
The Michigan is the ultimate cross country workout, created by Ron Warhurst from the University of Michigan, it simulates a hilly and hard 10k cross country effort. This workout will make you strong and fast!
The Michigan is the ultimate cross country workout, created by Ron Warhurst from the University of Michigan, it simulates a hilly and hard 10k cross country effort. This workout will make you strong and fast!
The hills are here! This workout will simulate running up and over hills. You can think of hills as speedwork in disguise. Hills are a great way to do speedwork if you are tired, because the focus is more on strength and fitness than speed and coordination. The messaging will suggest when to change grades and to what % incline. As always, if the paces are too easy or too hard make adjustments to what feels right.
A tough ladder workout featuring increasing intensity from start to finish of the interval set. Ladder workouts are designed to increase your speed and fatigue resistance.
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