If you've been struggling to stay with your local group ride during climbs, this is the perfect session to develop the fitness needed to keep up. This session is all about building the duration of time spent riding at an effort level close to your VO2 Max, which we'll explain.

When exercising, your heart and lungs work hard to pump oxygenated red blood cells in your body to your muscle tissue. The more oxygen your body can use, the more your muscles can work. VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use. Improving it enables you to increase the time spent at moderate or high intensity.

Here's how we'll do just that. First we spike the effort at the start of each interval, then balance that intensity to maintain high oxygen consumption without getting you exhausted too early. This is a solid workout that you can rely on any time.

Coach's Tip: Zwift Academy Road was developed with structure in mind. For best results, complete the workouts in order.

This training program was designed by Stephen Gallagher and Dan Fleeman from Dig Deep Coaching. Their complete coaching approach ensures every Zwift Academy athlete learns the building blocks for successful training.

No longer available in Zwift* View workout More workouts like this

*From Zwift 1.49 (early October 2023), Zwift has decided to reorganize its workout library into new collections. Use More workouts like this to find identical workouts in new workout collections or training plans in Zwift. Workouts that are no longer available in Zwift can be downloaded from the official Zwift forum. See more info here: FAQ: How do I obtain and use old Zwift workouts that are no longer available in Zwift?.

If you've ever seen a rider attack hard in the last leg of a race or explode over short steep climbs, they're using the efforts learned in this workout. Let's get after it.

This session is focused on stressing your peak VO2 early in each interval, then maintaining that level of oxygen consumption before continuing at a level that really works your aerobic system. Performing six reps will stress your aerobic capacity along with your lactate clearance abilities, something that's crucial for recovering between segments.

Coach's Tip: Zwift Academy Road was developed with structure in mind. For best results, complete the workouts in order.

This training program was designed by Stephen Gallagher and Dan Fleeman from Dig Deep Coaching. Their complete coaching approach ensures every Zwift Academy athlete learns the building blocks for successful training.

No longer available in Zwift* View workout More workouts like this

*From Zwift 1.49 (early October 2023), Zwift has decided to reorganize its workout library into new collections. Use More workouts like this to find identical workouts in new workout collections or training plans in Zwift. Workouts that are no longer available in Zwift can be downloaded from the official Zwift forum. See more info here: FAQ: How do I obtain and use old Zwift workouts that are no longer available in Zwift?.

When you need to constantly perform small surges of power—and keep pushing hard between these surges like in a Time Trial or when in fast paceline in a group ride—you're going to need excellent lactate tolerance. The better you are at metabolizing lactate, the better your endurance.

This session has two goals: enhance lactate tolerance, which allows you to perform at intensities above your FTP for longer, and boost your VO2 Max. This session will hold you at a high VO2 max over the majority of each set and raise your maximal aerobic capacity.

Coach's Tip: Zwift Academy Road was developed with structure in mind. For best results, complete the workouts in order.

This training program was designed by Stephen Gallagher and Dan Fleeman from Dig Deep Coaching. Their complete coaching approach ensures every Zwift Academy athlete learns the building blocks for successful training.

No longer available in Zwift* View workout More workouts like this

*From Zwift 1.49 (early October 2023), Zwift has decided to reorganize its workout library into new collections. Use More workouts like this to find identical workouts in new workout collections or training plans in Zwift. Workouts that are no longer available in Zwift can be downloaded from the official Zwift forum. See more info here: FAQ: How do I obtain and use old Zwift workouts that are no longer available in Zwift?.

High efforts. Long durations. Together, these can wipe out some of the most skilled cyclists. But today's workout ensures that you'll be ready for whatever climb, hilly ride, or terrain-shifting road comes next.

Starting today, we'll start to build sustained power into your repertoire after increasing your VO2 Max. How? By performing longer efforts around your FTP, with a cadence element addition designed to enhance your muscular responsiveness to gradient changes–which you'll likely encounter on longer segments.

Coach's Tip: Zwift Academy Road was developed with structure in mind. For best results, complete the workouts in order.

This training program was designed by Stephen Gallagher and Dan Fleeman from Dig Deep Coaching. Their complete coaching approach ensures every Zwift Academy athlete learns the building blocks for successful training.

No longer available in Zwift* View workout More workouts like this

*From Zwift 1.49 (early October 2023), Zwift has decided to reorganize its workout library into new collections. Use More workouts like this to find identical workouts in new workout collections or training plans in Zwift. Workouts that are no longer available in Zwift can be downloaded from the official Zwift forum. See more info here: FAQ: How do I obtain and use old Zwift workouts that are no longer available in Zwift?.

How do you turn into a Time Trial rider? This workout gives you all the tools you need to help you smash sustained efforts lasting 15–30min.

This session has you performing 30min of work near your FTP. Starting the first set at a higher intensity means lactate levels will increase slightly at the beginning without time to fully clear. Conversely, starting easy in the last set before building the intensity towards the end means you'll have to generate hard efforts at the end of nearly 50min of work and cumulative fatigue.

Tiring, we know. But totally worth it. This work helps build fatigue resistance along with sustainable aerobic power, crucial when hitting longer segments to the best of your ability.

Coach's Tip: Zwift Academy Road was developed with structure in mind. For best results, complete the workouts in order.

This training program was designed by Stephen Gallagher and Dan Fleeman from Dig Deep Coaching. Their complete coaching approach ensures every Zwift Academy athlete learns the building blocks for successful training.

No longer available in Zwift* View workout More workouts like this

*From Zwift 1.49 (early October 2023), Zwift has decided to reorganize its workout library into new collections. Use More workouts like this to find identical workouts in new workout collections or training plans in Zwift. Workouts that are no longer available in Zwift can be downloaded from the official Zwift forum. See more info here: FAQ: How do I obtain and use old Zwift workouts that are no longer available in Zwift?.

When you attack in a race or surge over a short hill, an intense burn always follows. This workout ensures you'll hit these types of efforts stronger, pushing through the burn and helping maintain a high pace without fading after each effort.

The anaerobic capacity (AC) effort at the start of this workout helps build up high lactate concentrations, essential for building FTP. The 1min rest that follows is enough to help recover adequately so you can complete the workout strong, but it doesn't leave so much time that lactate concentrations will decrease. The workout is key when it comes to boosting your FTP and tackling longer segments with a higher level of fitness.

Coach's Tip: Zwift Academy Road was developed with structure in mind. For best results, complete the workouts in order.

This training program was designed by Stephen Gallagher and Dan Fleeman from Dig Deep Coaching. Their complete coaching approach ensures every Zwift Academy athlete learns the building blocks for successful training.

No longer available in Zwift* View workout More workouts like this

*From Zwift 1.49 (early October 2023), Zwift has decided to reorganize its workout library into new collections. Use More workouts like this to find identical workouts in new workout collections or training plans in Zwift. Workouts that are no longer available in Zwift can be downloaded from the official Zwift forum. See more info here: FAQ: How do I obtain and use old Zwift workouts that are no longer available in Zwift?.