Spending time riding at different cadences and intensities up to and including VO2 Max level will develop your top-end speed and power, as well as give your Threshold power a bit of a boost as well as generate all-around cycling strength. This session will help you develop that and is great for all cyclists including triathletes and mountain bikers.
Each Wednesday I’ll post a Windtrainer Workout that you can do in about 60 minutes to enhance your cycling. See a previous post about training intensity (Levels) to know how hard to work. If you are working directly with Coach Ray he will in most cases prescribe either a Power Zone or Heart Rate Zone to work within if you are training with these tools.
The inspiration for this session comes from Matt Bottrill, in an article published on Triathlon.com. To read the original article click here. Matt is a cycling coach who has worked with pro triathletes like Tim Don and Tim O’Donnell.
Matt Bottrill’s Intensity and Cadence Mash Up
- 5min WU Level II Cad 90-100;
- 10min WU (Cont) Level II Cad 80-90;
- 10min Level II Cad 80-90;
- 10min Level II Cad 70-80;
- 5min Level II Cad 90-100;
- 4x 1min Level V, 30sec Level II RI;
- 10min Level IV;
- 4x 1min Level V, 30sec Level II RI;
- 10min CD Level II;
- 10min Stretching
Start the workout with a five-minute Warm Up (WU) at Level II, riding at a cadence of 90-100 Rpm. Continue the Warm Up (WU) for another ten minutes at Level II with the cadence reduced to 80-90 Rpm.
The main sets start with ten minutes at Level II at a cadence of between 80 & 90 Rpm.
Continue riding at Level II for a further ten minutes but with the cadence reduced to 70 to 80 Rpm.
Next up is five minutes of riding at Level II but the cadence now increased to between 90 & 100 Rpm.
You now lift the intensity to Level V for one minute, with a 30-second Rest Interval (RI) at Level II. Repeat this for a total of four reps.
Between sets spend ten minutes riding at Level IV before going straight into the final set.
Finish with another set of four, one-minute reps at Level V with a 30-second Rest Interval (RI) between.
Conclude the intervals with ten minutes of riding at Level II for your Cool Down (CD).
Finish with ten minutes of stretching to assist with your recovery.
If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.
I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi – Endurance Sports Consultant.
I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729. Make sure you sign up for my informative newsletter.
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If you enjoyed this workout, here is a similar session I published 12 months ago.
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