This is a great indoor cycling workout for developing your ability to tolerate high-intensity cycling, such as establishing a breakaway in a cycle race or mountain bike race, or maybe surviving when someone else attacks. This session is a great for all cyclists and triathlete who have limited time to train.
Each Sunday, I’ll post a Smart-Trainer Session 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.
This session is a modification on the Ladder Variation that I published back in 2016:
Half Ladder Variation
- 10min Warm Up Level II;
- 4min Level IV;
- 2min Level V;
- 30sec MAX (Level V+);
- 5min Level II RI;
- 30sec MAX (Level V+)
- 2min Level V;
- 4min Level IV;
- 10min Cool Down Level II;
- 5min Stretching
Start the workout with a Warm-Up (WU) of 10 minutes of easy riding at Level II.
The main set involves riding at Level IV for four minutes, then increasing your effort to Level V for two minutes, before sprinting as hard as you can (Level V+) for 30 seconds. Pedal easy at Level II for five minutes holding a cadence of greater than 90 Rpm. Then sprint as hard as you can again (Level V+) for 30 seconds, before settling into Level V for two minutes, then drop the intensity a notch for four minutes to Level IV.
Conclude the ride with a minimum of ten minutes of riding at Level II for your Cool Down (CD).
Finish with ten minutes of stretching to assist with your recovery.
Here is my data from this workout:
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.
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