Indoor Cycling Workouts: 8 Sessions for Every Goal

Indoor riding is at its best when every session has a purpose. On a trainer there are no traffic lights or hills to interrupt an interval, so you can hit exact targets. Below are eight structured workouts from our library, grouped by what they train. Each has ZWO, MRC and ERG files you can load into your app.

Workouts by goal

Workout	Goal	Intensity
45-minute recovery spin	Recovery	Very easy
90-minute zone 2	Aerobic base	Easy
Tempo 3x20	Muscular endurance	Moderate
Sweet spot 3x15	FTP, time-efficient	Moderately hard
Threshold 2x20	FTP	Hard
Over-unders 4x9	Handling surges near threshold	Hard
VO2max 5x4	Aerobic ceiling	Very hard
Sprint power 6x15s	Sprint	Maximal, short

Short on time?

• Under 45 minutes: 30/30 intervals or a shortened sweet spot session (2x10).
• About an hour: sweet spot 3x15, threshold 2x20 or pyramid intervals.
• A long weekend slot: the 90-minute zone 2 ride.

Combining them into a week

Pair one or two hard sessions with easy rides, and keep at least a day between hard efforts. Our cycling training plan shows a full 8-week example.

Tips for better indoor rides

• Cooling: a strong fan is the most important accessory; heat costs power.
• Hydration: you sweat more indoors, so drink regularly.
• Correct FTP: targets scale with it; test with our FTP test guide.
• ERG mode for intervals, free ride or resistance mode for sprints and tests.
• Protect the floor and bike with a mat and a towel.
• Entertainment for long rides, focus for hard intervals.

Not sure how to load files? See our guides for Zwift, TrainerRoad, Garmin and TrainingPeaks.