One-Hour Workout: Single Leg & Cadence Spins
These drills will improve your pedal stroke and help you become an overall more efficient rider.
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This week’s workout comes from Colorado-based Grant Holicky of Forever Endurance, a former professional triathlete who transferred his swim coaching background to include cycling and triathlon. Grant has coached numerous national champions and was a member of the USA Swimming Open Water World Championships staff.
“The goal of this cycling session is to help build pedal stroke feel and neuromuscular efficiency,” Holicky says. “With an increase in these efficiencies, less energy is required to pedal and changing speed is easier and more drastic. This session is great to include during your active recovery days as the overall stress of this workout is fairly low.”
Repeat this session a few times a month. Pay attention to how your pedaling improves, higher cadences become easier, and the single-leg drills become smoother and more sustainable.
Warm Up
10 min easy spinning (<55% of your FTP, RPE <3)
3 min build up to your goal race pace effort or power
2 min easy spinning
Main Set
Throughout this piece try to keep the “clunkiness” out of the pedal stroke. Stay smooth and engaged throughout and keep power below threshold (<100% FTP, RPE <7.5).
4 rounds of:
20 seconds right leg only
20 seconds left leg only
40 seconds both legs with cadence above 110 rpm
20 seconds left leg only
20 seconds right leg only.
5 minutes easy spinning
Cool Down
15-minute easy spin