One-Hour Workout: Meredith Kessler’s Hour of Power

This week’s One-Hour Workout is courtesy of 11-time Ironman champion Meredith Kessler and is the session that she led during our Triathlete Zwift ride yesterday, which saw athletes from all over the world log onto the popular virtual riding platform to workout with Kessler while also asking her questions. It is designed to be done indoors on the trainer.

Kessler described the rides as one of her favorites and it features ascending threshold intervals “to get the heart pumping and the legs popping.”

Although the workout was prescribed as % of FTP (Functional Threshold Power), we’ve also added in RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) for those not using a power meter.

After a five-minute warm-up at 50% FTP (RPE 4/10), you’ll begin three continuous rounds of: three minutes at 60-70% FTP/RPE 5-6/10; two minutes at 75-85% FTP/RPE 7/10; one minute at 90-100% FTP/RPE 8/10. This 18-minute block of work will get you well warmed up and ready for the main set to follow, Kessler said.

Take two minutes to ride easy and regroup and then you’ll begin the “work.”

The overall pattern here is to progress effort as you progress through the rounds, as follows: two sets of three minutes, the first at 80% FTP, the second at 95% FTP, with 90 seconds easy between each (the easy should always be 50% FTP/RPE 4/10); three sets of two minutes—the first at 80% FTP, the second at 95% FTP, the third at 100% FTP—with 60 seconds easy between each; four sets of one minute intervals—the first at 80% FTP, the second at 95% FTP, the third at 100% FTP, the fourth at 105% FTP—with 45 seconds easy between each; and then five sets of 30 seconds as: 80% FTP, 95% FTP, 100% FTP, 105% FTP, 110% FTP—all with 30 seconds recovery between each.

Kessler said: “Don’t be afraid to go for it if you’re feeling good in the latter stages. If you’re doing it right you should really start to feel your legs opening up. This session passes in a flash!”

Wrap it up with a five-minute cool-down to bring heart-rate and breathing rate down. Be sure to hydrate well and use a fan while riding to help keep you cool.

One-Hour Workout: Meredith Kessler’s Hour of Power

Warm-up:

5 min. @ 50% FTP/RPE 4/10

Prep set:

3 continuous rounds of:

3 min. @ 60-70% FTP/RPE 5-6/10

2 min. @ 75-85% FTP/RPE 7/10

1 min. @ 90-100% FTP/RPE 8/10

2 min. easy to regroup at 50% FTP/RPE 4/10

Main set:

2 x 3 min. with 90 sec. easy between each:

#1 @ 80% FTP/RPE 7/10

#2 @ 95% FTP/RPE 8/10

3 x 2 min. with 60 sec. easy between each:

#1 @ 80% FTP/RPE 7/10

#2 @ 95% FTP/RPE 8/10

#3 @ 100% FTP/RPE 9/10

4 x 1 min. with 45 sec. easy between each:

#1 @ 80% FTP/RPE 7/10

#2 @ 95% FTP/RPE 8/10

#3 @ 100% FTP/RPE 9/10

#4 @ 105% FTP/RPE 9-10/10

5 x 30 sec. with 30 sec. easy between each:

#1 @ 80% FTP/RPE 7/10

#2 @ 95% FTP/RPE 8/10

#3 @ 100% FTP/RPE 9/10

#4 @ 105% FTP/RPE 9-10/10

#5 @ 110% FTP/RPE 10/10

All easy should be at 50% FTP/RPE 4/10

Cool-down:

5 min. 50% FTP/RPE 4/10