One-Hour Workout: Triathlon Taren’s Hot and Spicy Bike Set

Fresh from our Triathlete Zwift ride yesterday, this week’s One-Hour Workout comes from Triathlon Taren—and it’s a tough one. It’s one of Triathlon Taren’s (AKA Taren Gesell) favorite bike sessions, which he said will help get your legs ready for half- and full-distance racing.

It is prescribed as percentage of FTP (Functional Threshold Power), but for those of you who don’t use power we’ve also included RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion).

It begins with a 10-minute build warm-up, which takes you from 33% of FTP to 40% (RPE 3-4/10) and then you’ll hit some short, sharp neuromuscular openers, which are designed to get your body and brain talking. These are four rounds of 15 seconds at FTP (RPE 8/10) with your cadence at or close to 110 RPM, followed by 60 seconds easy spin.

Be ready for the main set—because it isn’t easy. It involves five rounds of two minutes at 90% of FTP (RPE 7-8/10), two minutes at 100% of FTP (RPE 8/10), two minutes at 110% of FTP (RPE 9/10), and then two minutes easy spin (which you’ll definitely be ready for!).

Wrap it all up with a five-minute easy spin—and be sure to recover well.

Stay tuned for details of next month’s Triathlete Zwift ride, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 9 a.m. MDT/11 a.m. EDT. And if you’re keen to catch more of Triathlon Taren, you can check out his new Triathlete column, How Not To Be “That Person” When Watching the Olympics, which first appeared in our July/August issue.

One-Hour Workout: Triathlon Taren’s Hot and Spicy Bike Set

Warm-up

10 min. building from 33% to 40% of FTP (RPE 3-4/10)

4 x [15 sec. @ 100% FTP, RPE 8/10 @ 110 RPM, 60 sec. easy spin]

Main set

5 x [2 min. @ 90% FTP, RPE 7-8/10; 2 min. @ 100% FTP, RPE 8/10; 2 min. @ 110% FTP, RPE 9/10; 2 min. easy spin

Cool-down

5 min. easy spin

Get more 60-minute sessions from top coaches around the world in our One-Hour Workout archives.