Do Something Streak, Day 24: Waterfall Bike Trainer Workout
This mixture of aerobic and anaerobic efforts will work both systems and help mentally break up an hour session.
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One of the downsides to doing bike trainer workouts all winter is doing all of your indoor rides at one or two similar paces. While it’s good to put in the hours inside, all those sweaty garage or gym sessions can leave your legs very good at working at one pace or zone only. Bingeing on a new show and plugging away on the trainer is good for long rides, but it’s also important to mix up paces and intensity to prevent plateauing, and the changes will help you transition from the base phase to the next phase in your training as the season approaches.
Today’s Do Something Streak workout assumes you’re still near the end of your base training or in the early weeks of your strength/build phase—though it’s still an excellent workout for any time of the season, except race week. Find a way to manage the changes in pace without letting your cadence drop too much and while still maintaining a smooth pedal stroke throughout. The rest is moderate and should give you adequate recovery for the next round.
Ideally, the waterfall bike trainer workout is done on the trainer indoors, but flat-to-rolling terrain outdoors with few interruptions works as well. Most importantly, be sure to do the longer intervals in the aero position and follow the directions indicating if the shorter intervals should be done in aero, seated, or standing. Be sure to leave a day or two leg recovery after this tough trainer workout.
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Waterfall Bike Trainer Workout
Warm-up:
5 minutes easy spin at cadence of 80-90 RPM
5 minutes easy spin at cadence 90-100 RPM
5 minutes of (30 seconds build to 6/10 Rate of Perceived Exertion, upper Heart Rate zone 3; 30 seconds easy)
Main Set:
8 minutes at 6/10 RPE, upper zone 3
15 seconds standing at 9/10 RPE, zone 5
3 minutes easy spin 90-100 RPM
6 minutes at 7/10 RPE, lower zone 4
30 seconds seated at 8/10 RPE, upper zone 4
3 minutes easy spin 90-100 RPM
4 minutes at 8/10 RPE, upper zone 4
45 seconds seated at 7/10 RPE, lower zone 4
3 minutes easy spin 90-100 RPM
2 minutes at 9/10 RPE, zone 5
1 minute aerobars at 6/10 RPE, upper zone 3
3 minutes easy spin 90-100 RPM
Cool-down:
5 minutes easy spin at cadence of 80-90 RPM
5 minutes easy spin at cadence 90-100 RPM