Super high-cadence sprints with Conor Dunne: 20-minute indoor training session
Pushed for time? Squeeze in this 20-minute HIIT spin cycling workout
GCN
The GCN team
Get your legs spinning (and burning) with Conor's 30-second high cadence efforts. This is an intense but quick HIIT workout that increases your cycling fitness when you're stretched for time. This session is a tough one, with 10 short, sharp sprint efforts at a range of cadences.
For this session, you will need a static bike of some kind, whether that's a dedicated indoor smart trainer, a spin bike, or your regular bike on an indoor trainer or turbo. It's also a good idea to keep a water bottle and towel at hand. The session is based on perceived exertion, so you don't need a power meter or heart rate monitor.
For the cadence drills, it's best if you've got a cadence sensor so you can see how fast you're pedalling. If you don't have a cadence sensor, you can still do this session; simply follow along with the cadence by watching Conor and the team in the fitness studio.
Read more: GCN's ultimate guide to indoor cycling
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Warm up on your indoor trainer for five and a half minutes
Before we get into the sprint efforts in the main session, we'll spend a few minutes getting properly warmed up. Follow Conor's lead as we ramp up the intensity, starting with a gentle 2/10, and building up gradually to 6/10. Then it's back down to 3/10 to recover before the sprint efforts.
The main session: 10 short sprints at a range of different cadences
Now for the main session. It works in units of 30 seconds, switching between 9/10 sprints and 5/10 'tempo' riding, then with a 2/10 recovery period every so often. For most of the session, we'll keep all our riding at 80rpm, but the final sprint of each block will be at 100rpm, which might feel a little uncomfortable at first. Stick with it all the way through to reap the benefits of this short but sweet sprint session.
Cool down for two minutes
After all that hard work, you need to give your body a chance to recover. The best way to do that is to keep spinning the pedals in an easy gear for at least a couple of minutes after this session.
With a quick 20-minute session in the bag, you're ready to get on with your day!
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