Sweet spot endurance training: 30-minute indoor cycling workout

Manon Lloyd leads the way in this half-hour HIIT workout, designed to work the sweet spot with some sprint intervals included at the end

Updated 10:16, Thursday 19th October 2023. Published 11:16, Thursday 19th October 2023

James Howell-Jones

Junior Writer

Manon Lloyd
GCN Tech Presenter
The youngest, most successful and by far the coolest presenter
Zwift
Zwift is a fitness technology company that allows users to interact, train and race on its virtual online cycling platform. Zwift has approximately one million subscribers and has completely changed how cyclists view training.
Wahoo
Wahoo is a fitness technology company based in Atlanta, USA. Wahoo produces a range of cycling technology products, from cycling computers and smart watches to indoor trainers, pedals and other accessories.
Orbea
Orbea is a Spanish bike manufacturer based in the Basque town of Mallabia. Part of Mondragón Cooperative Corporation, Orbea is Spain’s largest bike manufacturer and currently operates in over 65 countries across the world.

Build your endurance with this 30-minute interval training session. GCN's Manon Lloyd leads a workout that alternates between mid-intensity and mid-to-high-intensity efforts, with a couple of sprints included at the end.

For this session, you will need an indoor bike, smart trainer or spin bike, a bottle of water, and ideally, a fan to keep you cool and a towel to collect any sweat.

What are the benefits of sweet spot training?

The 'sweet spot' is a training zone between 86 - 95% of your Functional Threshold Power (FTP). That means that your sweet spot is the kind of intensity you'd be able to sustain for over an hour, but only just. It's a really important training zone for cyclists to work on, and it's even more important for riders who want to push hard for a long time, such as in a time trial or when leading a group ride.

Training in the sweet spot allows you to push yourself without creating too much muscle damage, so it's great for riders who are looking for value-packed training, without having to spend a long time recovering.

Another sweet spot session to try: Conor Dunne's 30-minute sweet spot session

Warm up for six minutes on your indoor trainer or spin bike

This session starts with a six-minute warm-up on your turbo trainer. Start by spinning the legs gently, then gradually up the intensity, minute by minute. Once we've hit a 4/10 intensity, we'll bring it back down to 3/10, so we're fresh for the main part of the session.

The main sweet spot training session begins

It's time for the main part of the session. Follow Manon's lead as she guides you through a range of different efforts. We'll start by alternating between 7/10 and 5/10, increasing the time spent in each intensity gradually.

Then, we'll up the intensity of the efforts and bring down the intensity of the recovery. The session ends with some 8/10 and 9/10 efforts, which should feel pretty tough!

Spin down the legs on your indoor bike

Stay on the bike for a couple of minutes longer for a gentle cool down. Spin gently on your bike for as long as you need to loosen up your legs and shake out your muscles. If you feel like two minutes isn't enough, keep spinning gently.

Alternatively, if you think you can take on another, have a look at this quick sprinting session.