Rest
Complete rest
VO₂ intervals
4 × 4 min at about 110% FTP
Recovery spin
Easy enough to finish fresher
Threshold
3 × 10 min at 95–100% FTP
Rest
Protect Saturday
Long endurance
Steady ride; controlled tempo on climbs
Recovery spin
Low torque, relaxed cadence
Goal adjustment: Keep the long ride smooth and repeatable; consistency is the goal.
Fatigue rule: If Tuesday quality falls apart, remove Thursday intensity before cutting the long easy ride. Every third or fourth week, reduce total work by 30–40%.
How does the cycling week builder structure your training?
The planner follows a rigid algorithmic decision tree based on low-volume exercise science:
| Weekly Allocation | 4-Hour Schedule | 6-Hour Schedule ("3+2") | 8-Hour Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Session 1 (Tue) | 60m VO₂max (4×8m @ 105%) | 60m VO₂max (4×4m @ 110%) | 90m Threshold (4×8m @ 100%) |
| Quality Session 2 (Thu) | 60m Sweet Spot (2×20m @ 90%) | 60m Threshold (3×10m @ 98%) | 75m VO₂max (5×4m @ 110%) |
| Long Endurance (Sat) | 120m Zone 2 Base | 150m Zone 2 Base | 195m Zone 2 Base |
| Recovery Volume | Complete Rest (Wed/Sun) | 2× 45m Recovery Spins | 2× 60m Easy Endurance Rides |
| Total Rest Days | 4 days off | 2 days off (Mon/Fri) | 2 days off (Mon/Fri) |
Why cap high-intensity workouts at two per week?
High-intensity efforts (Zones 4–5) trigger metabolic stress (AMPK activation) and heavy glycogen depletion. While peripheral muscles recover in 24 hours, central nervous system (CNS) autonomic recovery takes 48 to 72 hours.
Overload Protection Rule: If you select 8 available hours, the tool does not add a third hard interval workout. Adding a third hard session induces chronic sympathetic fatigue. Extra time is allocated to expanding the Saturday Zone 2 endurance ride.
Research by Tripp et al. (2025)shows that concentrating aerobic stress into two weekend days ("Weekend Warrior" model) yields non-inferior VO₂max gains (~10% lift) compared to 4-day distributions when volume is matched.
How do indoor and outdoor rides complement each other?
The builder allows you to specify an indoor, outdoor, or balanced ride mix:
- Indoor Sessions (Tuesday & Thursday): Smart trainers in ERG mode provide uninterrupted time-in-zone for intervals. 1 hour indoors equals ~1.5 hours outdoors due to continuous pedaling. Always use heavy blower fans (1,500+ CFM) to prevent heat-induced cardiovascular drift.
- Outdoor Long Rides (Saturday): Outdoor riding builds essential road handling, cornering, climbing torque, and real-world nutrition execution that cannot be replicated on a stationary trainer.
Read the complete framework in our Six-Hour Cycling Plan, review volume benchmarks in our Zone 2 Base Training Guide, compare intensity models in Polarized vs. Sweet Spot Training, or explore long-term planning in our Cycling Training Plan Guide.
