Workouts
Workout
Training focus · Zone 4 · 95–105% FTP
Threshold cycling workouts
Learn to live at the limit.
Threshold workouts target the power you can sustain for roughly an hour — 95–105% of FTP. Training at and around this intensity raises the ceiling on your sustainable power, which is what decides long climbs, time trials, and whether you can hold a hard group ride.
54
free sessions
15–110
minutes
95–105%
of FTP
Free to ride No account needed to start Works with Bluetooth smart trainers ERG mode holds the watts
Start here
Three ways in
Don’t scroll all 54 sessions on day one. Pick the one that fits the time you have, press start, and the trainer does the pacing.
The way in
15-Minute Smash Fest!
Shortest session in the set. Ride it today.
15
min
0.81
intensity
The staple
50 Minute Threshold Pyramid
The session you will come back to every week.
50
min
0.77
intensity
The long haul
Tempo Staircase 3×(6/8/10m)
Block out the time. This one builds depth.
110
min
0.66
intensity
Why it works
The physiology, briefly
Typical sessions are 2×20, 3×12, or over-under blocks that oscillate just below and above FTP. These are demanding workouts: one or two per week is plenty for most riders, with endurance riding in between.
Everything below is free to ride with a smart trainer in ERG mode or with power/heart-rate targets. Make sure your FTP is current — threshold intervals at a stale FTP are either too easy to help or too hard to finish.
How to run it
Controlled discomfort. Hard to talk, still possible to think.
- 01One or two sessions a week — threshold work is potent and expensive.
- 02Settle into the first interval; the opening minutes always lie.
- 03For over-unders, change cadence with the surges: up for overs, settle for unders.
- 04Finish every interval able to say you could have done one more minute.
The full set
All 54 threshold sessions
Under 40 minutes
21 sessionsHIIT
15-Minute Smash Fest!
An intense 15-minute workout which features three reps of VO2 max and threshold efforts.
15 minIF 0.81
HIIT
VO2 Max
Threshold
+4 more
Interval
Spin To Win!
A quick 20-minute session focusing on high cadence work to build speed, power, and pedalling efficiency.
19 minIF 0.52
High Cadence
Threshold
Speed
+3 more
Interval
Spin To Win! | 20 Minute Indoor Cycling Training Session
A quick workout focusing on high cadence work to build speed, power, and pedaling efficiency.
19 minIF 0.73
High Cadence
Threshold
Efficiency
+3 more
TimeTrial
Team Time Trial
In this session, you will be mimicking the efforts of a team time trial, alternating between medium and full-out efforts.
20 minIF 0.46
HIIT
Team Time Trial
Indoor Cycling
+2 more
HIIT
20 Mins Sprint Into The Effort
A 20-minute session with short intense sprints followed immediately by longer endurance efforts to improve your ability to push over climbs and accelerate again.
21 minIF 0.64
Sprint
Threshold
HIIT
+4 more
Interval
20 Minute Climbing Session
A short, sharp interval session focusing on climbing, with short hard efforts followed by steadier sustained riding to replicate a steep climb with ramps.
23 minIF 0.70
Climbing
HIIT
Threshold
+3 more
Interval
20 Minute Climbing Session
A short sharp interval session focusing on climbing, with short hard efforts followed by steadier sustained riding to replicate a steep climb with ramps.
23 minIF 0.75
Climbing
Intervals
Threshold
+3 more
HIIT
25 Minute Cycling Session | Don't Get Dropped!
A tough session to help you hold a wheel in a bike race or develop your aerobic power. A great workout in just 25 minutes.
25 minIF 0.71
Aerobic Power
Sprint
Threshold
+3 more
HIIT
25 Minute Cycling Session | Don't Get Dropped!
A tough 25-minute session to help you hold a wheel in a bike race or develop your aerobic power. This session comes without music so you can train to your own tunes.
25 minIF 0.53
Aerobic
Sprint
Threshold
+4 more
HIIT
Wake Up And Smell The Lactic!
A 25-minute session with a slow build and a heavy punch at the end, designed to get your lactate levels high and improve your fitness on the bike.
25 minIF 0.71
GCN
Sprint
Lactate
+4 more
HIIT
30 min FTP HIIT Booster For Longer Efforts
A short, sharp 30-minute HIIT session designed to boost your FTP for extended efforts like climbs or time trials.
30 minIF 0.93
FTP
HIIT
Threshold
+4 more
HIIT
30 Minute Sprint and Threshold HIIT Indoor Cycling Cardio Workout
A HIIT session focusing on intense 30-second max efforts followed by longer threshold intervals to improve recovery and sustained power.
30 minIF 0.82
HIIT
Threshold
Sprint
+3 more
HIIT
30 Minutes Of Threshold Power!
A brutal threshold power session, focussing on building endurance, followed by a huge sprint.
30 minIF 0.60
threshold
endurance
sprint
+4 more
Interval
Gradual Threshold Effort Builds
4 sets of effort builds, slowly increasing the power into an intense effort to help improve your threshold.
30 minIF 0.56
Threshold
Intervals
Builds
+3 more
Strength
Leg Burner! 30 Minute Cycling Workout
A 30-minute leg burner with a mixture of longer sprints and low cadence work to build strength for conquering hills or breakaways.
30 minIF 0.64
Strength
Legs
Sprint
+5 more
TimeTrial
Olympic Pursuit Efforts
An intense 30-minute session based on the track pursuit, building up to a final four-minute all-out effort.
30 minIF 0.55
pursuit
intense
time trial
+3 more
Interval
Tempo Threshold Repeats
Build your sustainable power with this 30-minute session. After a progressive warm-up, tackle four sets of tempo and threshold intervals.
30 minIF 0.79
Intervals
Threshold
Tempo
+2 more
HIIT
VO2 MAX BOOSTER
A grueling 30-minute HIIT session designed to boost your VO2 max, incorporating 6 minutes of VO2 max work and 12 minutes of threshold efforts.
30 minIF 0.48
VO2 MAX
HIIT
Threshold
+3 more
HIIT
35 Minute Threshold HIIT Indoor Cycling Session
A structured session with 4 blocks of threshold efforts to help you go harder for longer and increase your base power.
35 minIF 0.52
Threshold
HIIT
Interval
+3 more
HIIT
Over/Under Threshold Efforts
A 35-minute HIIT workout featuring two sets of over/under intervals. Each set consists of four 90-second 'over' efforts alternating with 90-second 'under' efforts to replicate race conditions and improve endurance.
35 minIF 0.60
Over Under
Threshold
HIIT
+4 more
TimeTrial
Tough Time Trial Efforts
A 35-minute workout for endurance riders featuring two 10-minute time trial efforts at 8/10 intensity.
35 minIF 0.60
Time Trial
Endurance
GCN
+3 more
40 to 70 minutes
27 sessionsInterval
40 Minute Aerobic Efforts With Max Sprints
This session is a mixture of aerobic efforts and sprints and should really help your riding - whether you're looking to just get fitter on the bike or develop that race winning kick!
40 minIF 0.75
Aerobic
Sprint
Threshold
+3 more
Interval
40 Minute Aerobic Efforts With Max Sprints
This session is a mixture of aerobic efforts and sprints and should really help your riding - whether you're looking to just get fitter on the bike or develop that race winning kick!
40 minIF 0.67
Aerobic
Sprints
Threshold
+3 more
HIIT
40 Minute HIIT Indoor Cycling Workout
This session starts with a longer threshold section including some cadence work before a really tough finish with some longer sprints!
40 minIF 0.83
HIIT
Threshold
Tempo
+4 more
Basics
Threshold Opener 1
Modern opener session with short threshold efforts to prime the system without heavy fatigue.
41 minIF 0.57
Threshold
Opener
Interval
FTP Builder!
A 42 minute FTP session designed to boost your FTP and improve performance in longer efforts and time trials.
42 minIF 0.75
FTP
Time Trial
Threshold
+3 more
Interval
FTP Builder!
A 42 minute FTP session designed to boost your FTP and get faster at longer efforts and time trials.
42 minIF 0.77
FTP
Threshold
Intervals
+4 more
Interval
45 Minute Indoor Cycling Ramp Workout Without Music
A long ramp workout where the reps get shorter and harder, moving from threshold efforts to all-out sprints.
43 minIF 0.72
Ramp
Threshold
Sprint
+4 more
Basics
Threshold Opener 2
Modern opener session with short threshold efforts to prime the system without heavy fatigue.
44 minIF 0.59
Threshold
Opener
Interval
45 Minute Indoor Cycling Ramp Workout
A long ramp workout where the reps get shorter and harder all the way through, from threshold to sprints.
45 minIF 0.75
Ramp
Threshold
Sprints
+3 more
HIIT
45 Minute Sandwich MAX efforts
A tough 45-minute session with a mixed variety of aerobic threshold efforts and short intervals at high intensity, designed to get your heart pumping.
45 minIF 0.58
Intervals
Aerobic
Threshold
+3 more
HIIT
40 Minute HIIT Indoor Cycling Workout Without Music
This session starts with a longer threshold section including some cadence work before a really tough finish with some longer sprints!
46 minIF 0.77
HIIT
Threshold
Sprint
+4 more
Basics
Threshold Opener 3
Modern opener session with short threshold efforts to prime the system without heavy fatigue.
47 minIF 0.60
Threshold
Opener
Interval
50 Minute Threshold Pyramid
A longer pyramid workout with tough intervals towards the backend to increase your power.
50 minIF 0.77
Pyramid
Threshold
Power
+3 more
Interval
50 Minute Threshold Pyramid Without Music
A longer pyramid workout with tough intervals towards the end, designed to increase your power. This session builds from 1 minute up to 6 minutes at threshold, with equal recovery.
50 minIF 0.72
Threshold
Pyramid
Power
+3 more
Basics
Threshold Opener 4
Modern opener session with short threshold efforts to prime the system without heavy fatigue.
50 minIF 0.61
Threshold
Opener
TimeTrial
Time Trial Simulation 1 – 20m
Steady threshold or high-tempo effort mimicking individual time trial pacing demands.
50 minIF 0.69
Time Trial
Race Simulation
Interval
50 Mins Aerobic Efforts - Drop Ollie Like A Boss!
A session to work on your aerobic base with sweetspot efforts, then finishing with minute-long power intervals to boost your fitness.
51 minIF 0.82
Aerobic
Sweetspot
Threshold
+3 more
Basics
Threshold Opener 5
Modern opener session with short threshold efforts to prime the system without heavy fatigue.
53 minIF 0.63
Threshold
Opener
Interval
55 Minute Cycling Training Ramp Session
This session is a longer session going through the gears from long tempo efforts all the way to flat out sprints. This will really help build endurance and power as well as fatigue resistance.
55 minIF 0.82
Ramp
Endurance
Power
+5 more
Interval
55 Minute Cycling Training Ramp Session
A longer session going through the gears from long tempo efforts all the way to flat out sprints. This will really help build endurance and power as well as fatigue resistance.
55 minIF 0.82
Ramp
Endurance
Power
+4 more
Interval
60 Minute Increase Your Threshold Power Indoor Workout
An intense 60-minute session designed to increase your threshold power with two long efforts at just below FTP.
60 minIF 0.82
Threshold
FTP
Indoor
+4 more
Interval
60 Minute Increase Your Threshold Power Indoor Workout
This intense training session will help you increase your threshold power, making you go faster for longer.
60 minIF 0.80
Threshold
Indoor
FTP
+2 more
TimeTrial
Time Trial Simulation 2 – 30m
Steady threshold or high-tempo effort mimicking individual time trial pacing demands.
60 minIF 0.73
Time Trial
Race Simulation
Interval
Threshold 2x15min
2 intervals of 15 minutes at 96-100% FTP. Preparing for build phase. Aerobic power.
65 minIF 0.66
Threshold
Base
Aerobic Power
Interval
Threshold 2x15min (Time-Crunched)
Thursday Option B: 2x15min at 95-100% FTP. Lactate clearance. For when feeling strong.
65 minIF 0.66
Threshold
Lactate Clearance
Time-Crunched
+1 more
FTPTest
FTP Test – 20 Minute
Classic 20-minute FTP test protocol with long warmup and a few priming efforts, following current best practice.
69 minIF 0.68
FTP Test
Threshold
TimeTrial
Time Trial Simulation 3 – 40m
Steady threshold or high-tempo effort mimicking individual time trial pacing demands.
70 minIF 0.76
Time Trial
Race Simulation
Over 70 minutes
6 sessionsBasics
4x8m Threshold/VO2
The gold standard for increasing FTP and VO2 Max. 4 intervals of 8 minutes.
73 minIF 0.63
Threshold
VO2 Max
Long Intervals
Basics
Over/Unders 3x12m
Lactate clearance workout. Alternating between slightly above and slightly below FTP.
84 minIF 0.54
Threshold
Sweet Spot
Over/Under
FTPTest
FTP Test – 2×8 Minute
Two 8-minute efforts slightly above FTP. Use average power to estimate FTP as per historical protocols.
86 minIF 0.61
FTP Test
VO2/Threshold
TimeTrial
Time Trial Simulation 4 – 60m
Steady threshold or high-tempo effort mimicking individual time trial pacing demands.
90 minIF 0.80
Time Trial
Race Simulation
Basics
Threshold Builder
2x20 minutes at Threshold. The gold standard for FTP improvement.
95 minIF 0.67
Threshold
FTP
Basics
Tempo Staircase 3×(6/8/10m)
Tempo staircase session that gradually lengthens efforts while staying below threshold.
110 minIF 0.66
Tempo
Sub-threshold
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Threshold training FAQ
What is a threshold workout in cycling?
A threshold workout places intervals at 95–105% of FTP, usually in blocks of 8–20 minutes. The goal is to extend how long you can ride near your maximal sustainable power and to nudge that power upward over time.
What are over-under intervals?
Over-unders alternate short periods just above threshold (e.g. 105%) with periods just below it (e.g. 95%) without rest in between. They teach your body to clear lactate while still working, which is exactly what surging climbs and race moves demand.
How many threshold sessions per week?
One to two per week is the right dose for most riders. Threshold work is fatiguing; more is rarely better, and it crowds out the endurance volume that supports it.
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