This profile is a guided tour of power training zones, from the lowest to the highest. It is one that I hope will become a foundational ride in your quiver. The objective of this profile is to spend time in each zone, allowing riders to become acquainted with what that intensity feels like and to be more in tune with their bodies. It is a great way to introduce them to the concept that you can achieve the same wattage at a wide variety of cadences. Don’t teach with power? I’ve got another profile suggestion for you.Read more…

The “sweet spot” in cycling is between 88% and 93% of functional threshold power. This profile is a relatively steady-state profile where riders aim to ride in their sweet spot. Riders will sustain a high Zone 3/low Zone 4 effort with a perceived exertion that lies somewhere between 6 (moderately hard) and 7 (hard) on a 1–10 scale. Read more…

We’ve provide you with a detailed class profile for you to conduct your own MAP (maximal aerobic power) ramp test, including the protocol, the coaching, the music, and a downloadable spreadsheet which will estimate FTP and your riders’ power training zones. This is a viable alternative to the 20-minute FTP test, which requires a solid understanding and ability to pace one’s effort. Pacing isn’t an issue with this test.Read more…

Piggybacking off a recent theme ride playlist, Bottom’s Up—A Drinking Playlist, our newest profile is intended to be a fun and creative way of offering the benefits of long aerobic intervals all while on a pub crawl. Who isn’t willing to work long and hard for a drink?Read more…

If you are teaching with power and either regularly conduct 20-minute FTP tests, or want to be able to bring your riders to the point of participating in a field test, it’s essential that you train them to tolerate longer intervals. Shorter HIT intervals are great, but longer intervals should also be a pillar of your training program. This “cruise” interval profile (i.e., longer aerobic intervals) is the perfect template for creating your own intervals of this nature. Read more…