Cycling

Wednesday Windtrainer Workout: Ladder Variation

This is a great windtrainer workout for developing your ability to tolerate high-intensity cycling, such as establishing a breakaway in a cycle race or mountain bike race, or maybe surviving when someone else attacks.

Each Wednesday I’ll post a Windtrainer Workout that you can do in about 60 minutes to enhance your cycling. See a previous post about training intensity (Levels) to know how hard it is to work. If you are working directly with Coach Ray he will in most cases prescribe either a Power Zone or Heart Rate Zone to work within if you are training with these tools.

Ladder Variation

  • 10min Warm Up Level II;
  • 2x
    • 4min Level IV;
    • 2min Level V;
    • 30sec MAX (Level V+);
    • 5min Level II RI;
    • 30sec MAX (Level V+)
    • 2min Level V;
    • 4min Level IV;
    • 10min Level II RI;
  • 10min Cool Down Level II;
  • 10min Stretching

Start the workout with a Warm-Up (WU) of 10 minutes of easy riding at Level II.

The main set includes two reps, each rep is made up of riding at Level IV for four minutes, then increasing your effort to Level V for two minutes, before sprinting as hard as you can (Level V+) for 30 seconds. Pedal easy at Level II for five minutes holding a cadence of greater than 90 Rpm. Then sprint as hard as you can again (Level V+) for 30 seconds, before settling into Level V for two minutes, then drop the intensity a notch for four minutes to Level IV. This is one whole rep, it’ll take 18 minutes.

Take 10mins easily pedaling at Level II for a Rest Interval (RI) once again holding a cadence of over 90 Rpm between the two sets. Don’t worry about doing this after the second set as you are straight into the Cool Down.

Conclude the ride with a minimum of ten minutes of riding at Level II for your Cool Down (CD).

Finish with ten minutes of stretching to assist with your recovery.

If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.

I am the Head Coach and Director of Qwik Kiwi – Endurance Sports Consultant.

I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729. Make sure you sign up for my informative newsletter.

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Download the Garmin (.FIT) and Zwift (.ZWO) files for this workout for FREE

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