Short on time doesn’t have to mean compromising on the quality of your training. Emily’s Short Mix Minus packs several different cycling intensities into just over 30 minutes of riding, progressing from controlled aerobic work through to harder Level V efforts.
The workout is based on Emily’s Short Mix, a popular Zwift workout. However, there’s one part of the original session I fundamentally disagree with: the three-minute Warm-Up and three-minute Cool-Down.
I understand the reasoning. The original workout is designed to squeeze as much training as possible into less than 30 minutes. But three minutes simply isn’t enough time to achieve what I want from either a proper Warm-Up or Cool-Down.
So I’ve adapted the workout by extending both to 10 minutes while retaining the progressive main set that makes the original session so useful.
The result is a short, purposeful workout that’s ideal for road cyclists, triathletes, mountain bikers and gravel riders looking to develop their ability to produce increasingly harder efforts.
Today’s Workout
Emily’s Short Mix Minus
Warm-Up
- 10min building from Level I to Level III
Main Set
- 3min Level III
- 1min Level IV
- 1min Level V
- 1:30 Level II Recovery
- 3min Level III
- 2min Level IV
- 2min Level V
Cool-Down
- 10min Level I-II
Post-Ride
- 10min Stretching
Total Riding Time: 33 minutes 30 seconds
Why You’re Doing This Session
What I like about this workout is the way the intensity progressively builds within each block.
Rather than jumping straight into a hard effort, you begin at Level III, increase to Level IV, and then finish at Level V. This teaches you to increase your power while fatigue is already accumulating.
That’s an important ability for cyclists and triathletes. Out on the road, you don’t always get to produce your hardest efforts when you’re completely fresh. You may need to increase your effort near the top of a climb, respond to an acceleration from another rider, push through a headwind or maintain your intensity during the latter stages of a race.
The second progression makes things considerably more challenging by extending the Level IV and Level V efforts from one minute to two minutes.
It’s a simple progression on paper—but you’ll certainly notice the difference on the bike.
What You Should Focus On
Start with 10 minutes of easy riding, gradually building from Level I through to Level III. Don’t rush this progression. Give your legs time to loosen up, allow your heart rate to rise naturally and prepare yourself for the harder work ahead.
The first three-minute Level III effort should feel controlled. You’re working, but you should still feel as though you’ve got plenty in reserve.
When you move into Level IV, concentrate on lifting the intensity smoothly rather than suddenly attacking the pedals. You’ll then increase again into Level V for the final minute.
Use the 90 seconds at Level II to recover, settle your breathing and prepare for the second progression.
This time the challenge becomes greater. After another three minutes at Level III, you’ll spend two minutes at Level IV followed immediately by two minutes at Level V.
That final Level V effort is where the real work happens. You’ll already have five minutes of progressively harder riding in your legs, so concentrate on maintaining your cadence, technique and power all the way to the end.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
The biggest mistake is riding Level III too hard.
Remember that the intensity is designed to build. If you turn the Level III portion into a Level IV effort, you’ll make the later stages unnecessarily difficult and lose the purpose of the progression.
Likewise, don’t attack the transition between Levels. Increase your effort smoothly and establish the new intensity rather than producing a big spike in power every time the target changes.
During the 90-second recovery, keep your legs moving easily and use the opportunity to regain control before the second set.
Finally, don’t underestimate the second Level V effort. Two minutes can feel considerably longer when it comes immediately after three minutes at Level III and two minutes at Level IV.
Coach Ray’s Tips
One of the most important lessons from this workout actually happens before the main set begins: don’t sacrifice your Warm-Up simply because you’re short on time.
A quality Warm-Up prepares you physically and mentally for the harder work to come. That’s why I’ve deliberately extended the original three-minute Warm-Up to 10 minutes.
The same principle applies at the other end of the workout. Rather than stopping immediately after the final Level V effort, use the 10-minute Cool-Down to gradually reduce the intensity from Level II towards Level I.
During the main set, think about each progression as a staircase. Establish the Level III effort, move smoothly into Level IV, then make another controlled increase into Level V.
Your goal isn’t simply to survive the final two minutes. It’s to arrive there having paced the earlier work well enough that you can still produce a quality Level V effort.
Coach Ray Rode This Session
I’ve completed Emily’s Short Mix Minus myself, which gives me the opportunity to experience exactly how the progression feels rather than simply looking at the workout on paper.
The key challenge comes during that second progression. Moving from three minutes at Level III into two minutes at Level IV and then another two minutes at Level V creates seven minutes of continuously increasing work.
Below is my data from completing the workout.
When looking at your own data afterwards, don’t just look for your highest power number. Look at how smoothly you transitioned between the different Levels and whether you were still able to produce a controlled Level V effort at the end.
Ride with Me on Velocity
I ride many of these Sunday Smart-Trainer Sessions on Velocity, where you can join me for structured indoor cycling workouts alongside the Qwik Kiwi Squad.
Velocity makes it easy to follow structured sessions while riding in an interactive virtual environment, and it’s a great way to add some extra motivation and company to your indoor training.
If you’d like to experience Velocity for yourself, you can ride FREE for 14 days.
👉 Start your FREE 14-day Velocity trial here:
http://app.vqvelocity.com/join?a=rhs956
Join me on Velocity, give Emily’s Short Mix Minus a go, and see how well you can control the progression from Level III all the way through to Level V.
If you enjoyed this workout, share it with a cycling or triathlon training partner and check back next Sunday for another Smart-Trainer Session.