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A smart way to improve endurance, strength, and aerobic capacity through steady efforts just below threshold.
Sweetspot training is all about riding just below your threshold at a steady, challenging pace. In this workout, you’ll perform 2–3 intervals of 10–20 minutes each at 90–98% of your FTP (or about a 7/10 effort). The twist? You ride them at a lower cadence—50–70 RPM—to build strength as well as endurance. If a low cadence bothers your knees, stick to your natural rhythm. Breathing will be heavy but controlled, and you should still be able to speak short sentences between breaths.
Don’t go too hard—crossing the line into threshold or above will make the intervals unsustainable and reduce the benefits. As your fitness grows, extend the blocks beyond 20 minutes or add an extra interval. Displaying torque on your head unit can be useful to monitor how much force you’re applying at different cadences. Above all, stay consistent: this workout pays off best when done regularly as part of your base or build phase.
A smart way to improve endurance, strength, and aerobic capacity through steady efforts just below threshold.
Category: Training
Reading time: 6 min read
Keywords: sweetspot cycling, cycling sweetspot training, sweetspot intervals, low cadence cycling, cycling muscular endurance, cycling strength training, cycling base training, sweetspot power zone, cycling aerobic fitness, cycling lactate threshold
Sweetspot training is all about riding just below your threshold at a steady, challenging pace. In this workout, you’ll perform 2–3 intervals of 10–20 minutes each at 90–98% of your FTP (or about a 7/10 effort). The twist? You ride them at a lower cadence—50–70 RPM—to build strength as well as endurance. If a low cadence bothers your knees, stick to your natural rhythm. Breathing will be heavy but controlled, and you should still be able to speak short sentences between breaths.
Don’t go too hard—crossing the line into threshold or above will make the intervals unsustainable and reduce the benefits. As your fitness grows, extend the blocks beyond 20 minutes or add an extra interval. Displaying torque on your head unit can be useful to monitor how much force you’re applying at different cadences. Above all, stay consistent: this workout pays off best when done regularly as part of your base or build phase.