Sweet Spot Turbo Trainer Session

Session Overview

Sweet spot training sits between tempo and threshold — roughly 88-93 percent of your FTP. This 60-minute turbo session builds sustained power and muscular endurance without the recovery cost of full threshold work. Perfect for winter base building and early-season fitness gains.

What You’ll Need

• Turbo trainer or smart trainer
• Heart rate monitor or power meter (recommended)
• Fan and towel
• Water bottle with electrolyte drink

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Start with 5 minutes of easy spinning at 85-95 RPM in a light gear. Then complete 3 x 30-second efforts at progressively increasing intensity — 70%, 80%, and 90% of FTP — with 30 seconds easy between each.

Main Set

The main set consists of two blocks of sustained sweet spot effort with recovery between them.

• Block 1: 2 x 10 minutes at 88-93% FTP (RPE 7-8), cadence 85-95 RPM. Rest 3 minutes easy spinning between intervals
• Block 2: 2 x 8 minutes at 90-95% FTP (RPE 8), cadence 80-90 RPM. Rest 3 minutes easy spinning between intervals
• If you have power: Target a power range rather than a single number. If your FTP is 200W, aim for 176-186W in Block 1 and 180-190W in Block 2

Cool-Down (5 minutes)

5 minutes of very easy spinning in a light gear. Let your heart rate drop naturally. Stretch your hip flexors and quads after dismounting.

Coaching Notes

• Sweet spot should feel hard but sustainable. If you cannot maintain the effort for the full interval, reduce the target by 5%
• Keep your upper body relaxed. Tension in the shoulders wastes energy
• Use a fan — overheating on the turbo significantly reduces power output
• If you do not know your FTP, use RPE: sweet spot feels like a 7-8 out of 10. You can talk in short sentences but not hold a conversation