Negative Split Turbo Ride — 45-Minute Indoor Building Power

Session Overview

This 45-minute negative split turbo session trains your body to work progressively harder, building from a comfortable Zone 2 base through to sub-threshold and threshold efforts across three 15-minute blocks. It’s ideal for mid-week training when you need quality without excessive fatigue.

What You’ll Need

• Turbo trainer or smart trainer
• Heart rate monitor or power meter (recommended)
• Cycling shoes and kit
• Fan for cooling
• Water bottle

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

10 minutes of easy pedalling at 85–95 rpm in Zone 1–2 (50–60% FTP). Include two 10-second accelerations to 100 rpm at the 6-minute and 9-minute marks to prime your legs.

Main Set

Three progressive 15-minute blocks, each harder than the last. The goal is to finish Block 3 feeling like you could not have held that effort for another minute.

• Block 1 (min 0–15): Zone 2 — 65–70% FTP, 85–90 rpm. Easy and controlled. RPE 4–5.
• Block 2 (min 15–30): Sweet Spot — 88–93% FTP, 85–90 rpm. Focused but sustainable. RPE 6–7.
• Block 3 (min 30–45): Threshold — 95–100% FTP, 80–85 rpm. Hard. Hold form and breathe steadily. RPE 8–9.

Cool-Down (5 minutes)

Spin easy in Zone 1 at 90–100 rpm with minimal resistance for 5 minutes. Bring your heart rate below 120 bpm before dismounting.

Coaching Notes

• No power meter? Use RPE and heart rate — Block 1 must genuinely feel easy or the structure breaks down.
• Do not start Block 1 too hard. Negative splits only work with disciplined early pacing.
• To make easier: shorten Block 3 to 10 minutes, extend cool-down to 10 minutes.
• To make harder: add a 4th block — 5 minutes at 105% FTP immediately after Block 3.
• This session pairs well as a day-after stimulus following a long endurance ride.