12-WEEK BASE PLAN
Three four-week blocks, six to eight hours a week. The winter that makes next summer.
WHAT BASE TRAINING IS FOR
Base is where you build the aerobic engine: mitochondrial density, capillary networks, fat oxidation and the muscular endurance to hold a firm effort for a long time. None of it feels dramatic. All of it determines how high your threshold can eventually go.
This plan is a modern, time-realistic base: mostly zone 2, with two sweet spot sessions a week to add aerobic stimulus without the fatigue cost of threshold work. It assumes six to eight hours weekly across four or five rides.
THE REPEATING FOUR-WEEK BLOCK
| Week | Ride 1 | Ride 2 (quality) | Ride 3 | Long ride |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 min Z2 | 3 x 12 min @ 88% | 75 min Z2 | 2 h Z2 |
| 2 | 60 min Z2 | 3 x 15 min @ 89% | 75 min Z2 | 2 h 15 Z2 |
| 3 | 75 min Z2 | 2 x 25 min @ 90% | 90 min Z2 | 2 h 30 Z2 |
| 4 | 45 min Z1 | 45 min easy + 2 x 8 min @ 85% | 60 min Z2 | 90 min Z2 — recovery week |
Add a second quality session (a repeat of ride 2's structure) in place of ride 3 if you have the time and are recovering well.
THE THREE BLOCKS
Weeks 1-4 — establish
Ramp test in week one. Get the routine solid, keep zone 2 genuinely easy, and build sweet spot time in zone from 36 to 50 minutes. Recovery week in week four.
Weeks 5-8 — extend
Retest FTP in week five. Same structure, longer blocks: 3 x 20 minutes and 2 x 25 minutes at 90-91%, and push the long ride towards three hours. Add over-unders in week seven if things feel comfortable.
Weeks 9-12 — sharpen the base
Retest again in week nine. Convert one sweet spot session per week into threshold work (2 x 20 minutes at 95-98%), keep the long ride, and finish week twelve with a proper FTP test and an easy week.
MAKING IT STICK THROUGH WINTER
- Schedule the sessions in a calendar. Intent is not a plan.
- Do the long ride indoors if the weather is grim — 2.5 hours on a trainer is entirely doable with structure and something to watch.
- Fuel the quality sessions like they matter. 60-90g of carbohydrate per hour on the long ride.
- One week off entirely, somewhere in the twelve weeks, if life demands it. The plan survives.
- Track your heart rate at a fixed zone 2 wattage. Watching it fall over twelve weeks is the most satisfying part of base training.
FAQ
Is sweet spot base better than traditional long slow distance?
Should I do any high-intensity work in base?
How much FTP can I gain in 12 weeks?
What comes after this plan?
KEEP READING
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
LuftQuest is a free indoor cycling app: pair your power meter, pick a structured workout and let a very opinionated coach keep you honest.