SWEET SPOT

Sweet spot training sits at roughly 88-94% of FTP — between tempo and threshold. That narrow band is where you get close to threshold-level aerobic stimulus for substantially less fatigue, which means you can do more of it, more often, and recover in time for the next session.

• High stimulus per minute. Twenty minutes of sweet spot does more for your aerobic system than an hour of easy spinning when hours are scarce.
• Repeatable. You can do three or four sessions a week without digging the hole that threshold or VO2 work digs.
• Mentally manageable. It is uncomfortable but never desperate, so you finish sessions rather than abandoning them.
• Builds muscular endurance. Long blocks at this intensity teach your legs to keep producing force when they are already tired.

The trade-off is that it is not the fastest route to a higher ceiling. If you have plenty of time to train, a polarised mix of easy volume and genuinely hard work will eventually take you further. Sweet spot is what you do when the week has six hours in it, not sixteen.

Starter — 2 x 12 minutes

15 min warm-up, 2 x 12 min at 88-90% FTP with 6 min easy between, 10 min cool-down.

Standard — 3 x 15 minutes

15 min warm-up, 3 x 15 min at 90% FTP with 5 min easy between, 10 min cool-down. The bread and butter of a base block.

Extended — 2 x 25 minutes

15 min warm-up, 2 x 25 min at 88-92% FTP with 8 min easy between, 10 min cool-down. A serious session that builds real durability.

Over-unders — 4 x 9 minutes

Alternate 2 min at 95% with 1 min at 105% within each block, 5 min easy between. This teaches lactate clearance while still producing power, and it is excellent preparation for hilly events.