Ninety-Second Punch
60 min · 43-53 TSS · IF 0.68 · 115-125% FTP · Zone 6 (Anaerobic)
What this workout does
Ninety seconds is a brutal length: too long to sprint, too short to settle. These reps stretch your anaerobic capacity and teach you to keep pushing when the legs are screaming.
Ninety seconds sits at the crossover where anaerobic supply fades and aerobic delivery must take over, training both systems at their painful handoff. Reps at 115-125% FTP expand anaerobic capacity while pushing oxygen uptake near maximum by each rep's end. Use it sparingly in build blocks - it costs more than it looks.
How to ride it
Indoor / trainer
Warm up 15min with 3 short openers. 5x90s at 115-125% FTP with 3min 30s easy between. Cool down 15min. Start each rep strong but controlled - the last 30s is the workout.
Outside
Flat road or a gentle rise with minimal traffic. Hit 115-125% FTP within the first 10s and hang on for the full 90s - the last 30s should feel barely sustainable. Spin very easy between reps.
Workout structure (60 min)
- Warm-up 15m 55% 3x - Opener 30s 110% - 1m 30s 55% 5x - Effort 1m 30s 120% - 3m 30s 55% - Cool-down 15m 55%
Targets are a percentage of FTP. This is the same shorthand the free workout builder understands — paste it there to edit any step, or download the workout for Zwift, Garmin or any smart trainer.
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