Descending Intervals
65 min · 51-62 TSS · IF 0.72 · 105-120% FTP · Zone 5+ (VO2max)
What this workout does
Intervals that get shorter as you go. The first one is the hardest to pace — the rest feel more achievable. A psychologically friendly way to do hard work.
Time at 105-115% FTP drives up maximal oxygen uptake, and the shrinking rep lengths let you hold quality deep into the session as fatigue builds. The mixed durations stress both the sustained and the sharp end of the VO2max range. A good change of stimulus when fixed-length reps have gone stale mid- build.
How to ride it
Indoor / trainer
Warm up 20min. 5min, 4min, 3min, 2min, 1min at 105-115% FTP. Equal rest between each (match work duration). Cool down 15min.
Outside
A steady climb or quiet road with a visible timer. Start the 5min rep conservatively at 105-115% FTP - it is the easiest one to overcook - and take heart: every rep after it gets shorter.
Workout structure (65 min)
- Warm-up 20m 55% - Effort 5m 110% - 5m 55% - Effort 4m 110% - 4m 55% - Effort 3m 110% - 3m 55% - Effort 2m 110% - 2m 55% - Effort 1m 110% - 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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