Sweet Spot Starter
45 min · 41-50 TSS · IF 0.78 · 88-93% FTP · Zone 4 (Sweet Spot)
What this workout does
A gentle introduction to sweet spot - firm, focused riding just below threshold. Blocks short enough to nail the intensity while still building real FTP fitness.
Work at 88-93% FTP sits just below threshold, where you accumulate high aerobic strain and lactate-clearing stimulus while the effort stays repeatable. Short blocks let you hold the target precisely, making this an effective entry point for raising FTP. Place it early in the week or as the first sweet spot session of a build.
How to ride it
Indoor / trainer
Warm up 10min. Ride 2x12min at 88-93% FTP with 5min easy between. Keep cadence 85-95 RPM. Cool down 5min.
Outside
Choose a flat road with no junctions for at least 12min at a stretch. Ride each block at 88-93% FTP - firm and focused, breathing hard but steady - and spin very easy between blocks.
Workout structure (45 min)
- Warm-up 10m ramp 50-75% - Sweet spot 12m 91% 90rpm - 5m 55% - Sweet spot 12m 91% 90rpm - Cool-down 5m 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.
Related cycling workouts
Sweet Spot Cruise
43-85 min · 55-67 TSS
Sustained effort just below threshold - the most efficient intensity for building FTP. Challenging but sustainable.
Long Block Tempo
65-87 min · 62-75 TSS
Two long tempo blocks for a bigger aerobic dose. Extending the blocks past 20 minutes teaches your body to stay efficient when the effort stops feeling fresh.
Sweet Spot Builder
54-75 min · 60-73 TSS
Three sweet spot blocks just below threshold - the workhorse session for raising FTP. A big training benefit for a modest fatigue cost.
Sweet Spot Sting
61-82 min · 66-81 TSS
Classic two-block sweet spot with a firmer final 2 minutes in each block. Teaches you to lift the effort when the legs are already loaded - exactly what hard group rides and race finishes demand.
Punchy Sweet Spot
49-78 min · 63-76 TSS
Sweet spot blocks with a short burst every 4 minutes. Mimics the punch of a fast group ride - steady pressure broken by repeated accelerations you have to absorb without blowing up.
Tempo Blocks
47-84 min · 49-59 TSS
Two solid blocks of tempo riding within an endurance ride. This builds your ability to sustain a steady, purposeful effort.
A coach who's seen every ride you've done
Ask FormBeat's AI Coach anything - what to ride today, why a session felt flat, how to pace your next race - and it answers from your real training: your power, your history, how you're recovering. Not generic tips, but a read of what each ride actually meant and what to do next.
The guidance you'd pay a coach for - for the price of an app.
