Punchy Sweet Spot
65 min · 63-76 TSS · IF 0.78 · 88-93% FTP · Zone 4 (Sweet Spot)
What this workout does
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.
Sweet spot at 88-93% FTP punctuated by short bursts above 105% FTP forces repeated recovery from surges while the aerobic pressure never lets off. This improves lactate clearance at high steady effort - the exact demand of fast group rides and criteriums. Use it in build phases once plain sweet spot feels manageable.
How to ride it
Indoor / trainer
Warm up 10min. Ride 3x12min at 88-93% FTP, punching a 15-second burst above 105% FTP every 4min. 5min easy between blocks. Cool down 10min.
Outside
A rolling road makes the bursts natural: hold 88-93% FTP and punch each 15-second burst above 105% FTP over a rise or at a roadside marker, then settle straight back onto the effort without coasting.
Workout structure (65 min)
- Warm-up 10m ramp 50-75% 3x - Steady 3m 45s 91% - Burst 15s 110% - 5m 55% 3x - Steady 3m 45s 91% - Burst 15s 110% - 5m 55% 3x - Steady 3m 45s 91% - Burst 15s 110% - Cool-down 10m 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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Long Block Tempo
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Sweet Spot Starter
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Sweet Spot Builder
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Sweet Spot Sting
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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.
Tempo Blocks
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Two solid blocks of tempo riding within an endurance ride. This builds your ability to sustain a steady, purposeful effort.
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