Tempo to Threshold Progression
75 min · 65-80 TSS · IF 0.75 · 100-110% FTP · Zone 4-5 (Threshold/VO2max)
What this workout does
Progressive intensity that builds through the session. Teaches you to find another gear when already working — a key race skill.
Riding into hard efforts on pre-fatigued legs trains lactate tolerance and the race-day skill of lifting the pace when already loaded. The 100-110% FTP blocks stress the threshold-to-VO2max boundary where selections are made. Good mid-build when you want intensity on top of a sustained aerobic backbone.
How to ride it
Indoor / trainer
Warm up 15min. 15min at 76-85% FTP, then 3x6min at 100-110% FTP with 4min recovery between. Cool down 15min.
Outside
A rolling road or steady climb suits the progression. Settle into 76-85% FTP tempo first - conversational in short sentences - then lift to 100-110% FTP for the efforts, holding form as the breathing deepens.
Workout structure (75 min)
- Warm-up 15m 55% - Tempo 15m 81% 3x - Effort 6m 105% - 4m 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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