Building Your Base: The Perfect Early-Season Indoor Cycling Workout for Endurance Athletes

As the new season begins, now is the perfect time to ease back into structured training and start building your endurance. Whether you’re preparing for your next half marathon, triathlon, or cycling event, or simply looking to improve your overall fitness, early-season workouts are crucial for establishing a strong foundation.

This 2-hour indoor cycling workout is one of our top recommendations for endurance athletes. It’s designed to keep you engaged while developing the strength, stamina, and power you’ll need for your training and races ahead.

The Workout Plan: Early-Season Indoor Training Routine

Here’s how to structure your session:

1️⃣ Warm-Up (15 minutes)

Start with an easy spin, gradually increasing intensity to warm up your legs and prepare your body for the main workout. This step is key for preventing injury and maximizing performance.

2️⃣ 4 x 10 minutes @ High Zone 2

• Focus on steady, controlled efforts to improve your endurance and efficiency at a sustainable pace.
• Rest: Take 1 minute of easy spinning between each interval to recover and reset.

3️⃣ 2 x (5 x 40 seconds @ 110-120% FTP)

• Push your limits with short, high-intensity bursts to develop your power and VO2 max.
• Recover: Spin easy for 20 seconds between intervals and take 3 minutes of active recovery between sets.

4️⃣ Cooldown (20 minutes)

Wrap up your workout with an easy spin at a relaxed pace to flush out your legs and prepare for your next session.

Fueling and Hydration: Optimize Your Performance

Proper fueling and hydration are critical to getting the most out of this workout. Here’s how to stay energized and hydrated during your session:

• Fuel: For workouts lasting longer than 90 minutes, aim for 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour. Use energy gels, chews, or a carbohydrate-rich sports drink to maintain steady energy levels.
• Hydrate: Drink 500-750ml of an electrolyte-rich drink per hour to replace fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat.

💡 Pro Tip: Fueling and hydrating effectively during your session ensure you’ll recover better and feel strong enough to tackle tomorrow’s workout.

Why This Indoor Workout is Perfect for Endurance Athletes

This workout is designed to go beyond just base building. It incorporates a balance of steady efforts and high-intensity intervals to improve key aspects of your fitness:

• Steady Zone 2 Intervals: Build aerobic endurance and improve your body’s efficiency in using energy during long efforts.
• High-Intensity Bursts: Enhance your ability to produce power and sustain hard efforts during races or group rides.
• Active Recovery: Helps you maintain quality throughout the workout while reinforcing endurance gains.

Set Yourself Up for Success with Endurance Nutrition

Structured training doesn’t have to feel repetitive. This early-season workout is a fantastic way to build endurance and boost your fitness while keeping things engaging. Pair it with proper sports nutrition to maximize your performance and recovery.

Explore our premium range of:

• Energy Gels for quick, digestible carbohydrates.
• Electrolyte Drinks to stay hydrated.
• Recovery Products to rebuild and refuel your muscles after a tough session.

Start building your base today and set yourself up for a successful season ahead!