Emma-Kate Lidbury's Sweet Spot Strength Session

Cycling, September 15, 2025

Bike specific strength is an important component of fitness. This workout focus on developing strength at Tempo or Sweet Spot intensity. It is perfect for long course triathletes, road cyclists, and mountain bikers alike.

Each Sunday, I’ll post a Smart-Trainer Session that you can do in about 60 minutes to enhance your cycling. See a previous post about training intensity (Levels) to know how hard to work. If you are working directly with Coach Ray, he will, in most cases, prescribe either a Power Zone or Heart Rate Zone to work within if you are training with these tools.

The inspiration for this workout comes from an article by Emma-Kate Lidbury on Triathlete.com. You can read the original article here.

Emma-Kate Lidbury's Sweet Spot Strength Session

  • 15min WU Level II;
  • 5x 30sec Level III, 30sec Level II;
  • 5min Level III- Cad 60-65;
  • 7min Level III+;
  • 2min Level II;
  • 5min Level III+;
  • 7min Level III- Cad 60-65;
  • 10min CD Level I;
  • 10min Stretching

The Warm Up (WU) should be done at an intensity that is steady but not over consuming at Level II for fifteen minutes.

Prior to the main set of the workout, increase your intensity to Level III for 30-seconds. Take a 30-second Rest Interval (RI) and complete a total of five reps.

The Main Set of this workup is made up of two, twelve-minute reps at Level III (75-80% of Functional Threshold . Each rep is made up of two parts, with a two minute Rest Interval (RI) at Level II between.

In the first rep, the first five minutes is ridden at Level III- (75-80% of Functional Threshold Power (FTP)) and a cadence of 60-65 rpm. The remaining seven minutes is ridden at Level III+ (85-95% of Functional Threshold Power (FTP)) and a cadence above 90 rpm.

After the Rest Interval (RI) the second reps starts with five minutes at Level III+ (85-95% of Functional Threshold Power (FTP)) and a cadence above 90 rpm. The final seven minutes is ridden at Level III- (75-80% of Functional Threshold Power (FTP)) and a cadence of 60-65 rpm.

The Cool Down (CD) is at low intensity (Level II) for a minimum of ten minutes. 

Finish with 10 minutes of stretching to assist with the recovery.

 


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