Workout 2: The second workout is aimed at maintaining your high-end power with repeated maximal efforts. High-intensity efforts bring up your overall aerobic capacity—which makes you better at all intensities—and they provide the biggest payoff for your time.
After a similar warm-up to the one in Workout 1, jump right into the intervals. Alternate between three-minute and two-minute maximum efforts (recovery is equal to the work-interval duration).
Round out the session by doing a few shorter efforts (as shown in the table) to finish on a high note. If your pace or power output falls dramatically as this workout progresses, stop doing the maximum-effort intervals and ride easy instead.
| Time | Description | RPE | RPM |
| 0 to 10 min. | Warm up with 3 x 1-minute fast pedals with 1-minute recovery | 5 or 6 | 90 to 110 |
| 10 to 13 min. | 3-minute VO2 max interval | 10 | 95 to 110 |
| 13 to 16 min. | 3-minute recovery | 4 | 80 to 100 |
| 16 to 18 min. | 2-minute VO2 max interval | 10 | 95 to 110 |
| 18 to 20 min. | 2-minute recovery | 4 | 80 to 100 |
| 20 to 23 min. | 3-minute VO2 max interval | 10 | 95 to 110 |
| 23 to 26 min. | 3-minute recovery | 4 | 80 to 100 |
| 26 to 28 min. | 2-minute VO2 max interval | 10 | 95 to 110 |
| 28 to 30 min. | 2-minute recovery | 4 | 80 to 100 |
| 30 to 33 min. | 3-minute VO2 max interval | 10 | 95 to 110 |
| 33 to 36 min. | 3-minute recovery | 4 | 80 to 100 |
| 36 to 38 min. | 2-minute VO2 max interval | 10 | 95 to 110 |
| 38 to 39 min. | 1-minute recovery | 4 | 80 to 100 |
| 39 to 40 min. | 1-minute VO2 max interval | 10 | 95 to 110 |
| 40 to 50 min. | 10-minute recovery | 4 | 90 to 100 |
Here are a few options for fitting these power workouts into your normal training schedule.
|
| Tuesday | Thursday | Saturday |
| Option 1 | Workout 1 | Workout 1 | Workout 2 |
| Option 2 | Workout 1 | Workout 2 | Workout 1 |
| Option 3 | Workout 2 | Workout 1 | Workout 2 |