Before you get too excited, it doesn\u2019t mean a club run with multiple cafe stops. Instead, it refers to the intensity of that particular training session.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But how does sweetspot training differ from, say, base training<\/a> or high-intensity interval training<\/a>? And why should you consider including sweetspot sessions as part of your training?<\/span><\/p>\n As we\u2019ve already alluded to, the term sweetspot refers to the intensity of a workout. According to Matt Rowe of <\/span>Rowe & King Cycle Coaching<\/span><\/a>, it typically means an intensity between the upper end of zone three and the lower end of zone four, if you\u2019re training with a power meter<\/a> or using training zones.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>I define sweetspot using Dr Andrew Coggan\u2019s approach, which is 88 to 93 per cent\u00a0 of your FTP (Functional Thresho<\/a><\/span>ld Power)<\/a>,\u201d says Rowe. \u201cOr around 75 to 85 per cent of your maximum heart rate.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When training at sweetspot intensity, you are placing your body under sustained stress, but not so much that you can\u2019t hold the effort for a long duration. <\/span><\/p>\n The efforts are also repeatable, without inducing high levels of fatigue. As the name suggests, you\u2019re training at a level that hits the sweetspot between intensity and volume.<\/span><\/p>\n On a cellular level, <\/span>training at sweetspot increases your <\/span>mitochondria density, according to Rowe.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMitochondria are small structures found in almost all human cells,\u201d he says. \u201cTheir main job is to perform cellular respiration \u2013 taking in nutrients from the cell, breaking them down and turning those nutrients into energy.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell and, by increasing your mitochondria density, you\u2019re making your body able to create energy more easily.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, through doing sweetspot training, you will feel an increased sense of fitness \u2013\u00a0in terms of \u2018engine size\u2019, threshold and ability to produce energy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to the physiological adaptations that take place as a result of sweetspot training, there are a number of benefits from riding on the cusp of tempo and threshold.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSweetspot offers the most bang for your buck in terms of training,\u201d says Matt Bottrill of Matt Bottrill Performance Coaching<\/a>. \u201cIf you\u2019re limited on time, you want to maximise what you do have.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s quality training and probably one of the most beneficial ways to get fit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Rather than slogging away for hours on base rides as part of your winter training<\/a>, sweetspot training produces similar physiological adaptations and training effects from a much shorter session. As a result, you\u2019ll still expect to reap the rewards in a Zwift FTP test<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This justifies its place among the turbo trainer workouts<\/a> in the armoury of the time-poor cyclist \u2013 or, in other words, anyone who isn\u2019t a professional. Therefore, sweetspot intervals enhance the benefits of indoor cycling<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor a cyclist who works and hasn\u2019t got much time \u2013 maybe only four to six hours per week of training time \u2013 doing a couple of blocks of sweetspot in an hour\u2019s turbo or Zwift<\/a> session can give you the physiological benefits of a much longer ride,\u201d says Rowe.<\/span><\/p>\n In short, sweetspot has the potential to fast-track your aerobic performance \u2013 increasing your Functional Threshold Power at the same tim<\/span>e. \u201c<\/span>The net result is that you will be able to produce more power and ride faster for longer,\u201d says Rowe.<\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s more, because sweetspot training is aerobic (not anaerobic), the sessions are repeatable and rewarding, helping to keep motivation up compared to a painful, lung-busting threshold or HIIT workout.<\/span><\/p>\n While sweetspot training has a number of benefits, it\u2019s important to not become one-dimensional in your training, otherwise you risk neglecting other areas of your cycling fitness, such as VO2 max<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll reach a ceiling,\u201d explains Bottrill. \u201cOnce you\u2019ve built the phase of sweetspot, you\u2019re going to cap it, and you then want to progress to doing more [high-intensity] interval work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n While sweetspot is particularly well-suited to riders training for endurance events and long time trials<\/a>, as well as alpine climbs, that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s a catch-all training solution for all cyclists.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not suited to everyone,\u201d says Rowe. \u201cA track sprinter, for example, wouldn\u2019t do a lot of sweetspot training. They don\u2019t need endurance and all their training is top-end \u2013 in the gym, they\u2019ll either be doing their max or going super-easy to recover.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSweetspot training builds the aerobic side of things, while track sprinting is an anaerobic sport.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The key is identifying the demands of the event or goal you are training towards and adapting your workouts accordingly. That will help you focus on the areas required to produce your best performance.<\/span><\/p>\n Three-time track world champion and Olympic gold medallist Dani Rowe says sweetspot workouts would be \u201cfew and far between\u201d for sprinters. \u201cIt\u2019s suited to cyclists at the endurance end of the sport,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n First of all, you need to identify your training zones, regardless of whether you <\/span>train with heart rate<\/span>, use a <\/span>power meter, or are in your pain cave<\/a> on a smart bike<\/a> or a smart trainer.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve built up an initial <\/span>base level of fitness<\/span>, both Bottrill and Rowe recommend including one or two sweetspot sessions per week in a training plan. <\/span><\/p>\n Zwift<\/a> includes sweetspot sessions in its structured workouts and training plans.<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n The best Zwift setup<\/a>, including turbo trainer accessories<\/a>, will keep you entertained, hydrated and fuelled through these demanding workouts. <\/span>You\u2019ll find similar sessions on other indoor cycling apps<\/a>, such as Rouvy<\/a>, TrainerRoad<\/a> and Wahoo SYSTM<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you are new to structured training, Bottrill and Rowe advise starting with five- or 10-minute sweetspot intervals, before working up to 20 minutes. As your fitness improves, you can increase the number of intervals within a session.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOnce you\u2019ve mastered 20 minutes at sweetspot, you can build up to 2x 15 minutes and 2x 20 minutes,\u201d says Bottrill. The end goal, he says, is a workout with an hour at sweetspot intensity. \u201cOnce you get to that hour, you\u2019ll fly,\u201d he adds.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat is sweetspot training?<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>What are the benefits of sweetspot training?<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Are there any drawbacks to sweetspot training?<\/h2>\n
How can I include sweetspot in my training plan?<\/h2>\n
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