Our Top 5 Leg Burners

With so many of us spending time training indoors, we thought it worthwhile to share some of our favorite sessions.  These are nuts and bolts lung busters.  No fancy Zwift here, just you, your heart rate monitor on your commitment to putting in the hard work.

These are some actual sessions so are written as road rides, but easily transfer to your pain den (we have done many indoors).

Session 1 – Power Plays

This is short a short, but a tough session.

Warm up - 5 minutes.

Perform one 60 second effort at maximum pace (This should be very difficult – Heart rate close to maximum by the end of the 60 seconds).

Recover 4 minutes.

Repeat 6 times (with 4 minutes recovery between each repeat).

Cool down for 10 minutes.

 

Session 2 – Hill are alive

If you love climbing like me, you will love this one.

Complete a good warm up.  Ideally up to 30 min easy spin (if our on the road us this time to head to the hill you plan to climb – Look for something over 0.5 km in length and the steeper the better).

Find a mid-range gear, that is challenging but comfortable for you to climb in (you should be working at between 70 and 80 cadence – Higher and the gear is too easy / lower and the gear too hard). 

Complete your first climb in this gear.  Once on the top, roll back down.

Repeat 5 times.  Jumping a gear each climb.

Cool down with easy spin back home (or 10 mins indoors).

 

Session 3 – Repeat Repeat

This is a fun little one, that rarely leaves much in the tank at the end.

Complete a 10 to 15 minute warm up

At a km marker or when you round the km on your bike computer, stand and attack 20 strokes per leg, then settle in and attack max heart rate for the remainder of 1 km.

Recovery spin for 1 km.

Then repeat 8 times across 8 km.

Cool down well with easy spin for up to 15 min.

 

Session 4 – Leg Burner

If you love the burning feeling down below, this one is for you.

Complete a good warm up of 10 to 15  minutes.

Start first interval by pedaling for 20 seconds at max effort (aiming for over 100 cadence).  Follow by 10 seconds of recovery (easy spin).

Repeat for 8 intervals (or 4 minutes) then pedal for 1  minute easy.  That’s on round.

To really burn do 4 rounds (for those newer to this try 2 rounds).

Cool down easy spin.

 

Session 5 – Strength is King

My legs hurt just writing this one.  The only enjoyment at the end is saying you survived it.

Complete a good 20 minute warm up.

For the following 20 min, complete 15 seconds full stick in the largest gear to can turn, then drop gears for 45 seconds easy.  That’s 20 repeats over 20 minutes.  Yep it hurts.

Complete a min 10 easy spin cool down.

 

Have some fun and give them a go.  With all events cancelled or put on hold, this is a great time to try something different with your training without impacting your long term goals.

Stay safe and lets us know what you think.