Top 5 MyWhoosh Workouts to Add to Your Routine

By Zach Nehr

How to Use MyWhoosh Workouts to Take Your Fitness to the Next Level 

Cyclists are always looking for the next big thing. Whether it is a piece of equipment, dietary supplement, or crazy training technique, we’re willing to try almost anything if it will give us a few extra watts.

For years, cyclists have been searching for the best interval workouts, the sessions that turn you into a winner. You’ve heard of 40/20s, 15-second sprints, and 2×20-minute Tempo intervals, but there are literally millions of iterations of interval workouts.

In this piece, we’re going to take a closer look at the Top 5 MyWhoosh workouts to add to your training plan. These sessions are designed by World Tour coaches from UAE Team Emirates and tested by one of the greatest cyclists of all-time, Tadej Pogačar.

Workout 1: Tadej’s Criss-Cross Tempo

2 sets of (2x 1min at 95% FTP into 3min at 81% FTP) with 4min recovery at 50% FTP between sets

We must start with one of the MyWhoosh workouts designed by Pogačar’s coach, Javier Sola. The Spaniard has had an immediate impact on Pogačar and his performance. In 2024, Pogačar has won the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Strade Bianche, and recently also conquered the World Championships in Zurich.

In collaboration with Sola and Pogačar, “Tadej’s Criss-Cross Tempo” is designed to mimic the sessions that Pogačar uses to prepare for his key races. The shorter version of this workout is recommended for beginner cyclists, while the longer version is for intermediate and expert-level riders. In this session, you will complete two blocks of Threshold and Tempo work. This session can help improve your sustained power and climbing ability, time trial efforts and aerobic efficiency. You can find it in the UAE Team Emirates folder

Here is a closer look at the session.

Workout 2: Stepped Down VO2 Max

3 sets of 2x (40-45sec at 115% FTP into 2:15 at 110% FTP with 3min recovery at 40% FTP) with 6min recovery at 50% FTP between sets

VO2 Max is one of the most coveted metrics in cycling. Increase your VO2 Max, and you are almost guaranteed to increase your power and performance. Of course, cyclists have spent decades trying to increase their VO2 Max, and one of the most impactful methods is interval training.

There are two main ways to train your VO2 Max: sustained efforts or high-intensity interval training. Sustained efforts are performed at a constant power output, such as 110% FTP. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is performed using micro-intervals, alternating in short bursts between high and low power outputs.

The “Stepped Down VO2Max” session offers a little bit of both, changing the intensity midway through each interval, but also forcing you to sustain a high-power output. As with any VO2 Max session, this one is tough; but it is also extremely rewarding. Completing this type of session once or twice per week can increase your VO2 Max and improve your race performance.

Each interval begins with a sharp punch, pushing you above your VO2 Max and into your Anaerobic zone. Next, you will have to maintain VO2 Max power for just over two minutes before a short rest period. Here is what the session looks like in the MyWhoosh app.

Workout 3: Lactate Shuttle #1

2 sets of (3min at 110% FTP with 1min recovery, then 6x 90sec at 103% FTP with 45sec recovery at 65% FTP) with 5min recovery at 50% FTP between sets

This session offers a dive into the secrets behind interval training. Performing 2×20 minutes at your FTP can help improve your fitness, but it is extremely boring and draining. Brief periods of recovery in between FTP intervals can stimulate the same physiological effects without the dreadful bore of 20 minutes at a constant power output.

“Lactate Shuttle #1” quickly increases your blood lactate with a 3min VO2 Max interval. After a short recovery interval, you will go straight into six repeats of 90sec above FTP. This type of session is great at improving your threshold power and your ability to clear lactate. You will notice fitness improvements by monitoring your heart rate and RPE during this session. The fitter you are, the more comfortable you will be pushing just above your FTP. You can find this session in the Threshold folder of the MyWhoosh workout library.

Workout 4: Sub Threshold XX #1

30min block consisting of 10x (2.5min at 92% FTP into 30sec at 120% FTP)

This is the most challenging workout on our list, but it is bliss to complete it. After a quick warmup, you will complete a 30-minute block featuring ten repeats of 2.5min Sweet Spot into 30sec above FTP. Unlike the other sessions, there is not a low-intensity recovery period to help break up this workout.

Intermediate and experienced riders can really push themselves during a session like this, discovering their limits and identifying weaknesses. A long interval like this can tell you so much about your physiology and fitness. If you are struggling with the 30sec surges, then you need to work on your VO2 Max and Anaerobic power. But if you are struggling with the Sweet Spot intervals, then you need to work on your sustained power output.

Most riders can handle the first half of this workout, but the second half is the most telling. If you are really struggling in the second half of this session, that is a sign that you need to work on your fatigue resistance. These are the sessions that help you win races.

During an hour-long race like Sunday Race Club on MyWhoosh, everyone feels good for the first five minutes. But after 55 minutes of racing, who has enough energy left to win the race? This is where you picture yourself during the last few minutes of this session: racing for the win when you already have a massive amount of fatigue in your legs.

Here is what the workout looks like in the Sweetspot folder.

Workout 5: Power Starts

3x 10sec and 1x 30sec high torque sprints with lead outs of 3min Tempo at 82% FTP

The final piece in the race-winning puzzle is your sprint. More often than not, your 10-30sec sprint power is the difference between winning and losing. Do not let your sprint be your biggest weakness—the MyWhoosh workout library is filled with over 100 sprint-focused workouts.

The “Power Starts” workout is the best overall sprint workout on MyWhoosh because it trains both your 10sec and 30sec sprint power, while also improving your torque and technique. Each sprint is preceded by a 3min low cadence Tempo interval that will cause some lactate accumulation and increased muscle load. It is rare that you sprint completely fresh in a race situation, so it is important to train your ability to sprint while fatigued.

There are only four sprints throughout this workout, which allows you to empty the tank during each effort. Practice your technique during each sprint interval and try different hand positions and cadences. The 10-second sprints come first, allowing you to achieve your highest and most explosive power output in the first three efforts.

The session ends with a 30-second sprint that will empty your legs. This is the race-winning effort that separates first from second. You can come back to this workout once every few weeks to test your peak sprint power and improve your technique.

Here is a closer look at the session.

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About the Author

Zach is a freelance writer, professional cyclist, and the owner of ZNehr Coaching. He writes about everything related to bikes and endurance sports, from product reviews and advertorials to feature articles and pro data analytics. You can find Zach racing the Sunday Race Club on MyWhoosh every weekend.