Essential Power Sessions

We asked the experts at smart trainer pioneer Wahoo and online training platform TrainerRoad for the sessions to include if you want your power meter to make you a better rider…

“Over segments flood the muscle with metabolic by-products, bringing the desire to ease up – don’t!”

The primary objective of over-unders is to increase your ability to tolerate and use the by-products that accompany riding above your FTP, all while maintaining a reasonably high power output. In doing so, you’ll develop the ability to handle changes in pace while working hard.

The over segments or ‘surges’ flood the muscle with metabolic by-products, bringing with them the desire to ease up – don’t! Hold that burn, then back off only slightly during the under segments or ‘valleys’ to work through the burn and effectively train your muscles to process the lactic build-up while still going pretty hard.

These intervals can increase how long you can work above FTP as well as how quickly you can reprocess the acidic build-up that can limit your capabilities. Equally important, the short efforts above your current FTP can actually lead to increases in it.

A McAdie

This is a session consisting of 4x12-minute over-under intervals alternating between 2 minutes at 95% FTP and 1 minute at 105% FTP, with 6-minute recoveries between intervals. Try to keep your cadence above 85rpm, preferably above 95rpm.

B Avalanche Spire

This one is 6x6-minute over-under intervals with 1-minute valleys at 95% FTP and 2-minute peaks that ascend to 105% FTP. Recoveries between over-unders are 4 minutes long.

C Columbine

For this session, you’re looking at 3x10-minute over-under intervals, alternating between 3 minutes at 95% FTP and 2 minutes at 105% FTP, with 6-minute recoveries between intervals.

The three over-unders are bookended by much longer tempo intervals spent at 70% FTP. Try not to stray far from this effort level at any point during each 10 minutes.