75 min Zone 2 Staircase
A 75 minute ride that steps through the bottom, middle and top of Zone 2 three times so you learn how the whole endurance range feels.
- Duration
- 1 h 15 min
- Effort
- 50
- Level
- Beginner
- Focus zone
- Endurance
Your values
Targets relative to your threshold values. Enter your values to see absolute numbers.
| # | Step | Length | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-upEndurance Easy spin, build gradually | 10 min | 45 → 62% FTP55 → 68% HRmax |
| 3 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 2.1 | IntervalEndurance Bottom of Zone 2, chat freely | 6 min | 58-62% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 2.2 | IntervalEndurance Middle of Zone 2 | 6 min | 64-68% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 2.3 | IntervalEndurance Top of Zone 2, still conversational | 6 min | 70-75% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 3 | Cool-downRecovery Easy spin, let the legs settle | 11 min | 60 → 45% FTP68 → 55% HRmax |
About this workout
Zone 2 covers a wide range, from barely more than a recovery spin to an effort that starts to feel like work. Many riders settle at one familiar point in it, often near the top. This ride walks through the zone in six minute steps, from 58 to 62% of FTP, to 64 to 68%, to 70 to 75%, and repeats the staircase three times.
Pay attention to how breathing, heart rate and leg feel change from step to step. At the bottom you can chat freely. At the top you still can, but you notice the effort. Note the heart rate at the end of each step. After a few weeks you will know your endurance range well enough to ride it by feel on days without a power meter.
The ride suits newer riders and anyone who rides with heart rate outdoors and power indoors. Once it is familiar, use it as a regular Zone 2 session.
Tips
- Note your heart rate in the last minute of each step to build your own reference table.
- Keep the cadence the same in all steps so the power is the one thing that changes.
- If the top step feels hard, your FTP setting may be too high.
Good forGeneral fitness
Season phaseBase