Aerobic
120 min
Medium intensity
Produce more force per pedal stroke at the same metabolic cost: five or six four-minute efforts at 78-90% of CP at 40-45 rpm, judged by torque rather than power.
David Van Orsdel
Coach, Devo Performance
Aerobic
120 min
Medium
6 / 10
Intermediate
Indoors
The session
The workout
Written as a share of critical power, so it fits every rider. In Vekta it becomes your watts, with the W′ cost shown before you ride.
David Van Orsdel
Why this workout
The breakdown
Inside the workout
Power is torque times cadence, so a rider who can apply slightly more torque at the same cadence for the same metabolic cost produces more power. This session trains the ability to recruit muscle fibres to produce more force on the pedals, for efficiency, force and fatigue resistance.
Five or six four-minute efforts at 78–90% of CP at 40–45 rpm, with four minutes between, inside a two-hour ride. The power is moderate on purpose; the number that matters is torque. David Van Orsdel gives targets by weight, from 0.6–0.9 Nm/kg for beginners upwards, and the cadence is what makes the torque climb.
Vekta's torque tab reports Nm/kg per effort, so the session is judged on its real target, and the cadence band sits in the structure so the head unit enforces it.
A base or strength-phase session, once a week, outdoors on a steady gradient or indoors in a big gear. Beginners start at the lower end of the torque range.
Aerobic
Stimulus
Intermediate
Workout level
Indoors
Best ridden
Road,
Hill climb,
DISCIPLINE
WHAT YOU NEED
The stimulus
Aerobic, explained
Sustained aerobic power below VO2 max: the engine between endurance and threshold.
What it is
Intervals and blocks at 80–100% of critical power, longer than VO2 max efforts and harder than tempo, often with torque or cadence work built in. Step-downs, long tempo-to-threshold progressions and torque blocks belong here.
Why it matters
This is where aerobic capacity is converted into usable power: the ability to hold a high fraction of VO2 max for long periods. It is the stimulus behind time trialling, long climbs and the last hour of a road race.
These sessions are long and demanding but not maximal. Pacing is the skill: the target is even power across the block, and the last minutes should feel hard but possible.
Aerobic sessions are the bridge in a block: enough intensity to hold the ceiling gained from VO2 work, enough volume to keep the base. Watch the intensity score in Vekta; these sessions should score high on volume and moderate on intensity.
Personalised to CP in Vekta, with the intensity graph showing where the session bites. Afterwards the session is classified by its dominant stimulus and compared with the athlete's previous aerobic sessions.
The Next workout
Workouts to pair with this one
Free for coaches. Test with your whole roster during the trial.