Turbo trainers make winter training far easier. No more piling on layers or battling the worst of the British weather – just hop on your bike indoors and keep your fitness ticking over.
While you can simply spin away, structured sessions give you far better results. Indoor workouts are shorter than outdoor rides, so every minute matters. Choosing the right sessions helps you build fitness efficiently and start the new season strong.
Below are some of the best turbo trainer sessions to try. Most use power or heart‑rate training zones, but you can still follow them using perceived effort if you don’t have the tech.
1. V02 max boost
What is it?
VO₂ max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. The higher it is, the better your muscles perform. This session targets improvements in your VO₂ max.
Which training zones?
For this session, you’ll be riding in your VO2 max training zone. This is zone five which equates to:
- 90-100% of your maximum heart rate.
- 105-120% of your functional threshold power.
As it’s an intense session, it shouldn’t be carried out too regularly or on consecutive days, as your body requires adequate rest to reap the benefits.
How do you do it?
- 15-minute warm-up (easy spinning of the pedals)
- 15 minutes at zone 2
- 5 x 3-minute intervals at VO2 max (zone 5), with 3 minutes at zone 2 in-between each
- Cool down
2. Threshold boost
What is it?
Your lactate threshold is the highest power you can sustain before lactate builds up faster than your body can clear it. Improving this lets you ride harder for longer.
Which training zones?
This session will mainly focus on zone four, conveniently named the threshold zone!
How do you do it?
- 10-minute warm up
- 5 x 5 minutes at zone 4, with 3 minutes of easy spinning recovery in-between each (you can change the number of repetitions according to your fitness levels)
- Cool down
3. Up your cadence
What is it?
Cadence – how fast you turn the pedals – is a key part of cycling efficiency. Many riders push too big a gear, fatiguing their legs quickly. This session helps you ride smoothly at higher cadences.
Which training zones?
This workout focuses on cadence, not intensity. Choose a zone that fits your weekly plan – easier if you’ve already done hard sessions.
How do you do it?
- 10-minute warm up
- 1 minute at 90 rpm (reps per minute) and 1 minute at 120 rpm, continuing for 12 minutes
- 10 minutes at zone 2
- 1 minute at 90 rpm and 1 minute at 120rpm, continuing for 12 minutes
- Cool down
4. Strength builder
What is it?
Climbing and accelerating often require low‑cadence, high‑torque pedalling. This session builds leg strength and muscular endurance.
Which training zones?
Like the previous session, the focus here is cadence. We’ve suggested power training zones, but these can be altered accordingly. The aim is to work a harder gear than you usually would while maintaining the same power output.
How do you do it?
- 10-minute warm up
- 10 minutes of zone three at 60rpm
- 5 minutes of zone two at 90-100rpm
- 10 minutes of zone three at 55rpm
- 5 minutes of zone two at 90-100rpm
- 10 minutes zone three at 50rpm
- 10-15-minute cool down
5. Russian steps
What is it?
Not one for the feint-hearted, this session will hurt! Involving repeated maximum efforts, the aim is to improve your sprinting speed and build up your power and tolerance so that you’re capable of repeated hard efforts on the bike.
A tough session designed to improve sprint power and your ability to repeat hard efforts. It’s short, sharp, and demanding – pace yourself on the longer reps.
Which training zones?
This is the only workout here that targets zone 6 (maximum intensity). It’s short because your legs and lungs will be burning quickly.
How do you do it?
- 20-minute warm up
- 15 seconds at zone 6, 45-second recovery at zone 2
- 30 seconds at zone 6, 30-second recovery at zone 2
- 45 seconds at zone 6, 15-second recovery at zone 2
- 1 minute at zone 6, 1-minute recovery at zone 2
- 45 seconds at zone 6, 15-second recovery at zone 2
- 30 seconds at zone 6, 30-second recovery at zone 2
- 15 seconds at zone 6, 5 minutes 45 seconds recovery at zone 2
- 10-minute cool down
That completes our list. Follow our turbo training sessions and you’ll be flying from the moment you venture back out onto the road. Of course, there are many more turbo sessions we could have included. Follow our advice guide to the best turbo training apps to find more.
To find a range of turbo trainers, heart rate monitors and power meters, head over to Halfords.com.
You want to conquer your cycling goals. You want Halfords.
