Home trainer training: 12 exercices

We know, as cyclists, how difficult it is to always be able to go out and train. So we decided to prepare a home trainer program for you of about 4 weeks. You will have 4 cycles of one week of training.

The different training sessions that we are going to offer are reserved for experienced cyclists who have already done Home trainer. Are you ready ? So get a heart or power sensor and let the G4 team guide you.

Calculate your FCMax and your FTP

To perform our exercises, you will need to know what is called your FTP (it corresponds to the maximum power that you can maintain over a period of about an hour …). If you don’t have a power meter, it will be interesting to know your HRMax (your maximum heart rate during exercise). As we already explained to you in our blog preparing for the Tour Stage, the work areas are divided into 7. The FTP just like the FCMax represents your 4th work area, or approximately 90 to 105% of your effort.

To calculate these stress zones, you should in principle perform a stress test. Obviously, this is not currently possible. We therefore advise you, after an effective warm-up, to perform 20min of Home trainer at the highest possible power (for those who have a heart sensor, it is the same thing). Once these 20 minutes have been completed, you will only have to realize an average of your developed power to obtain your FTP. In case you are equipped with a cardiac sensor, it will be necessary to remember that the frequency which was the highest. You thus have your zone 4 of work and all the other zones will result from it naturally.

Reminder in percentage of effort, of the different work areas:

• Zone1: effort ranging from 55% to 69% of your FTP or FCMax
• Zone2: effort ranging from 70% to 83% of your FTP or FCMax
• Zone3: effort ranging from 84% to 95% of your FTP or FCMax
• Zone4: 95% to 105%
• Zone5: Greater than 105% (effort can be held approximately 25sec)
• Zone6: It’s a sprint from 10sec to 25 sec maximum
• Zone7: this effort can only be maintained for a few seconds

1st Home trainer training

In this first week of training, you will have three Home trainer sessions to perform. With these sessions, you can work on strength. Now that you know your work zones, know that you will perform the different series of sessions in Zone 3 at a pedaling rate of 60 revolutions / minute. As for recovery, it will be carried out at the pedaling frequency that seems most suitable for you in zone 2. Warming up will be done in zone 1 over a period of 15 min.

Here are the three sessions to be performed:

First training

After a 15 min warm-up (zone 1), perform 8 sets of 2 min in force (60 rpm in zone 3) with 4 min of recovery (free frequency in zone 2) between each series.

Home trainer session time: 1:03

Second training

After a 15-minute warm-up, perform this sequence 2 times in a row:

1min strength followed by 3min recovery
2 min strength followed by 2 min recovery
3min of force followed by 1min of recovery

15min of recuperation after the sequence.

Home trainer session time: 55min

Third training

After a 15min warm-up, perform 8 sets of 3min in strength with 1min30 of recovery.

Home trainer workout session: 47min

Once these three sessions have been completed, your first work cycle is over. The first session was an adaptation session, to get your body used to this type of exercise. It is longer than the others because it is less physically demanding. In the second session, you discovered what a pyramid session is. The end of your series contains more effort than recovery. Finally, the third session allows you to work all along with more effort than recovery. This is why this last Home trainer workout is shorter than the others.

Second Home trainer trainning

Here we will make you work endurance! Do not panic, however, you will not spend 3 hours on your Home trainer. The objective will be to combine sessions with very violent but short efforts (sprinting work in zones 6 and 7) and sessions called “at the threshold” for longer linear efforts. Here again, find three typical sessions that the G4 team has prepared for you. Don’t forget your 15 min warm-up in zone 1, very important.

Here are your sessions:

First training

After a good warm-up, perform 3 sets of 4 sprints (12sec) with 3 min of recovery between each effort and 5 min of recovery between each series.

Duration of the Home trainer training session: 1h06

Second training

After a 15min warm-up in zone 1, perform 3 sets of 10min in zone 4 (between 95 and 105% of your FTP or FCMax). Achieve a 10 min return to calm after the second series (zone 1).

Duration of the Home trainer training session: 55 min

Third training

After a good warm-up, perform 3 series of 6 sprints (12sec) with 1min30 of recovery between each effort and 4min of recovery between each series.

Duration of the Home trainer training session: 42 min

At the end of this second work cycle, you will know how to work endurance on Home trainer. The first session is once again a very effective adaptation session. It allows you, with its long recovery, to anticipate and cash out the different sprints to perform. In the second session, you discover work on the threshold. It appeals to your mind and proves to be very effective for your endurance. He makes the case as they say! and the last session, shorter again, you learn to chain the efforts without too much recovery, essential in cycling.

Third Home trainer training

In this third work cycle, the objective for you will be to teach your body to roll fast and long. The sessions are relatively trying and require a good warm-up as well as a mental level! A little bit like for session 2 of the previous cycle, you will repeatedly maintain a long and rapid effort to take the box. Each series that you will have to perform must be done in zone 5 at a pedaling rate that you have defined yourself. If you want to develop your ease uphill, you will have to give preference to a higher gear ratio (pedaling at around 70 rpm). In the event that you wish to increase your capacities on the dish, we will opt for a faster rate.

First training

After a good warm-up of 15 minutes, perform 3 sets of 5 minutes (zone 5) with 5 min of recovery between each effort. Return to calm for 10 minutes in zone 1 once the session is over.

Home trainer workout time: 55min

Second training

After your warm-up, perform 3 sets of 5 minutes at a rate of 70 revolutions per minute with 5 minutes of recovery between each effort. Again, a 10 min return to calm in zone 1 is recommended after your session.

Home trainer workout time: 55min

Third training

After your warm-up, do 6 sets of 4 min of effort with 4 min of recovery. During your efforts, get as close as possible to zone 6. Return to calm for 10 minutes to end the session.

Duration of the Home Trainer training session: 1h13

In this cycle, all the sessions are difficult and they more or less all resemble one detail. (duration, number of series or cadence). It’s an intense week of work that will definitely help you progress. These Home trainer sessions will be really useful when you are riding on the road again.

The fourth Home trainer training

You are in the final stretch of your Home trainer preparation. You are now going to work the high intensities. This is also called fractional. The moments of effort will be short but very intense and the recovery will most often be equal to working time. All the series will be carried out between the end of zone 5 and the start of zone 6. Recovery will take place in zone 2.

First training

After 15 min of warm-up, carry out 4 series of 6 times 30sec zone 6/30 sec zone 2. Between each series, take 4 min of recovery in zone 2. Take 10 min to return to calm in zone 1 after your session.

Duration of the Home Trainer training session: 1 hour

Second training

After 15min of warm-up, perform 5 sets of 5 times 30sec zone 6/30 sec zone 2. Between each series, observe 5 min of recovery in zone 2. Return to calm 10 min at the end of the session.

Duration of the Home Trainer training session: 1h10

Third training

After 15 min of heating, carry out 2 series of 6 times 1min zone 6 / 1min zone 2. Observe a recovery of 5 min between each series. Return to calm 10min after your session.

Home Trainer workout time: 59min

This last week will be the most fun for you if it will probably be the hardest. These successions of training will allow you to absorb the various jolts of a competition. You will also be able to make several changes to your rhythm without making you feel too much. We hope your period at home will be over by then! In any case, you are ready to face it!