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It’s dark at 5 p.m., it’s raining sideways, and your bike is sitting on a trainer in the corner. Riding indoors gets easier when every session has a job. Below are three indoor cycling training plans, each four weeks long: one for beginners, one for riders who already train a few days a week, and one for advanced riders who want more power.
They work on a smart trainer, a wheel-on trainer or a spin bike. Start with the intensity zones and the optional test, then pick the plan that matches your current routine. If you mostly ride outside and are new to structure, my 4-week outdoor plan for beginners is the better starting point.
How to set your intensity
Every session below names a zone. Zone 1 is the easiest and Zone 5 is the hardest. Power is the most precise way to measure effort, but you can use heart rate or plain feel instead.
| Zone | Name | RPE (1-10) | % threshold heart rate | % FTP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Active recovery | 1-2 | 68% or less | Under 55% |
| 2 | Endurance | 3-4 | 69-83% | 55-75% |
| 3 | Tempo | 5-6 | 84-94% | 75-90% |
| 4 | Threshold | 6-7 | 95-105% | 90-105% |
| 5 | VO2max | 7-8 | Over 106% | 105-120% |
No power meter? Use RPE, which means rate of perceived exertion. In Zone 2 you can talk in full sentences. In Zone 3 you speak in short phrases. In Zone 4 you manage a few words at a time. In Zone 5 you can’t talk at all, which is why those efforts last only a few minutes.
Heart rate lags behind effort, so it’s a poor guide for 3-minute intervals. It works fine for long Zone 2 rides. Note that the heart rate column is based on your threshold heart rate (the average you can hold for about 30 minutes of all-out effort), not your max.
Test before week 1
FTP, or functional threshold power, is the highest power you can hold for about an hour. If you have a smart trainer or power meter, a test gives you the numbers that make the zones above useful. There are two common options.
- 20-minute test: After a long warm-up, ride as hard as you can pace evenly for 20 minutes. Multiply your average power by 0.95.
- Ramp test: After a 5-minute warm-up, the trainer raises the load every minute until you can’t hold it. Take 75% of your best one-minute power.
If I were new to testing, I’d pick the ramp test. It needs no pacing skill and it’s over quickly. Beginners can skip testing and ride the first plan by feel. Riders who track watts per kilogram can pair the result with our power-to-weight ratio guide.
The beginner plan: build the habit
This plan is for new riders, or anyone coming back after time off. Speed doesn’t matter here. Three rides a week is enough, and most of them should feel easy. Rest days are Monday, Friday and Sunday, plus Wednesday in week 1. A short walk on a rest day is fine.
Week 1
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | Easy ride, talk easily | 30-40 min | Zone 2 |
| Thu | Easy ride with 4-5 bursts of 30 sec, 1 min easy after each | 30-40 min | Zone 2, bursts Zone 3 |
| Sat | Easy endurance ride | 45-60 min | Zone 2 |
Week 2
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 2-3 intervals of 1 min, 2 min easy between | 40-50 min | Zone 2, intervals Zone 3 |
| Wed | Optional easy spin | 30 min | Zone 1-2 |
| Thu | Steady, comfortable ride | 40-50 min | Zone 2 |
| Sat | Endurance ride at an even pace | 60-75 min | Zone 2 |
Week 3
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 3 intervals of 2 min, 2 min easy between | 45-55 min | Zone 2, intervals Zone 3-4 |
| Wed | Optional easy spin | 30-40 min | Zone 1-2 |
| Thu | Smooth pedaling, steady effort | 45-55 min | Zone 2 |
| Sat | Long ride, change resistance gently every 10 min | 75-90 min | Zone 2 |
Week 4
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 2 intervals of 3 min, 2 min easy between | 40-50 min | Zone 2, intervals Zone 3-4 |
| Wed | Optional easy spin | 30 min | Zone 1-2 |
| Thu | Steady endurance ride | 40-50 min | Zone 2 |
| Sat | Endurance ride, finish feeling fresh | 60-75 min | Zone 2 |
The intermediate plan: sharpen your threshold
This one suits riders who already pedal two or three times a week. Tuesday is the hard day. Thursday is tempo. Saturday is the long ride. Monday and Friday are rest days, and Sunday is an optional 30-minute spin in Zone 1.
The Tuesday sessions get longer each week while the number of intervals drops. Ride them at the top of Zone 4 only if the last one still feels controlled. For more threshold work, see our lactate threshold training guide.
Week 1
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 6 x 3 min, 2 min easy between | 45-60 min | Zone 4 |
| Wed | Easy spin | 40 min | Zone 1-2 |
| Thu | Steady ride | 50-60 min | Zone 3 |
| Sat | Long endurance ride | 90-120 min | Zone 2 |
Week 2
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 5 x 4 min, 2 min easy between | 50-60 min | Zone 4 |
| Wed | Easy spin | 40 min | Zone 1-2 |
| Thu | 15 min steady, then 2 x 10 min tempo | 60 min | Zone 3 |
| Sat | Long ride, change gear or resistance every 10 min | 100-130 min | Zone 2 |
Week 3
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 4 x 5 min, 2.5 min easy between | 55-65 min | Zone 4 |
| Wed | Easy spin | 40-45 min | Zone 1-2 |
| Thu | 3 x 12 min tempo, 3 min easy between | 60-75 min | Zone 3 |
| Sat | Long, steady endurance ride | 110-140 min | Zone 2 |
Week 4
Volume drops this week so you absorb the work. Sunday is a full rest day.
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 3 x 6 min, 3 min easy between | 45-55 min | Zone 4 |
| Wed | Easy spin | 40 min | Zone 1-2 |
| Thu | Steady ride | 50-60 min | Zone 3 |
| Sat | Endurance ride at a comfortable pace | 90-110 min | Zone 2 |
Advanced: Build Power
This plan assumes you’ve trained consistently for a while and know your FTP. Two hard days a week do the heavy lifting: VO2max intervals on Tuesday and threshold blocks on Thursday. Everything else stays in Zone 2, with Monday off. Week 4 is a lighter week.
Keep the easy days easy. Riders who turn Wednesday into a medium-hard ride usually arrive at Thursday too tired to hit the targets. If Friday feels heavy, swap it for rest. For more VO2max sessions, see our VO2 max workouts for cyclists.
Durations include a 10-minute warm-up and a cool-down. Recovery between VO2max efforts is easy pedaling.
Week 1
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 5 x 3 min, 3 min easy between | 60 min | Zone 5 |
| Wed | Steady endurance ride | 45-60 min | Zone 2 |
| Thu | 3 x 10 min, 5 min easy between | 75 min | Zone 4 |
| Fri | Easy ride | 45 min | Zone 2 |
| Sat | Long ride | 90 min | Zone 2 |
| Sun | Easy ride | 60 min | Zone 2 |
Week 2
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 6 x 3 min, 3 min easy between | 65 min | Zone 5 |
| Wed | Steady endurance ride | 45-60 min | Zone 2 |
| Thu | 3 x 12 min, 5 min easy between | 80 min | Zone 4 |
| Fri | Easy ride | 45 min | Zone 2 |
| Sat | Long ride | 100 min | Zone 2 |
| Sun | Easy ride | 60 min | Zone 2 |
Week 3
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 5 x 4 min, 4 min easy between | 70 min | Zone 5 |
| Wed | Steady endurance ride | 45-60 min | Zone 2 |
| Thu | 2 x 20 min, 5 min easy between | 85 min | Zone 4 |
| Fri | Easy ride | 45 min | Zone 2 |
| Sat | Long ride | 120 min | Zone 2 |
| Sun | Easy ride | 60 min | Zone 2 |
Week 4: lighter week
| Day | Session | Duration | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 4 x 3 min, 3 min easy between | 55 min | Zone 5 |
| Wed | Easy endurance ride | 45 min | Zone 2 |
| Thu | 2 x 10 min, 5 min easy between | 60 min | Zone 4 |
| Fri | Rest | – | – |
| Sat | Endurance ride | 75 min | Zone 2 |
| Sun | Rest | – | – |
What you need
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Smart trainer, wheel-on trainer or spin bike
A smart trainer sets resistance for you and reads your power. Most are direct-drive: you remove the rear wheel and mount the bike’s chain on a cassette built into the trainer. They’re quiet and accurate, and they’re the easiest way to follow interval targets.
A wheel-on trainer clamps the bike in place with the rear tire pressed against a roller. It costs less and sets up faster. Some wheel-on trainers are smart and some aren’t, and the tire wears quickly unless you fit a trainer-specific one.
A spin bike needs no setup at all. Resistance is set by a knob, and power readouts vary a lot between bikes. The plans still work if you ride by RPE.
If I were buying one smart trainer for this, I’d look at the Wahoo KICKR CORE 2. It lists at $549.99, comes with either a Zwift Cog and Click or an 11-speed cassette, and is rated at plus or minus 2% power accuracy. Prices as of October 2026.
Check price at Competitive Cyclist
Fan, mat and heart rate strap
Get a fan first. Indoors there’s no breeze, and heat drives your heart rate up fast. Aim a strong one at your chest and face. A floor mat comes next. It protects the floor from sweat and cuts some trainer noise.
A chest strap gives steadier readings than a wrist watch during intervals. The Wahoo TICKR lists at $49.99 and pairs with most trainer apps.
On a wheel-on trainer, a dedicated trainer tire is worth buying to save your road tire.
FAQ
Can I follow these plans on a spin bike or Peloton?
Yes. Use RPE and the zone table above. Power numbers differ from bike to bike, so compare only against your own readings on the same bike. If you want classes instead of fixed intervals, our 30-minute spin workouts make good swaps for a plan session.
How many days a week should I train indoors?
Three to five rides covers most riders. The beginner plan has three, the intermediate has four or five, and the advanced plan has six in a normal week. Take at least one full rest day.
What should I do after 4 weeks?
Retest your FTP and repeat the same plan with updated zones. Or move up a level. If you want variety, try structured sessions from our Zwift workouts list. Riders chasing weight loss can also use the stationary bike workouts for easy-day variety.
Are indoor miles the same as outdoor miles?
Not quite. Indoors you never coast, brake for traffic or ride in a draft, so an hour inside is often harder than an hour outside. The still air also raises your heart rate at the same watts, which is another reason to run a fan.
