Conor Dunne's racing session: 35-minute HIIT indoor cycling workout
The toughest session in Conor Dunne's roster. For those wanting a high-intensity workout, this is the one
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The GCN team
This is one of ex-professional Conor Dunne’s toughest indoor training sessions. It’s a true bonanza, full of tough and uneven reps that replicate the high-intensity efforts of a race, before ending with a full-gas sprint.
This session is all based on feel rather than training zones, although you can use these if you know them, with each effort ranked on a scale of one to 10. One should be really easy, and 10 should be absolutely flat out.
For this longer, more intense session, make sure you are in a well-ventilated space, with some water within reach and a towel to collect any sweat. You'll also need a fan as you'll quickly work up a sweat.
More HIIT training sessions like this one:
- Over/under threshold intervals: 35-minute workout
- VO2 max surges: 30-minute workout
- The full pyramid: 30-minute workout
What will this HIIT session do to my fitness?
This session features a range of high-intensity intervals. As part of a training plan, it will help you to develop a higher max power, and it will train your body to recover quickly. The session features lots of short, hard efforts, and as you go through them, you'll be training your body to keep pushing when tired.
Training at higher intensities will also improve muscular endurance and boost your Functional Threshold Power (FTP).
Is this HIIT session good for weight loss?
If you're working out to lose weight, tough, high-intensity sessions are the most effective way to do that, as this study shows.
High-intensity training burns lots of calories at the time of exercise, but better still, it engages 'afterburn', which is when your body burns more calories after working out as it feeds your recovering muscles.
Read more: The truth about counting calories and whether it can aid weight loss for cyclists
Indoor cycling workout details
- GCN instructor: Conor Dunne
- Indoor workout duration: 35 minutes
- Indoor training type: HIIT threshold and sprint intervals
- Fitness difficulty: A really tough pro-level workout that will offer maximum fitness gains
- Benefits of this indoor cycling workout: Burning calories and losing weight, improving threshold and anaerobic power
From HIIT hit outs to sweet sport endurance sessions, explore GCN’s best indoor training workouts
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Warm up on the turbo trainer for 7 minutes
Before we get into the main part of the session, warm up gradually on your bike. Starting with super easy, 2/10 pedalling, we'll build up to a 3/10 effort. After a minute at 6/10 to raise the heart rate, it's back down to 3/10 to fully recover before the session begins.
The main indoor training session: Mixed intervals for 26 minutes
Now for the main session. Follow Conor's lead on this, as it's a mixed bag of efforts, each for a different amount of time. Remember to keep pushing right the way through this 26-minute session, especially for the final 10/10 sprint.
Gentle cool down for at least 2 minutes
Good job, you've made it through that gruelling session! Before you get off the bike, spin the legs really easily for two minutes. 1/10 will be enough. You want to keep your legs moving so you can keep the blood moving through, speeding up the recovery process. After two minutes, feel free to keep spinning, or get off the bike and take a well-earned rest.
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