Winter Base Block Indoor Cycling training plan
- 4 weeks
- Cycling
Level: Beginner
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Sessions
- 23 in total
- avg. 5.8 per week
- Training time
- avg. 5.3 h/week
- Peak week 6.2 h
- Key sessions
- 7 key sessions
How the training load develops
Training time per week over 4 weeks. The toughest week is week 3 with 6.2 h.
Plan structure
23 sessions spread over 4 weeks, around 21 hours of training and a total load of 821 TSS.
- Cycling 16 sessions 490 km in total
- Strength training 7 sessions
| Week | Sessions | Sports | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 2 Key |
|
5.4 h |
| 2 | 6 2 Key |
|
5.7 h |
| 3 | 6 2 Key |
|
6.2 h |
| 4 | 5 1 Key |
|
3.7 h |
A look inside the plan
Sample week: week 2 of 4
This is exactly how your plan will look in the Aspect App after you buy it. Tap a session to see its structure, intervals and target ranges.
You can also download bike workouts as FIT files for Garmin, Wahoo, COROS and others, or as ZWO files for Zwift.
Week 2 Base Phase – Load Week 2 6 sessions 5:44 h 130 km 2
About this training plan
Four weeks of winter base training, done entirely on the turbo trainer. You ride easy endurance sessions, plus a carefully judged Sweet Spot stimulus and short maximal sprints that keep your legs sharp. At the end, a threshold HR test gives you updated values to take into the next phase of your season. Training is guided by heart rate: a chest strap is all you need, no power meter required.
Who the plan is for
You already train two to three times a week and can ride for an hour at an easy pace on the turbo trainer without it feeling endless. Now you want to use the winter in a structured way for the first time, or you are getting back into training after the off-season. You can fit four riding days a week into your routine, two of them at the weekend. If you are completely new to cycling, “Road Cycling Starter” is the better place to start; if you haven’t trained at all for months, choose “Structured Comeback”.
How the plan works
Around 90% of your riding time is easy in the endurance zone – easy enough that you could hold a conversation in full sentences. These hours build the endurance that every later intensity depends on. The long Sunday session grows from 90 to 120 minutes and is split into 15-minute laps: endurance, a high-cadence block, one minute out of the saddle, a drinks break. That keeps even the second hour on the turbo trainer manageable.
On top of that, there are two targeted stimuli. On Tuesdays you ride Sweet Spot just below your threshold, building from two to four blocks of eight minutes. On Saturdays you do maximal sprints of 10 to 15 seconds with long recoveries, which keep your legs sharp without tiring you out. In each of the three load weeks there is one core stability and strength session for cyclists, plus short stretches for your hips and legs every week. In the fourth week the volume drops significantly, and on Saturday you repeat the threshold HR test from the start.
What you need before you start
- Your threshold heart rate (threshold HR) on the bike. Determine it at the weekend before you start, using Joe Friel’s 30-minute test on your turbo trainer; the protocol is in the plan. All targets are given as a percentage of it.
- A chest strap – wrist-based measurement reacts too slowly – and a turbo trainer. A basic turbo trainer is fine, as it doesn’t need to measure anything: you ride in standard mode and control your heart rate through gearing and cadence. You ride the sprints by perceived exertion, because heart rate lags behind such short efforts.
- A fan, two bottles and a towel for the long Sundays.
- 5.5 to 6 hours a week in the load weeks, four to just under five of them on the bike.
Support within the plan
At the start you get the exact threshold HR test protocol and tips for training on an indoor trainer, and many sessions include specific advice on cadence, fuelling and pacing. Mental coaching prompts help you lock your sessions into your schedule through the dark winter months, break the long Sundays on the turbo trainer into manageable chunks in your head, avoid overdoing the easier test week and approach the test calmly. Enter your threshold HR under “My plans” and the plan converts every target into beats per minute. With a few clicks you can send the plan to your free Intervals.icu calendar, and from there the sessions reach your device as structured workouts.
What comes after the 4 weeks
Because the test falls on the Saturday of week 4, you can start your next plan straight away on the following Monday. Cycling Base Building extends your base over 8 weeks, with long Sunday rides outdoors; FTP Booster turns that base into more threshold power in 6 weeks. For a summer goal there are plans for Gran Fondo, Sportive, Climbing, XC MTB Racing, Time Trial and Criterium Racing, each in Levels 1 to 3, guided by heart rate and with mental coaching all the way to your goal.
Intensity guidance
Your training thresholds
Session intensity is based on your personal thresholds. After buying, you enter them in the Aspect App – the plan then converts every target for you. If they’re already stored in Intervals.icu, you can import them with one click during setup. Here’s how to find your values:
- Threshold heart rate (cycling)Targets are given as a percentage of your threshold heart rate on the bike – the highest heart rate you can sustain for about 60 minutes. How to find it: after a good warm-up, ride a 30-minute time trial on your own as hard as you can hold evenly – your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes is your threshold HR. A chest strap gives the most accurate reading. Stopgap without a test: about 90% of your reliably known maximum heart rate on the bike (185 bpm → 167 bpm).
Device sync via Intervals.icu
Your plan on your watch
Send your plan to your free Intervals.icu calendar in just a few clicks. From there, your bike sessions go to your watch and bike computer as structured workouts with intervals and target ranges – or into Zwift. No retyping and no file imports.
Ready in six steps
- Buy the planOnce your payment has been received, you’ll get your access link by email.
- Save it to your Aspect accountWith a free Aspect account, you save the plan under “My plans”.
- Connect Intervals.icuTap “Intervals.icu” at the top of your plan and connect your free account on intervals.icu (opens an external site). No account yet? You can create one there in a minute.
- Match your target valuesThe app checks whether Intervals.icu holds the same values as your plan (e.g. FTP, threshold heart rate or threshold pace). Any differences can be matched with one click.
- Choose a start date and sendChoose your start Monday, check the preview, send.
- Connect your deviceIn Intervals.icu, go to Settings → Connections, connect your device or platform and enable uploading of planned workouts (e.g. “Upload planned workouts”).
What arrives where
| Platform | What arrives |
|---|---|
| Garmin | Cycling as structured workouts; strength: title only, no exercises (supported) |
| Wahoo ELEMNT, BOLT, ROAM | Bike workouts (supported) |
| Zwift | Bike workouts (supported) |
| Suunto | Planned workouts (watches with SuuntoPlus Guides) (supported) |
| COROS | Planned workouts – the first time only, drag the “Intervals.icu” training plan into your calendar in the COROS app. (supported) |
| Hammerhead Karoo | Bike workouts – you set up the connection with Hammerhead (on the Karoo or in the Hammerhead dashboard) (limited) |
| Apple Watch | No official integration – only via third-party apps (e.g. Watchletic – the Intervals.icu import is a paid feature) (limited) |
| Polar, TrainerRoad | No direct transfer (not supported) |
- Most services receive roughly the next 7 days at a time. The complete plan is in your Intervals.icu calendar.
- Intervals.icu calculates the target ranges from your values there (e.g. FTP, threshold HR, threshold pace). If you change them, upcoming workouts are adjusted with the next sync.
- During setup, the Aspect App checks whether your values in Intervals.icu match your plan. You resolve any differences with one click – in either direction, with a side-by-side comparison first.
- If you move a session within its week in the Aspect App, Intervals.icu updates automatically – and so does your device at the next sync.
- Zwift uses the values in your Zwift profile (FTP, 5K time). Enter the same values there as in Intervals.icu.
- Strength sessions appear in the Intervals.icu calendar with a description and planned duration. On your watch they only show their title. You’ll find the exercises in the Aspect App.
In the Aspect App you can also download bike workouts as FIT files (e.g. for Garmin, Wahoo, COROS) or as ZWO files for Zwift.
What you get
- The complete 4-week plan23 sessions, structured week by week and day by day.
- All sessions in the Aspect AppEvery session with its full structure. In the browser on your smartphone, tablet or computer.
- Flexible within your weekIf a day doesn’t suit you, you can use a free Aspect account to move sessions to another day within the plan week or change their order – by drag & drop on a computer, or via “Move to…” on a smartphone. You can restore the original order at any time. If you’ve sent the plan to Intervals.icu, it is updated there automatically.
- Straight to your watch and bike computerAs structured workouts via your free Intervals.icu account – to Garmin, Wahoo, COROS & more. Or as a FIT/ZWO download. How it works
- 7 marked key sessionsThe sessions that matter most in each week. They take priority if you need to reschedule.
- Access with or without an accountPersonal access link by email. With a free Aspect account, saved permanently under “My plans” – and ready to send to your watch and bike computer.
How it works
- OrderAdd the plan to your basket and pay with PayPal, card and more (via Stripe) or by bank transfer.
- Check your inboxOnce your payment has been received, you’ll get your personal access link.
- Open your planThe link opens your plan straight in the Aspect App – nothing to install.
- Save it to your accountOptional and free: save the plan to your Aspect account and open it again at any time.
- Get it onto your watchOptional: send it to your calendar via Intervals.icu with your start date – and from there to your watch and bike computer. Here’s how
Created by your coach
Hi, I’m Alex – coach and the mind behind aspect®. My training plans grow out of my endurance coaching work in triathlon, cycling and running. If you’d rather have individual coaching than a ready-made plan, take a look at 1:1 coaching.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the training plan after purchase?
Once we’ve received your payment, you’ll get an email with your personal access link. Use it to open the plan directly in the Aspect App – in the browser on your smartphone, tablet or computer. You’ll also receive your invoice by email.
How does the plan get onto my watch and bike computer?
Via Intervals.icu. Open your plan in the Aspect App, tap “Intervals.icu” at the top and follow the steps: connect your free Intervals.icu account, match your target values, choose your start Monday, check the preview and send the plan to your Intervals.icu calendar as structured workouts. From there, Intervals.icu sends the upcoming sessions to Garmin, Wahoo, Zwift, Suunto and COROS – to set this up, go to Settings → Connections in Intervals.icu, connect your device or platform and switch on the upload of planned workouts (e.g. “Upload planned workouts”). For Hammerhead Karoo, set up the connection in your Hammerhead account. Zwift uses the values in your Zwift profile (FTP, 5K time). Most services receive roughly the next 7 days at a time.
Does it work with the Apple Watch?
Not directly: there’s no official Intervals.icu integration for the Apple Watch. It’s only possible via third-party apps (e.g. Watchletic – the Intervals.icu import is a paid feature). Polar and TrainerRoad aren’t supported directly either. You can still see all your sessions in the Aspect App at any time – including in your smartphone’s browser.
Does Intervals.icu cost anything?
No. A free Intervals.icu account is all you need for the transfer. Intervals.icu also offers an optional supporter subscription – you don’t need it for this. Transferring from the Aspect App doesn’t cost anything extra either.
Do I have to keep my values up to date in two places?
No. In the plan view, the “Match target values” step (“Intervals.icu” button) checks whether Intervals.icu holds the same values as your plan – FTP, threshold HR, threshold pace or swim threshold pace (CSS), depending on what your plan uses. If anything differs, you see both values side by side, choose which one applies for each, and match them with one click. Nothing is overwritten without asking. To do this, you confirm access to your Intervals.icu sport settings once when connecting. Your indoor FTP stays unchanged, and HR zones are only recalculated if you explicitly ask for it. Zwift still uses the values in your Zwift profile.
Do I need an account in the Aspect App?
Not to view it: the access link also works without an account. With a free Aspect account, you save the plan permanently under “My plans” – and only then can you transfer it to your watch and bike computer via Intervals.icu.
When can I start the plan?
Whenever you like. The plan isn’t tied to a date but built in weeks (week 1 to 4), and each week starts on a Monday. If you have a race in mind, simply count back 4 weeks from race day. For the transfer to Intervals.icu, you choose your start Monday yourself – the Monday of the current week at the earliest.
What happens if I start later or need to reschedule?
No problem. If you want to start the whole plan later, simply choose a new start date in the plan view under “Intervals.icu” → “Reschedule” – the sessions are moved in your Intervals.icu calendar without any duplicate entries. If you no longer need the plan there, you can remove it again. Your own entries in Intervals.icu remain untouched. If just a single day doesn’t work, move the session within its week (see the next question).
Can I move sessions to other days?
Yes, within the plan week in question. With a free Aspect account, you can move a session to another day of the same week in the plan view or change the order within a day – by drag and drop on a computer, or via the “Move to…” menu on each session on a smartphone. The plan itself stays unchanged: moved sessions are marked with a small icon (e.g. “originally Tuesday”), and “Reset week” or “Reset whole plan” restores the original order. If the plan has been transferred to Intervals.icu, moves and resets are applied there automatically – and to your watch and bike computer at the next sync. If you move a transferred session within its week directly in the Intervals.icu calendar, the Aspect App picks this up (it can take about a minute). If a session ends up outside its plan week there, the app moves it back to its week and lets you know. Without an account, you can view the plan but not move sessions.
Is the plan tailored to me personally?
No – it’s a ready-made training plan that works for many athletes with a similar goal. If you’d like individual support, you’ll find 1:1 coaching at aspect-sports.com.
Do I have a right of withdrawal?
The training plan is digital content. With your express consent, it is made available before the withdrawal period has expired – your right of withdrawal then expires when provision begins (Section 356(5) of the German Civil Code, BGB). You’ll find the details in our withdrawal policy.
Winter Base Block Indoor Cycling (Heart rate)
4 weeks · 23 sessions · free
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