Short Cycling Workouts Under 1 Hour

 

Short on time? You can still get in a good workout! We’ve rounded up some of the Zwift community’s favorite cycling workouts that will take you less than an hour to complete, along with a few of our own suggestions.

Learn more about choosing and completing workouts

High Intensity

Emily’s Short Mix

(Less than 30 minutes to burn) A mix of efforts will get your heart pumping and your legs working in just 30 minutes.

Step by Step

(Less than 60 minutes to burn) This workout takes 40 minutes and features 90-second steps with short 30-second recoveries in between. These steps start above your FTP (Functional Threshold Power) and keep rising, focusing on your VO2 power.

The Volcano

(Zwift Academy 2022) This 49-minute workout targets your VO2 power, giving you short “recoveries” that are still high intensity. This keeps your heart rate up and helps you maintain the type of effort you might need to get your personal best time on the Watopia volcano!

2 by 2

(Less than 30 minutes to burn) This 30-minute workout is focused on improving your ability to make repeated hard efforts with minimal recovery. You’ll do one minute at VO2 power and another in your anaerobic zone, with two minutes of rest in between.

Georgia Simmerling – Team Pursuit

(Athlete-Inspired) This workout puts you through the types of efforts needed in a team pursuit event on the track. Inspired by Olympic athlete Georgia Simmerling, the 32-minute session can help you surge and recover at high intensities.

Moderate Intensity

Lavender Unicorn

(Less than 30 minutes to burn) This is a 30-minute version of a longer workout called Purple Unicorn. It features “sweet spot” over/unders that lead into a spicy finish!

Aerobic Conditioning

(Zwift Academy 2022) This 55-minute workout targets your aerobic system, with most of the work being below FTP and some 1-minute bursts above it.

Vault

(Less than 30 minutes to burn) If you have just 20 minutes on the bike, this will give you a good workout. After a quick warmup, you’ll start around the “sweet spot” below your FTP. Every few minutes, you’ll vault over some harder 30-second efforts.

Brisk Burn

(Less than 30 minutes to burn) Really don’t have much time? You can do this session in just 16 minutes! This features tempo and threshold intervals with a few pushes over FTP at the end.

Calorie Crush

(Less than 30 minutes to burn) Keep your mind and body active with efforts that help you push and recover, all in just 25 minutes.

Training Plans: Fast Track Fitness and Build Me Up Lite

If you want to try a structured training plan but have limited time, the 4-week Fast Track Fitness and Build Me Up Lite programs are great options. With just two workouts per week, totaling 60 to 80 minutes of weekly training, they won’t take much time out of your busy schedule. Fast Track Fitness is a good choice if you’re new to structured training, while Build Me Up Lite will give more of a challenge.

Learn more about starting a training plan

You’ve still got time to hop on the bike! Why not get one of these sessions done now? Your body and mind will thank you.