Any discipline · Advanced

Sweet Spot Base (Advanced) training plan

Sweet spot base at racing load — 550 to 750 TSS a week, ridable anywhere

For Cat 1/2 racers and riders with five or more seasons behind them.

Written by Shayne Gaffney — if you have ridden a structured workout in Zwift, there is a good chance you have already ridden his.

Length: 12 wk
Load: 8.6 hrs/wk
Level: Advanced
Discipline: Any discipline
Price: $59 one-time

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The plan lands on your calendar, from any start date
Every workout syncs to Zwift, Garmin or Wahoo

What you get

By the end of 12 weeks

Sweet spot work at racing load, 550 to 750 TSS a week
Twelve weeks of progressive overload into your season
Ridable on any platform and in any discipline — indoors or out
Six sessions a week, short midweek and longer at the weekend
Core and hip strength routines that make the power you build usable

The top tier of the Sweet Spot line. Twelve weeks of sub-threshold work at a load that only makes sense if you are racing at the front.

Sweet Spot or Zwift Base?

Zwift Base is built around riding in Zwift and tops out at 850 TSS a week. Sweet Spot Base is built around the method, rides anywhere, and tops out at 750 — less total load, more of it spent near threshold.

If your winter is happening in Zwift regardless, take Z.B.3. If you want base you can take outdoors, or you ride more than one discipline, take this.

Before you commit a winter to sub-threshold work, sweet spot vs zone 2 for aerobic capacity covers what it is actually building and where long steady riding still wins.

Who this plan is for

Cat 1/2 racers, riders with five or more seasons of structured training, or anyone winning in their age group. Around 8.6 hours a week across six sessions — a real commitment through a winter.

How the load builds

The plan opens at roughly 550 TSS a week and finishes at 750, with progressive overload block by block. Weekday sessions stay short; the volume goes on the weekend. Interval duration and intensity change throughout the twelve weeks.

Core and hip strength and stability routines run alongside the bike work.

What you get

Every session as a structured workout file, exportable to Zwift, Garmin or Wahoo
Daily email workout reminders
The plan on your TrainingPeaks calendar, on desktop and in the mobile app
Core and hip strength / stability routines

Training guides

New training guides, as they go up

Shayne writes about how training actually works — thresholds, intervals, fuelling, strength. Get each new guide when it is published.

Who wrote this plan

Shayne Gaffney

If you have ridden a structured workout in Zwift, there is a good chance Shayne wrote it. He authored around 85% of Zwift's workout library, along with the "Build Me Up", "Pebble Pounder", "Zwift Racing" and "201: Your First 5K" plans — and he wrote every session in this one.

USA Cycling Level 1 · Precision Nutrition L1 · Published in Bicycling, Triathlete, TrainingPeaks and Zwift Insider

More about Shayne

Results

What riders say about the programming

I came to Shayne and GCC with lots of enthusiasm and willingness to work, but without knowing how to take my riding to the next level. I also had a bucket list goal: California's "Death Ride"… Several (hard!) months later, I crushed the Death Ride and went on to several other challenging rides later in the season. After that, I even took up racing, something I'd never thought I'd do, and had a blast competing in our local cyclocross series.
Paul D.Death Ride · Coached athlete
The A group, the fast ones on the Saturday ride. A sub 5 hour century. These were my goals and they had eluded me for years because, I now see, I didn't really have a plan for achieving them… I achieved my original goals, grew to set new ones and achieved those as well. There is only one way to say this and that is that 2015 was the most fun I've ever had on a bike.
Dan S.Sub-5 hour century · Coached athlete · 2015

Read all reviews

The thinking behind this plan

Supplements for endurance athletes: what has evidenceBeta-alanine, creatine, caffeine and sodium phosphate — the four with real endurance evidence behind them, and what each is actually worth.
Understanding FTP: VLaMax vs VO2 maxTwo riders with the same FTP can need opposite training. How VLaMax and VO2 max shape threshold, and what that means for your plan.
Keto or carb loading before a long event?Fat adaptation against traditional carb loading for endurance events — what the research supports, and the ceiling a high-fat diet runs into.

FAQ

Questions about this plan

Is this plan the right level for me?

It is written for Cat 1/2 racers and riders with five or more seasons behind them. If you are between two plans, the plan finder will place you in under a minute — or email us your goal and weekly hours before you buy and we will point you at the right one.

Do I need a power meter for this plan?

A power meter makes the targets precise, but it is not required. Every session carries a perceived-effort target alongside the power target.

Does it sync with Zwift, Garmin and Wahoo?

Yes. Every workout is a structured file. Connect TrainingPeaks to Zwift and the day's session appears in your workout list; connect Garmin or Wahoo and it pushes to your head unit.

Do I need TrainingPeaks Premium?

No. A free TrainingPeaks account is enough to buy this plan and follow every workout. Premium adds deeper analysis but nothing this plan depends on.

What if I miss a session or a week?

Shift the remaining plan forward on your TrainingPeaks calendar and carry on. The plan is built in blocks, so a missed session will not break the progression.

Is this coaching?

No. This is a self-guided plan: you get the full structure and every workout, but no ongoing coaching relationship. That is what keeps it a one-time price instead of a monthly retainer.

What if the plan turns out to be wrong for me?

Plans are covered by the TrainingPeaks refund policy. With the author's approval, a plan can be exchanged for another of equal value from the same author. Refund requests must be made in writing to TrainingPeaks within 24 hours of purchase with a detailed explanation, and are assessed case by case. If you are unsure this plan fits, get in touch before you buy and we will point you at the right one.

Not the right fit?