Any discipline · Intermediate

Sweet Spot Base (Intermediate) training plan

Twelve weeks of sweet spot work, from 380 to 610 TSS a week, ridable anywhere

For Cat 3/4 racers and riders with three 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: 6.9 hrs/wk
Level: Intermediate
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 that returns more fitness per hour than steady riding
A build from 380 to 610 TSS a week over twelve weeks
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 middle tier of the Sweet Spot line — twelve weeks of work pitched just below threshold, at a load that assumes you have done this before.

Sweet Spot or Zwift Base?

Zwift Base is built around riding in Zwift. Sweet Spot Base is built around the method, and works in any discipline, indoors or out. Both export to Zwift, Garmin and Wahoo — the question is whether you want a Zwift-native winter or the most time-efficient base you can ride anywhere.

Note this plan finishes higher than its Zwift Base counterpart: 610 TSS a week against 550. Sweet spot work packs more stimulus into the hour, and the ceiling reflects that.

Why it packs more in: sweet spot vs zone 2 for aerobic capacity compares the two hour for hour.

Who this plan is for

Cat 3/4 racers, riders with three or more seasons of structured training, or anyone placing in the top 25% of their age group. Around 6.9 hours a week across six sessions.

How the load builds

The plan opens at roughly 380 TSS a week and finishes at 610, with progressive overload block by block. Weekday sessions stay short to fit a working week; the longer rides sit on the weekend. Interval duration and intensity vary throughout, which keeps a six-session week from turning into a grind.

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

How to actually raise your anaerobic thresholdThe physiology behind a higher FTP — mitochondrial density, capillary growth, and why work close to threshold and HIIT both earn a place in a plan.
Post-workout nutrition: what and whenWhat to eat after a session, how much the timing window really matters, and practical food options that are not a recovery shake.
The pitfalls of FTP testingTwenty-minute tests, ramp tests and software modelling all give different numbers. Where each protocol misleads, and how to test well.

FAQ

Questions about this plan

Is this plan the right level for me?

It is written for Cat 3/4 racers and riders with three 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?