Indoor · Intermediate

Zwift Base (Intermediate) training plan

Carry a serious aerobic base into your season, on 380 to 550 TSS a week

For Cat 3/4 racers and riders with three or more seasons of structured training.

Length: 12 wk
Load: 6.4 hrs/wk
Level: Intermediate
Discipline: Indoor
Price: $59 one-time

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Checkout happens on TrainingPeaks · one-time payment · their refund policy applies

Buy once on TrainingPeaks
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

A deep aerobic base built on 380 to 550 TSS a week
Workouts that export straight to Zwift, Garmin or Wahoo
Twelve weeks of progressive overload with a recovery week every fourth week
Short weekday sessions and longer weekend rides, built around a working week
Core and hip strength routines that make the power you build usable

The middle tier of the Zwift Base line, and the one most returning riders want. Twelve weeks of progressive aerobic work at a load that assumes you already know how to follow a plan.

Who this plan is for

Written for the Cat 3/4 racer, riders with three or more seasons of structured training behind them, or anyone competing at the sharp end of their age group.

You need a smart trainer and a Zwift account, and roughly 6.4 hours a week across four to six sessions.

If that load is more than your winter allows, Z.B.1 covers the same twelve weeks at 200–350 TSS. If you are winning races and want more, Z.B.3 runs 580–850.

Weighing this against SS.B.2? sweet spot vs zone 2 for aerobic capacity compares the two methods hour for hour.

How the load builds

The plan opens at roughly 380 TSS a week and finishes at 550, stepping up in blocks with a recovery week every fourth week.

Weekday sessions stay short so they fit around work; the longer rides sit on the weekend. Interval duration and intensity vary throughout, which matters more at this volume — a 6-hour trainer week that feels identical every week is a plan people quit in February.

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

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.
Indoor training and hyperthermiaWhy you overheat on the trainer, what it does to your power, and how to set up an indoor space so heat stops limiting the session.

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 of structured training. 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?

No. A smart trainer supplies the power for every session in this plan. If you ride outdoors without a power meter, each workout also carries a perceived-effort 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?