Interval Progression Made Easy

Interval progression is simply the art of making your hard workouts slightly more challenging each week so your body keeps adapting. Instead of doing the same 3x10-minute intervals every Tuesday, you gradually increase the total time you spend at your target power before you ever think about turning up the intensity.

Think of it like weightlifting. You wouldn't go to the gym and lift the exact same 50lb dumbbell for three years and expect to get stronger. In cycling, we "add weight" by staying at our target power for longer durations or by taking shorter breaks between efforts.

How to Progress Your Intervals

The safest and most effective way to progress is to follow this specific order:

• Increase the duration: Stay at the same power but make the intervals longer.
• Decrease the recovery: Keep the power and duration the same, but cut the rest time between sets.
• Increase the intensity: Only after you’ve mastered the duration should you nudge your power target up by 2-3%.

A Practical Example (The Threshold Build)

Let’s say your FTP is 250W and you want to get better at sustained climbs. Your goal is to eventually hold 250W for 40 minutes total in a session.

• Week 1: 4 x 8 minutes at 250W (32 mins total work) with 4-minute rests.
• Week 2: 3 x 12 minutes at 250W (36 mins total work) with 4-minute rests.
• Week 3: 2 x 20 minutes at 250W (40 mins total work) with 5-minute rests.
• Week 4: Recovery week! Drop the intensity and duration significantly to let the gains soak in.

Why this matters for YOUR training

If you don't progress your intervals, your fitness will plateau. Your body is incredibly lazy; once it gets used to a specific stress (like that 3x10-minute workout), it stops bothering to build new mitochondria or improve your fat oxidation.

By adding just 2-4 minutes of "Time in Zone" each week, you force your body to keep improving without digging a hole of fatigue that you can't get out of.

Watch Your Traffic Lights

As you progress, keep an eye on your TSB (Form). If your progression is too aggressive and your TSB drops into the "Red" (below -40), you’re at risk of burnout.

If you feel smashed, it’s okay to repeat the previous week’s workout instead of moving forward. Consistency beats a "perfect" progression every single time.

Try this: The "Plus Two" Rule

Next time you head out for Sweet Spot or Threshold intervals, look at what you did last week. Simply add two minutes to each interval or add one extra "repeat" to the set.

If you did 3x10 minutes last week, try 3x12 minutes today. It’s a small change, but over two months, those small wins add up to a massive jump in your FTP.

Summary:

1. Pick a target power (like 90% of FTP).
2. Start with a total volume you can finish (e.g., 30 mins).
3. Add 10-15% more volume each week.
4. Take a recovery week every fourth week.
5. Only increase the power target after your recovery week.