![Cycling workout of the week #3: MAP (Maximal Aerobic Power) efforts - Boost your speed on steep climbs [1hr 5 mins]](https://vcpcycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Cycling-workout-of-the-week-3-MAP-Maximal-Aerobic-Power-1140x694.jpg)
We’ll be bringing you a fresh new workout every monday in our new CYCLING WORKOUT OF THE WEEK series – we’ll explain the benefits of sessions and provide an outdoor alternative targeting the same systems.
Do you find yourself getting dropped as soon as your mates decide to blast it up a short climb? You’d have them on a mountain or longer hill – but sadly, that’s terrain you’re blessed with…
If this hits close to home – or if these efforts are already your happy hunting ground and you wish to further improve – then this week’s session is ripe for you.
The purpose of this cycling workout is to stress our maximal aerobic system and improve not only our aerobic capacity but also our ability to produce large amounts of power for intervals of between four to six minutes.
These are especially useful for those looking to be stronger on climbs of this duration, which are very common in the UK. Plus, if you’re interested in racing, this cycling workout also helps with improving pursuit efforts.
To download the session click on the embedded graph above. If you’re not already set up on TrainerDay it’ll ask you to register for an account – it’s free to do so and it’s free to download the session.
After you’ve warmed up, there’s four sets of four minute efforts at 110-120 per cent of your FTP (or Critical Power) with six minutes rest.
Critical Power is an alternative to FTP for setting training zones, find out how to get your numbers and use them in our explainer on Critical Power here.
These four minute efforts are not far off your five minute maximum power which is often referred to as Maximal Aerobic Power (MAP) – so they are going to feel tough. Just make sure you have enough left in the tank so that you can still hit the same numbers on the last interval as the first.
Simply explained
The way this cycling workout works can be treated as quite straightforward: you want to improve your four to six minute efforts – so pop some four minute efforts into your training.
It’s important to note that these efforts are on the shorter end and also aren’t quite at the very limit of your physical capacity. Going too hard and long at the start of the session would impact the later intervals – what you really don’t want to do is exhaust yourself so you end up putting out too little power by the end.
The goal is to stress the aerobic system – and that does require some level of pacing.
Let’s geek out…
The range of power for these efforts…