Air Bike Race Conditioning - Engine Base

Engine Base

Weeks 1-3.

What happens in Phase 1

Phase 1 sets the language of pacing. You open with the 10-minute test so every session that follows is built on a real number, then spend three weeks building VO2 capacity and extending your threshold. The test gives you a number, but the real win is learning what threshold feels like on the bike. Hard means controlled. If you cannot repeat the second interval, you started the first too hot.

Your weekly structure

Five sessions a week: a baseline or VO2 day, an aerobic support day with compromised movement, a threshold day, a mobility day, and a race-pace skill day. Sessions run 30 to 60 minutes; mobility stays around 25 to 30.

Week by week

• Week 1: Set your 10-minute air bike baseline and learn the pacing language for the block. This is the number you will chase in Week 8.
• Week 2: Build VO2 capacity with longer hard efforts while keeping your MISS work controlled.
• Week 3: Extend your threshold intervals and make your race-pace output repeatable under fatigue.

Intensity and RPE

Most of this phase sits at base to threshold, RPE 5-6 building to 7-8. Scale by lowering your target RPM rather than cutting the effort short, and protect your posture before chasing watts.

Tips for Phase 1

• Treat the baseline as a reference, not a ceiling. You want a number you can regularly repeat.
• Hard means controlled. If you cannot repeat the second interval, your first one was too hot.
• Learn what threshold feels like now; it makes every later session easier to pace.

What comes next

Phase 2 puts this base under pressure. Read about Phase 2: Threshold Density and Repeatability, or return to the program guide.