Sprint Day

Flat-road speed — short, honest sprints with real recovery

Indoor cycling
Mixed ability
45 min
Works for 8–25
Effort 4/5
Cycle studio
cycling
sprints
intervals
pacing

The ClassPlans programming teamLevel 3 group-fitness qualified · 10+ yrs teaching

Kit: Bikes, towels, water. No extra kit.

Warm-up7 min

Roll Out Flat

7 min easy + 2 rehearsal sprints at 50%RPE 3

Setup: Members on bikes, light resistance, flat road. Lights half up while you check saddle heights and toe cages on your walk round.

How it works: Easy spin while you frame the ride: today has no hills — the road stays flat and the game is leg speed, in short sprints with generous recoveries. Teach the sprint shape now, at talking pace: fifteen seconds building the legs, ten seconds as fast as they hold form, then sit tall and breathe. Rehearse it twice at half effort so the pattern is in the body before the effort arrives.

What to say

“Flat road today — we're not climbing anything, we're getting quick.”
“A sprint ends the moment your form does — smooth legs, quiet shoulders.”
“Rehearsal pace now: learn the shape, save the speed.”

Easier

Skip the rehearsals; roll easy for the full seven minutes.

Harder

Third rehearsal at three-quarter effort.

Workout8 min

Set 1 — Learn the Speed

4 × [15s build + 10s sprint / 75s easy]RPE 7 in the sprint, RPE 2 between

Setup: Flat road with just enough resistance that fast legs still feel the pedals — a sprint on an empty road goes nowhere.

How it works: Four sprints of the shape you rehearsed: fifteen seconds building, ten seconds fast, then a minute and a bit of easy spinning before the next. All seated this set. Cue each sprint the same way — road check, build, go, done — so the class learns your rhythm. Between efforts, coach the recovery as hard as the work: long breath out, hands soft, legs lazy.

What to say

“Add a touch of road first — speed with nothing under it is just bouncing.”
“Fast means your fastest with still hips — if you're rocking, ease back five percent.”
“This minute of easy is the workout too — waste none of it.”

Easier

Sprint portions at 8 seconds; take the full recovery and skip the fourth sprint.

Harder

Final sprint stretches to 15 seconds fast.

Workout2 min

Breather One

RPE 2

Setup: Resistance down to featherlight, flat road.

How it works: Full recovery spin. Water, shoulders rolled once, a quiet room. Preview Set 2 in one line: same sprints, but now they start from a rolling pace instead of an easy one.

What to say

“Heart rate down, chin up — you've done a third of the speed work already.”

The rest of this class plan is free — along with 3 more this week.

House plan.

Free on ClassPlans — new class plans weekly.