Training plan guide

Sweet spot training plan

The time-efficient way to build FTP and muscular endurance when your hours are limited.

⏱ 8 weeksTime-crunched riders with 4 to 8 hours a week who want to raise FTP and sustainable power.

Preview my sweet spot planFree preview: week 1 unlocked. Full schedule with PRO.

Overview

Sweet spot sits at roughly 88 to 94% of FTP. It is hard enough to be a real training stimulus, but sustainable enough to accumulate a lot of quality minutes with less fatigue than full threshold work. That balance is why it is popular when hours are limited.

This 8-week block adds a bit more time at sweet spot each week. Start around 3x10 to 12 minutes and build toward longer intervals, with a recovery week to absorb the work. Two to three sessions a week, wrapped in easy endurance, is a common structure.

How to use this guide

The phases, sample week and workouts below illustrate an approach to this goal. This guide is not a ready-made plan in the TrainCraft library. Compare it with your current training and use the app to browse available plans or build a custom one.

Product details checked 22 September 2026

Example training structure

Introduce

Weeks 1-3

Build the habit: 3x10 to 12 min at 88-94% FTP, twice a week.

Build

Weeks 4-6

Longer intervals (3x15 up to 2x20) and a third weekly session.

Peak and recover

Weeks 7-8

Peak volume, then back off to absorb the work.

A sample training week

MonRest

TueSweet spot 3x12-15 min (88-94% FTP)

WedEndurance 60-75 min (zone 2)

ThuSweet spot 2x20 min

FriRest or easy spin

SatEndurance 2 h with sweet spot blocks

SunEasy endurance 60-90 min

How many hours a week?

The sample week above is one way to lay out this goal. If you plan around a fixed number of hours, these example weeks show how 6, 8 or 10 hours can be split between a long ride, quality sessions and easy riding, using workouts from the public library.

6 hours a week: example week →8 hours a week: example week →10 hours a week: example week →

Key workouts

Sweet spot progression

Week 1 3x10, week 2 3x12, week 3 3x15, week 4 2x20, then repeat a little harder.

Open the workout: Sweet Spot 3×10 →

Over-unders

3 sets of 3 min at 90% then 1 min at 100% FTP, to bridge sweet spot into threshold.

Endurance with SS blocks

A longer zone-2 ride with 2 to 3 sets of 15 min sweet spot embedded, for extra time at intensity.

Tips to get it right

Two to three sweet spot sessions a week leave room for recovery. Each extra session adds fatigue as well as training time.
Keep easy days genuinely easy. The intensity only works if you recover between sessions.
Progress by adding minutes, not by riding each interval harder.

Frequently asked questions

How much sweet spot training should I do per week?

Two to three sessions a week is a common range, with beginners starting at one or two. Fill the rest of the week with easy endurance so you can recover between sessions.

How much can sweet spot training raise my FTP?

It depends on your training history and consistency. Newer or detrained riders often have more room to improve than well-trained riders. Retest FTP with the same protocol after the block to measure the change.

Sweet spot or threshold training?

Sweet spot gives more quality minutes with less fatigue, which suits limited hours. Threshold is more specific but more tiring. This guide builds sweet spot first, then adds threshold. See the FTP plan.

Can I do sweet spot workouts indoors on a smart trainer?

Yes. Smart trainers suit sweet spot workouts because you can hold 88 to 94% of your FTP for 15 to 20 minutes continuously without terrain interruptions.