This article discusses the merits of doing two workouts in one day and how they can turbocharge your training to new levels.
What are double workouts?
Double workouts are when you do a workout in the morning then another one in the afternoon. Usually one is an interval session the other a recovery session. Alternatives are doing a sprint effort in the morning then an endurance ride in the afternoon.
Never underestimate the power of double efforts. I have seen very good improvements in my athletes when we have just added just two recovery efforts to their schedule one on each day of their high intensity intervals days (usually Tuesday and Thursdays).
Double effort doesn’t mean going twice as long in one effort or twice as hard. There is usually a sizable break between efforts. These are ideal for the busy profession if they are able to combine a commute to work or home with a hard effort in the morning. Or even a triple. A hard effort in the morning followed by a commute to and from work.
The double workout – Examples
Examples are shown below. You can select either workout of either column to combine together to make your double efforts for the day.
| Workout one | Workout two |
|---|---|
| Sprint effort | Recovery effort |
| Hill climb effort | Recovery effort |
| Indoor training session | Commute home |
| Interval effort | Recovery effort |
| Commute to work | Sprint efforts |
I like to place double workouts in on Tuesdays and Thursday. Usually with a hard interval session in the morning followed by a light spin in the afternoon. If you are an evening person you might find doing these in reverse with the interval session in the evening better and more manageable. I don’t usually prescribe two hard interval sessions as a double.
Weekends are another great way to get in doubles. You can do your endurance base training in the mornings then a light recovery spin up for 45 mins on the home trainer in the evening.
In your recovery session, you can focus on cadence and pedalling technique.
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