As we roll into October and temperatures drop in the Northern Hemisphere, the indoor training season is officially here. For many cyclists, this is the time to shift focus from long sunny miles to efficient, focused sessions that build serious fitness — all from the comfort of your pain cave.
The good news? Indoor cycling has never been more effective or motivating, especially now that Zwift and TrainXhale are fully integrated.
By: Mark Livesey, Xhale Co-Founder, Cycling Coach, Triathlon Coach, The Brick Session Podcast
Why Train Indoors?
Sure, we would all love to be cycling in the sun on perfect roads all the time. Of course, that is not possible for most people. But indoor training offers unmatched time efficiency. No junctions, no weather checks, no mechanicals — just pure, uninterrupted riding. You can hit key training zones precisely, monitor every watt, and build a consistent routine regardless of daylight or weather.
And thanks to platforms like Zwift, the indoor experience doesn’t have to be a lonely grind. You can ride with friends, chase jerseys, or take on structured workouts — all while staying fully engaged.
Train Smarter with Zwift + TrainXhale
TrainXhale’s integration with Zwift brings structure and insight to your indoor training. Use the Xhale Workout Builder to create custom sessions tailored to your goals — whether it’s building threshold power, increasing VO₂ max, or preparing for next season’s races. Once created, your workouts sync automatically to Zwift, ready to ride.
After your session, the data flows straight back into Xhale, where you or your coach can analyse performance, track progress, and adjust your training plan as needed.
Build Your Power and VO₂ Max This Winter
This is the ideal time to develop your engine. Two key areas of development for any cyclist are Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and VO₂ max — and indoor workouts are perfectly suited for this kind of targeted training.
Here are two example workouts you can build in Xhale and ride on Zwift:
FTP Development
Session Time: 60 minutes
Target: Increase sustainable power/FTP
Warm-up:
- 10 mins easy
- 3x 1 min @ 100% FTP with 1 min recovery
Main Set:
- 3x 10 min @ 90–95% FTP (Sweet Spot)
- 5 min recovery between efforts
Cool-down:
- 10 mins easy spinning
This session improves your muscular endurance and raises your ability to hold power over longer durations — key for FTP gains.
VO₂ Booster – High-Intensity Intervals
Session Time: 45–60 minutes
Target: Increase aerobic capacity and VO₂ max
Warm-up:
- 10 mins easy
- 5x 30 sec @ 120% FTP / 30 sec easy
Main Set:
- 5x 3 min @ 110–120% FTP
- 3 min recovery between efforts
Cool-down:
- 10 mins easy spinning
This session pushes your aerobic ceiling and trains your body to recover faster at high intensities — perfect for punchy efforts and race preparation.
Motivation Through Virtual Community
One of Zwift’s greatest strengths is how it turns training into a social experience. Whether you join a group workout, a virtual race, or a casual group ride, there’s a strong sense of community — even when you’re riding solo in your garage.
With structured workouts synced directly from Xhale, you can follow your personal plan while still riding “with” others on screen. That’s a win-win.
With structured workouts synced directly from TrainXhale, you can follow your personal plan while still riding “with” others on screen. That’s a win-win.
Get started today
The integration of Zwift and TrainXhale means you can now:
✅ Build and structure your own workouts
✅ Sync them automatically to Zwift
✅ Ride indoors with purpose and community
✅ Track every metric to stay on target
✅ Save time while building serious fitness
As winter sets in, now is the time to embrace indoor training. Use the tools at your fingertips to ride smarter, train with focus, and hit spring in the best shape of your life.
About the author
Mark Livesey is one of the founders of Xhale. Mark has been in the sport of triathlon for over 30 years, and has been coaching for much of that.
When he is not coaching Mark is a documentary maker, filming and editing his own productions many of which are now on Amazon Prime. He loves to film extreme sports events almost as much as he likes to take part in them. Mark also hosts triathlon and endurance adventure podcast The Brick Session and is always on the lookout for new stories and honest discussions about all things sport.
You can get in touch with Mark if you are interested in being coached, want him to come and film you doing something extreme, or have an idea for the podcast.
mark@trainxhale.com
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