I've been doing 2x20 pretty regularly the last few weeks. Last week I did 4 sessions of 2x20 at between 95-100% FTP, and struggled for my rides near the end. I decided to take this week a little easier and reassess. I've seen some pretty great results, but I had been quite a bit behind and only now am feeling myself. I'd like to be faster than I was.


How often do you do your 2x20's? How long did it take you to see great tangible results?


I've been riding/racing for the last 6 years, but I've always had something in my life come up and interrupt my training - and never really got much better over the years. There is nothing on the horizon for me, so I'm focusing on training for now.

I do 2x20s often, but I'm doing them as a stepping stone workout, not as the destination. I want to be able to do 2 x 30, 3 x 20, 1 x 60-90.

When 2 x 20s are easy, I do one of 3 things:

1. Bump up the power
2. Make the rest intervals shorter (30 seconds)
3. Add another interval or make the interval 50% longer.

30 seconds is awful short for 20 min intervals

Jumping in here with an "observational" answer. Having been racing and coaching for a long, long time it has been interesting to watch training methods over time and how they are shaped by "culture". It is my observation that when power training was introduced, it brought a lot of focus on time and intensity relationship management in training (as expected) and as we began to understand some functional numbers like FTP we did what all cultures do, attempt to create easier routes to success or shortcuts. In training this shortcut, to me, is why people struggle more then ever to related their FTP to 1 hour. Here is why, the introduction of the thinking that 95% of 20 minute power is statistically accurate but has shaped the culture of training FTP as it built a shortcut in the work that is being done as we focused on 20 minutes. Think about it, so few people seem to ever do SST or FTP intervals over 20 minutes now and the 2 x 20 minute workout seems to be the new standard. So people do a lot of 2 x 20 work all winter long then seem amazed their curve begins to drop at around 20 & 40 minutes. Andy Coggan and Kevin Williams give great answers in the physiology, my point is that we also need to think about training FTP again (after working with the PD model and tons of observation last 2 years) as we are creating the "40 minute FTP" event. For ANY athlete I work with, building FTP means quickly working up to 60 minutes of time in zone (SST or FTP) to build the length of time they can hold "FTP" (fatigue resistance) and this pays off. I would bet you $20 that everyone that has a good 20 minute effort but thinks their FTP is too low would... A) not beat the model estimate for 1 hour by more than 2-3% in a 1 hour full out effort. B) significantly benefit from increased time in zone as threshold focused levels (SST& FTP). Don't get me wrong, doing 20 minute intervals is fine but you need progress the total time past 40 minutes quickly; 2 x 20 leads to 3 x 15 leads to 3 x 20 and more. Once you get to an hour, start reducing rest (or build to1:20) and progressing. Try 2 x 30 then try, dare i say it, 1 x 60. Our bodies are amazing adaptation machines and they quickly adapt to the stimuli we introduce; for better or worse. Just my observation not saying anything negative to anyones points.

Not really. You should be able to hold steady state (88-92) for 40 minutes without much difficulty, doing them closer to FTP is not necessarily easy but it's not exceedingly difficult, inserting a 30" rest in there is nothing more than a mental break.

There is nothing special about 2x20.

N O T H I N G

I'd also argue that a semi regular to regular diet of them is a good time waster if going faster is your goal.

I'd also argue that a semi regular to regular diet of them is a good time waster if going faster is your goal.

I think the fact I was struggling was more to the fact I did 3 sessions the week before and 4 that week at 95-100%.

IDK, I talk with/have gotten many athletes over the years who have been doing them in that 88-94% range then wondering why they aren't getting faster as the season progresses.

imo there are ways to get faster faster.

I think the fact I was struggling was more to the fact I did 3 sessions the week before and 4 that week at 95-100%.

I think I could reasonably do 2 a week with the odd 3 week session

I agree with being able to do 90% FTP for 40 minutes. However, I would call that a tempo ride, not a 2x20.

To me a 2x20 is at 100-105% FTP. So I may be a wousy, but 2x20 at 105% FTP with a 10 min rest in between is a real biatch of a workout.

To me a 2x20 is at 100-105% FTP. So I may be a wousy, but 2x20 at 105% FTP with a 10 min rest in between is a real biatch of a workout.

If you can regularly do 2x20 at 105%, then I would bet that:
a) your FTP is underestimated,
b) you have extraordinary anaerobic capacity, or
c) you have extraordinary fatigue resistance.

My money is on a).

Well I must be doing something right because last week I did a 2x20 at 97%.

I said 105% was a bitch, not that I've actually done one ;-o

No one does 2x20 at 105%, why muddy this discussion by even mentioning it? For most people that's basically two 20 min FTP tests (not tests @ FTP, but the tests to estimate your FTP, so your all out 20 min power).

Massive, massive difference between 97% and 105%. One you can hold for maybe 20 minutes, the other probably 3-4 times that long.