Stop Chasing Average Power: Focus on What Your Cycling Workout Is Actually Trying to Achieve
Athlete Profiles, August 21, 2026
Average power doesn’t tell the whole story of an indoor cycling workout. Chasing higher average watts can lead to riding recovery periods too hard and compromising your key intervals. Instead, focus on executing each part of the session at the prescribed intensity. Better training comes from achieving the workout’s purpose—not producing an impressive average power number.
It's tempting to finish an indoor cycling workout, look at your average power, and use that number to decide whether you had a good session.
Higher average watts must mean a better workout, right?
Not necessarily.
Average power doesn't tell you whether you executed the workout correctly.
In fact, chasing a higher average can encourage you to ride too hard during recovery periods and compromise the intervals that actually matter.
https://youtube.com/shorts/Ev1AgE2KPgU
Focus on the Purpose of the Workout
Imagine you're completing a VO₂ Max session with several hard Level V intervals separated by Level I recovery.
The hard intervals provide the primary training stimulus. The recovery periods allow you to recover sufficiently to produce another quality effort.
If you increase your recovery power simply because you don't want your average watts to fall, you may arrive at the next interval carrying unnecessary fatigue.
You might finish with a higher average power—but you've potentially completed a worse workout.
The same principle applies to your warm-up and cool-down. If they're supposed to be easy, keep them easy.
Judge the Intervals That Matter
Rather than asking:
"What was my average power?"
Ask:
Did I hit the prescribed power during my key intervals?
Could I maintain the required intensity throughout each repetition?
Was my final interval as strong as my first?
Did I recover properly between efforts?
Did I maintain good technique and cadence?
Those questions tell you much more about the quality of a structured cycling workout.
Average Power Still Has Its Place
Average power isn't a bad metric.
For a steady endurance ride, sustained climb, time trial, or longer continuous interval, it can be extremely useful.
The problem occurs when you start chasing average power regardless of the purpose of the workout.
A highly variable VO₂ Max session and a steady endurance ride can even produce similar average power while creating very different training demands.
Context matters.
Follow the Workout, Not the Number
Structured training is about applying the right stimulus at the right time.
If it's a VO₂ Max session, nail your Level V intervals.
If it's Threshold, focus on your Level IV efforts.
If it's an endurance session, stay controlled at Level II.
And when you're supposed to recover, recover.
You don't get bonus fitness because your average power looks impressive afterwards.
Stop chasing average power. Start chasing better execution.
📖 Want to learn more?
Read the full article on CoachRay.nz:
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