Dave Scott’s HIIT for cyclists
Elite coach Dave Scott released a new indoor cycling HIIT session — “HIIT for the Holiday’s Minus” — aimed at boosting VO2 max and FTP on smart trainers (coachray.nz). It’s designed for full mental and physical engagement and is being adopted by riders looking for compact, high-impact sessions before the season ramps up (coachray.nz).
Coach Ray published the full smart‑trainer write‑up for "Dave Scott’s HIIT for the Holiday’s Minus" on March 22, 2026 and lists the session as a roughly 60‑minute smart‑trainer workout. (coachray.nz) The session opens with a 10‑minute Level II warm‑up that includes a 20‑second cadence pickup above 106 rpm every two minutes and then moves into an eight‑rep micro‑set combining 15‑second Level II cadences (95–110 rpm), 10‑second Level III–IV efforts (86–95 rpm) and a 35‑second Level I recovery. (coachray.nz) Later blocks feature single three‑minute efforts at Level III–IV (95–110 rpm) followed by two 15‑second Level V bursts with 15 seconds at Level II recovery, plus repeated three‑minute sets ridden at lower cadences (56–64 rpm) that include seated and standing 15‑second Level V efforts. (coachray.nz) The plan finishes with a 10‑minute Level II cooldown and a 10‑minute stretching window, and Coach Ray explicitly warns the workout requires frequent gear changes and focus to hit the cadence/power targets. (coachray.nz) Dave Scott has previously published a related "HIIT for the Holidays" program on his site (including a 45‑minute bike session and a 45‑minute run session cataloged on davescottinc.com), which Coach Ray cites as the source for this "Minus" variant. (davescottinc.com) Dave Scott is the six‑time Hawaii Ironman champion now working as a coach, a credential Coach Ray highlights when attributing the workout to Scott. (ironman.com)
