Zwift has just announced the Fitness Jumpstart with Coach Kristin series, a “fun and engaging 8-week workout series created by Kristin Armstrong that will help get you started on the path to long-term fitness by teaching you how to stay fit with healthy training habits.”
Read below to learn all about the schedule and workouts of this unique series open to all riders!
Who is Kristin Armstrong?
Kristin Armstrong is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, mother, entrepreneur, and cycling coach for athletes of all abilities, from world-class level to every day cyclists. Learn more about Kristin at kristinarmstrongusa.com >
Series Schedule
The series begins on January 1, 2024, and ends on February 25.
Group workouts will be scheduled throughout the series – two new workouts each week for eight weeks.
How to Participate
There are three ways to take part in this series:
- Sign up for the group workout events – see upcoming events at zwift.com/events/tag/fitnessjumpstart
- Do the workouts on your own by selecting them from the “Fitness Jumpstart Workout” collection in your workouts folder
- After January 2, Club owners will be able to create private Club events using these workouts – learn how to create Club events >
Note: The Zwift Women’s Training Club will also be hosting the workouts in women-only events in the public calendar on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can join the club here.
Workout Details
Week 1: How to Set Goals
Workout 1: Let’s Get Moving
This is your first stop in the Fitness Jumpstart series. We’re going to get those legs moving and hearts pumping, while also clueing you in on some smart goal-setting tips. Today’s plan? Three sets of six-minute intervals, gradually upping the power every 30 seconds in Zones 3 and 4. It’s all about fun and building endurance!
Official events held on Castle to Castle route
Workout 2: Get in the Zone
This workout is all about exploring different training zones, giving you a feel-good workout while fine-tuning your fitness. Think of this session as a ramp-up, just like our warm-ups. Perfect for checking in with how you feel as you spend time in each zone. Let’s get to it!
Official events held on Ocean Lava Cliffside Loop route
Week 2: How to Fuel & Hydrate
Workout 1: Rainbow Pyramid
The “Rainbow Pyramid” is all about mixing endurance with bursts of power. We’re going to challenge your legs with short, intense efforts, followed by a progressive climb. Get ready to see all the colors of your effort as we build your stamina!
Official events held on Sand and Sequoias route
Workout 2: 30-20-10-GO!
The “30-20-10 Ride” is a fantastic fat-burner and endurance enhancer, all wrapped up in a short, sweet package. We’re talking controlled 30-second efforts, spicier 20-second pulls, and all-out 10-second sprints. Repeat 5 times with 2-minute recovery breaks. Time to feel the burn!
Official events held on Two Village Loop route
Week 3: How To Get In the Right Mindset
Workout 1: Climb Time
Today, we’re simulating an epic outdoor climb, right here indoors. We’ll progressively work through all the training zones, stepping up the challenge as if the climb’s getting steeper. Get ready for an aerobic fitness boost, Zwift style!
Official events held on The Muckle Yin route
Workout 2: Tabata Time
This workout is a metabolism-boosting, calorie-crushing session. We’ll alternate between high-intensity 20-second bursts and 10-second rests, 8 times across 4 sets. It’s not just about burning calories; it’s about supercharging your heart and muscles. Let’s Tabata!
Official events held on Neokyo All-Nighter route
Week 4: Knowledge is Power
Workout 1: Hustle & Flow
Today’s ride is a mental and physical test, aiming to stretch the duration of each segment. We’re building aerobic fitness and efficiency, starting with 30-second hustles and flowing into longer builds. Three sets, each longer than the last – let’s hustle!
Official events held on Rolling Highlands route
Workout 2: Build & Release
Today’s challenge? We’re building intensity every two minutes, like tackling a steepening climb. Then, we hit five 20-second powerful efforts, earning double the rest–for 40-seconds. It’s a ride that demands focus and loads of energy!
Official events held on Island Hopper route
Week 5: Embrace the Challenge
Workout 1: Staying Alive
Today, we’re pushing beyond our threshold for longer durations. This kind of effort is key to lifting our Functional Threshold Power to new heights. Prepare yourself for a challenge!
Official events held on Sugar Cookie route
Workout 2: HIIT it Don’t Quit it!
On today’s agenda are microbursts – short, sharp shocks that are fantastic for improving speed and power adaptability. Expect an entertaining yet challenging ride, with noticeable improvements each time. Let’s HIIT it!
Official events held on Neon Flats route
Week 6: Recovery is Key
Workout 1: What Goes Up Must Come Down
Today, we focus on building our fitness foundation with high-intensity short intervals. You’ll certainly earn each recovery. It’s a great balance of pushing hard and resting well. Ready to challenge yourself?
Official events held on Chain Chomper route
Workout 2: Power Bookends
This session mixes endurance with bursts that take you from Sweet Spot to Threshold power. It’s not just a workout; it’s a fitness builder designed to keep you on your toes!
Official events held on Kappa Quest Reverse route
Week 7: The Power of Community
Workout 1: Give & Take
Today, it’s all about giving your best using cadence to hit the zones. It’s a workout that challenges both your heart and muscles, focusing on cadence over resistance. Get ready to give it your all!
Official events held on Watopia’s Waistband route
Workout 2: Through Highs and Lows
Today’s all about high-intensity microbursts – short but powerful efforts that are super effective and fun. These bursts are great for keeping your speed and power output sharp. Let’s see some progress and enjoy the ride!
Official events held on Suki’s Playground route
Week 8: Welcome to the Start Line
Workout 1: Mix it up
We will jump through different intensities with short intervals, offering an efficient and fun-filled session. We’ll touch every zone and finish with smiles all around. Let’s mix things up!
Official events held on Legends and Lava route
Workout 2: Power Party
This workout is a lively blend of steady, longer efforts and quick, explosive bursts. It’s about enjoying the ride while pushing the pace. Prepare for a dynamic, fun-filled session!
Official events held on Flatland Loop route
Power Up Kit Unlock
Complete any of the official group events to unlock the Zwift Power Up kit:
(Note: this is an existing kit in game which you may have unlocked from past Power Up events.)
Questions or Comments?
Post below!
8-week workout series: my doubt, and i think many other zwifters is to understand how to schedule workouts in right way along the 7 days week. according this plan, there are 2 workouts per week, so what days are the most indicated to do it? what may we do in 5 other days?
(there are plenty of workouts and plans around there, but none explain what should be recomendable to do in each day along the week)
Yeah – Zwift needs some sort of AI coaching to make stuff like this work well, especially for newer riders.
The way I look at it is: keep your hard rides hard, and your easy rides easy. And that typically means alternating days between hard rides and easy ones.
So if these workouts are a challenge for you (I think they will be), consider them your hard day. Take a recovery day the next day. Then you can do the second workout any time after that that works for your schedule.
With Zwift’s training plans, workouts are typically listed out in an order that you can do them (with harder workouts mixed in with easier ones for recovery). But yeah, Zwift doesn’t tell you exactly what to do on each calendar day.
Based on the way those workouts look I’d suggest to do at least one additional zone 2 workout for every one of those. Potentially more if you want to ride more often. Certainly don’t do the workouts from the plan on back to back days.
Depending on your fitness level and experience you can do the additional zone 2 work at the bottom or top of your zone 2 range.
Yeah this has some interesting workouts but would be terrible for someone who hasn’t already trained a lot.
This series looks awesome and fun! This will coincide nicely with the birth of our 4th child. It will help me get on the bike at least twice a week during what will be a fun, exciting, but challenging time to get workouts in.
Love your optimism! But I guess, with 3 kids already you know what to expect, so it must be well placed optimism.
Aweful workouts. Let’s just hope that zwift forced Kristin to make these as ‘entertaining’ as possible cause from a training perspective these make no sense at all. Basically touching all colours in each workout plus way too much time in the red.
Looks like those workouts are in the 40-45min total range. Pretty easy to add a couple of miles/rides to get to a standard 80/20 mix if that’s what you want to do.
I agree that roughly half the workouts mix too many elements but that’s something Zwift has always done to keep engagement up. The other half look pretty standard to me other than the lack of Z2 that you can easily add.
Looking forward to this, looks like some great workouts!!!
I cannot find anywhere the jumpstart workouts to be done whenever i desire. I cant find it on my login dashboard folder of workouts.
Maybe check again? I assume they became visible at a certain time today. I’m seeing them on my end at least… I added screenshots above.
thank you so much for replying. ive now got the workouts in the workout folder on my opening page,. I really appreciate your response
please let me know how I can access the workouts at any time. I can see the image in the promotion shows a ‘workout’ labelled “01. Lets Get Moving” and then “02. Get in the zone” but I have looked and looked and cannot find these workouts. I can find the events but not the workouts.
Signing up for an event is way too complicated! Finally got it figured out but it needs to be easier for people to get signed up for these events!
Is this workout series with Kristen only for E classification ? I’m looking for D
There are no categories for workouts, since the wattage numbers are customized to each rider automatically based on your FTP.
I think this question highlights one of the obvious flaws in these workout plans – they assume that people have a basic understanding of FTP and will have an update and accurate value set or the workouts aren’t going to work. Maybe day 1 should be some sort of reduced FTP test to get people into the right ball park
Do you know if the group sessions are rubber banded? If they are I’ll stay clear and do on my own…
Yes, all group workouts are banded.
Thanks Eric! I know to stay clear now. Nearly finished Build Me Up BTW, in week11, been using your diary as a helpful guide as I’ve progressed!
Almost done. Allez allez!
Can I do it without erg. Doesn’t seem to indicate rpm so I know what gear to use.
Sure, you can turn ERG off.
I don’t have erg. My question was how I know what gear to use. The rpm is not given. Should I do the whole program at 65 rpm for example or 100 rpm. Is it random? Thanks
Just do it in whatever gear gives you a comfortable cadence, unless the workout instructs you to ride a certain cadence.
Targetting a cadence of 85-95 with “normal” riding is a good idea.
Thank you
I’ve never done live events before, and despite being a 6yr level 49 zwifter found the process of joining very frustrating. I managed to do one event, then couldn’t find any more. I must have added one to a calendar too because I got yanked out of one ride and stuck into another. Abysmal.
I got started to this series late and between other competing demands am not able to get through all 16 workouts by the end of the series on 2/25/24. The question I have is will we still have access to the workouts? Or will they be removed from the training folders?
Zwift told me the workouts will remain available.
Thank you
I have completed all but #16 doing it tomorruw, as I look at all the previous workouts I see all but three of my completed workouts have acheck mark and date of completion. They are completed in my Zwift files how would I rectify this. Two of them I did as a group. Would that matter. Thanks
I cannot find them in the training folders anywhere? Am I being stupid?
I see it as the first card in “Collections”.
Thank you. I was looking under workouts on the zwift companion app. Once I went on zwift properly I could see it.
I was doing them after the events as workouts but I went to ride today and looks like they have gone. I was enjoying them.