Z2 Endurance 60 min

Z2 Endurance 60 min — Free Zwift Workout
(.zwo Download)

Sixty minutes steady at 65-75% FTP. The foundation of aerobic fitness — high-mitochondria-yield work that makes every harder session possible.

Built by Jim Camut. JB Cycling Academy 2004–09 · PCS-verified · Cyclingnews diarist alumnus.

Where are you in your riding?

Trains consistently — doesn't race

What do you want from this workout?

60–75% FTP — steady mitochondrial work

How long do you have?

1hDrag to set

Your FTP (watts)I don’t know

Live preview

Pick your settings

Updating

Free .zwo file. Drop it in your Zwift workouts folder — it shows up under Custom Workouts the next time you launch the app.

Or build your own custom workout →

The science

Z2 Endurance 60 min: prescription + science

Sixty minutes steady at 65–75% FTP. It feels easy — and that's the point. Here's why low-intensity volume is the foundation every hard session is built on.

What easy riding builds

Steady aerobic riding drives mitochondrial density, capillarization, and the enzymes that let you burn fat and spare glycogen ^[1]. Endurance training measurably increases fat oxidation during exercise, widening the aerobic base you draw on every harder day ^[2].

Why volume, not intensity

Elite endurance athletes spend roughly 75–80% of their training at low intensity ^[3]. When training distributions are tested head-to-head, a polarized approach — lots of easy, a little very hard — outperforms living in the moderate middle ^[4]. Z2 volume is the lever most amateurs under-use.

How to ride it

Keep it genuinely easy — 65–75% FTP, conversational. The discipline is resisting the drift upward; riding Z2 too hard turns base-building volume into junk fatigue that compromises your real hard days.

References

Peer-reviewed sources

01
Holloszy & Coyle 1984. Adaptations of skeletal muscle to endurance exercise and their metabolic consequences. Journal of Applied Physiology, 1984.
02
Martin 1997. Effect of endurance training on fatty acid metabolism during whole body exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 1997.
03
Seiler & Kjerland 2006. Quantifying training intensity distribution in elite endurance athletes: is there evidence for an “optimal” distribution?. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2006.
04
Stöggl & Sperlich 2014. Polarized training has greater impact on key endurance variables than threshold, high intensity, or high volume training. Frontiers in Physiology, 2014.

FAQ

Z2 Endurance 60 min: common questions

What percent FTP is Zone 2?

Roughly 65–75% of FTP — steady, conversational, no surges. The .zwo holds you in that band for the full session.

How long should a Z2 ride be?

Longer is better for base, but a focused 60 minutes is a real stimulus that fits a weeknight. Build duration over the weeks.

Is 60 minutes of Z2 enough?

For a weeknight aerobic session, yes — it's quality time in the zone and builds the most fitness per unit of fatigue. Stack several across the week for the base effect.

Why is Zone 2 so important?

It builds the aerobic engine — mitochondria, capillaries, fat-burning — that every threshold and VO2 session draws on. Skip it and the hard work has a smaller base to stand on.

Z2 Endurance 60 min — Free Zwift Workout(.zwo Download)