Try this XC skiing interval inspired by pro cyclist Jonas Abrahamsen

Skisporet podcast sat down with one of Norway's top cyclists, Jonas Abrahamsen, who wore the climber's jersey for an impressive 11 stages of the Tour de France. Known for his endurance and disciplined approach to training, Jonas shares an interval workout skiers can adapt to boost their fitness this winter.

Interval training with Jonas Abrahamsen

To develop VO2Max, Jonas uses high-intensity intervals with brief recovery periods.

Scroll down to read his go-to workout for building stamina and strength.

Do you understand Norwegian? You can listen to the episode of Skisporet podcast on Spotify, Apple podcast or Youtube

Skisporet: Uno-X cyclist Jonas Abrahamsen and skier Mikael Gunnulfsen talk in our podcast.

This is Abrahamsen's interval

• 2-minute intervals with 1-minute rest periods, repeated for 3-4 sets. During each interval, go hard without reaching lactic acid overload. The short rest keeps your heart rate elevated for optimal aerobic development. Jonas progressively increases the intensity in each interval, pushing the pace in a controlled way.
• Endurance combo: Jonas often follows this interval set with a long endurance ride. By tackling intervals first, he keeps his energy fresh, maximizing both the interval quality and his long-distance endurance gains.

Try it with skis

We love the idea of mixing intervals with long-distance sessions. Therefore, we asked Mikael Gunnulfsen, a Team Swix skier, to transfer Jonas' tip from cycling to cross-country skiing:

• Warm up for 30-60 minutes.
• Main set: Perform 4 x 2-minute high-intensity intervals, followed by a 1-minute rest between intervals. Repeat this sequence three times.
• Endurance session after intervals: After the intervals, finish with a relaxed long-distance session of 2-3 hours to build endurance.

Do you think you'll try this interval? Let us know by posting it in our Strava club, Swix.

Good luck.