Build Your Aerobic Base with Jake Dearden

Session Details

Format: 2 x 20-minute aerobic base workout
Intensity: RPE 6–7 (moderate pace)
Goal: Develop endurance, improve aerobic capacity, and strengthen base fitness

This aerobic base training session, led by Jake Dearden, focuses on building sustainable cardiovascular endurance. It’s designed to enhance your aerobic foundation, improving stamina, pacing, and long-duration work efficiency.

Workout Breakdown

Perform two 20-minute steady efforts at a moderate pace (RPE 6–7).
This should feel controlled and rhythmic—challenging enough to elevate heart rate but comfortable enough to maintain consistent breathing and output throughout.

• Set 1: 20 minutes at RPE 6–7

• Recovery: 5 minutes at RPE 4–5 (easy effort)

• Set 2: 20 minutes at RPE 6–7

The goal is consistency, not all-out intensity. Focus on maintaining a strong aerobic rhythm and pacing.

Scaling and Modifications

If you’re newer to aerobic endurance training, reduce each work block to 15 minutes and maintain RPE 6. More advanced athletes can extend total duration or slightly increase effort to RPE 7–8.

Cyclists, runners, and rowers can all adapt this structure to their preferred modality—bike, treadmill, or erg—while keeping the same intensity targets.

Results and Benefits

This aerobic base workout builds your endurance engine—the foundation of all fitness. By working at a moderate, sustainable pace, you’ll develop the ability to:

• Maintain higher workloads for longer durations

• Improve recovery between high-intensity efforts

• Strengthen heart and lung efficiency

• Increase overall aerobic capacity

Repeat sessions like this regularly to reinforce your base fitness and set the stage for stronger performance in every other phase of training.