A stationary bike trainer is a useful tool, but like any tool, it only helps if you use it the right way. Here, James Herrera, MS, founder and owner of elite coaching program Performance Driven, USA national BMX team coach, and the man behind the training plans in Ride Your Way Lean, shares four tips to keep your indoor rides engaging (and beneficial), instead of draining.

1. Keep it Short

The bad news: There’s no way to keep endless hours of riding the trainer from getting boring (unless you’re using something like Zwift). The good news: Those long, slow rides aren’t necessary. “You can get the biggest bang for your buck in 90 minutes to two hours per session if you put in the intensity,” says Herrera. “If you’re going more than two hours, it means that you’re not giving it the effort that’s going to bring a lot of value. You could be using that time more effectively.” How? We’re glad you asked.

2. Be Intense

In other words, add intervals. Think of it this way: You could ride at a steady endurance pace for an hour. (Boring.) Or, you break that hour ride into segments, like this top-end power workout: 10-minute warm-up; a 5-minute tempo pace; eight 30-second, maximum-intensity (read: eye-popping, but repeatable—all eight need to be equally intense) intervals, with a minute of easier pedaling in between; back to the tempo pace; then a few more intervals; then a cool down.

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3. Play the Mental Game

“Take pride in the fact that you’re doing something that other people aren’t,” Herrera says. If you have the room, set up a space dedicated to your trainer. Get some motivational quotes and images up on the walls. Then get in there and work. “I always tell people, ‘if you train slow, you race slow,’” Herrera says. “You’ve got to be willing to push.”

4. Make It a No-Brainer

Yes, you can sketch out your own interval plan and set up a playlist on your iPod to match your workout. Or, you could get a bike video that does it all for you. “It’s really stupid-proof,” says Herrera. “All you have to do is follow along.” There are lots of video programs out there; Herrera currently likes the options from the Sufferfest. “Instead of watching people ride stationary bikes, you’re watching real race footage with pretty good music,” he says.

Two More Trainer Workouts that Work

The Commercial Break: It’s called this because the intervals match a typical ad break. After your warm-up, do sets of 1.5- to 3-minute intervals of the hardest effort you can sustain for that length of time. Then drop back for your 5 minutes of recovery. Repeat 8 to 10 times. These slightly longer intervals build threshold power—good for short climbs and attacking off the front.

Skip the Game: The reverse of the commercial break—you crank up the intensity during the game, and recover during the commercials. The effort level here isn’t eye-popping, more in the 80% to 85% effort range, but you sustain it for five minutes or more at a time. (Warm up for 10 minutes, play Skip the Game for an hour, then cool down for 10 minutes.) Don’t want to use the TV as a distraction? Try for a 10-minute warm-up, then go for four or five 8-minute intervals at that 80% to 85% effort. Cool down for 10 minutes. Done. The longer intervals are good time-trial training, or for sustained climbing efforts.

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