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oops sorry...@ lunge...cheers.
Sounds quite reasonable. Depends on what you are trying to achieve though.
My main aim is to go into next spring without losing too much conditioning, and gaining too much weight. I'm realistic enough not to expect gains over winter.
But is it worth sprinkling the occasional shorter, meaner workout into my hour-long grinds?
Did that 20 minute one this morning. Good session that. Felt pretty rough whilst doing it, been a while since I've done those efforts, used to do 6 minutes of 15/15seconds which I reckon may be tougher!
Legs felt more tired than Sunday, considering its 5 minutes of effort that's a good thing I guess!
Martinhutch, unless you are very time constrained.... no.
Mix it up with some more intense intervals, but if you have the time use it, even if just spinning at z2. Maybe stretch out the 7 minute effort to 15 or 20 mins, then z2 a bit, then do a set of shorter, more intense intervals (30 sec, a minute, whatever you fancy really) then spin out whatever time you have left at z2.
Robert Forstemann making toast
But it's not those really, I'll accept a degree of 2, as I said.It appears to stress my CV system far more than my muscles. I feel wobbly and rather sick whilst doing it. But within seconds (literally) feel fine, there's no lasting "ooo, that was a tough session" feeling. The obvious explanation for that is that at the mo I'm just really unfit!
But how much of 2? That is the question.
Without a power meter, it's hard to quantify. But if you are putting out (outdoor) threshold power but are at max HR, then you're not going to feel the legs after a 3x5 session.
A lot of programmes seem to try to emulate real world riding eg a base session with repeated or occasional bursts to simulate hills etc. In facts it seems to be a major selling point of a lot of online content.
I'm very sceptical of this. There are various aspects of your physiology you're trying to improve by training. The best training response is going to be the best stress of that system
So personally I think it's better to do a Z2 session as a stand alone as you want to stimulate fat burning, type 1 muscle fibre growth and lactic acid clearance etc. If you add in Z3 intervals or higher throughout you will get fitter quicker but get less well developed fat burning, type 1 muscle growth and lactic acid clearance (which type 1s are best at). You could end up with a situation where the intervals don't add up to much but take you away from the pathway you should be targeting.
adsh, I'd agree with that. Though I guess you have to look at the individual, how much time they have available, and what they want to achieve. If you're short on time (or can't stomach 2 or 3 hours on the turbo) then a steady z2 ride likely is not that effective.
It's different types of useage really. Long rides I do on the road, the idea of 2 or 3 hours on a turbo is a horrible thought. However, what it is useful for is "I've got 30 mins, I'm going to hurt myself"
Takes me about 30 mins to get suitably warmed up! 🙂
I tell myself that developing the mental toughness and coping mechanisms to sit on the turbo for 2hours is good for racing.
But how much of 2? That is the question
In a 5 degree garage, wearing shorts and short sleeves, with a huge fan...? Not much I'll wager.
n a 5 degree garage, wearing shorts and short sleeves, with a huge fan
Simultaneously in a puddle of sweat and freezing cold.
I'm into Zwift at the moment and the difficulty is giving getting rest, it's quite addictive like a video game but a two hour workout plus a couple of laps for fun doesn't leave much in the tank, you want to go back but the legs are done!
Yeah I'm gonna give Zwift a go. All this talking about training, and doing a couple of turbo sessions has me motivated - I've ordered a new power meter to make me stick at it, quantifiable gains has gotta be a good thing!
Take a look at the trainer list for Zwift, you can use a classic trainer from one from the big manufacturers and they'll use algrithms to work out the power and build that into your speed on the course.
Add a power meter and use that to measure the the watts, their calculations are good in my experince but if you use your own meter it'll be consistant with road rides.
Lastly you can use a smart trainer and get the full experience with resistance increasing on the hills etc but these are £250-£1200. You'll also need a few ANT+ bits and bobs.
Once set up you can do free rides around the courses, hitting segments and getting into races, group rides or structured workouts and ftp testing.
It is going a bit bonkers with populatity at the mo and you get the feeling their struggling to keep up with development but overall not a bad way to spend Jan and Feb.
The sufferfest ' half is easy ' week get you i am sure.
I concur, this thing is brutal. And the athletics at the end is amazing, too.
As for Zwift, I've got into it a bit. It's as 'fun' as I think a turbo session could ever be and is still improving with more to come.
Just got back from our clubs turbo session, 20 people in a small village hall gets very hot and sweaty but it's much easier to do an hour than on your own.
A local personal trainer runs it with each week structured to work of different things but there is a lot of focus around threshold efforts as it's a mainly TT orientated club. I don't TT and find the long threshold sessions the toughest, I find threshold on a turbo so much harder to hold than when on the road. However the sessions with sprint intervals are the one that make nearly pass out.
Take a look at the trainer list for Zwift, you can use a classic trainer from one from the big manufacturers and they'll use algrithms to work out the power and build that into your speed on the course.
Add a power meter and use that to measure the the watts, their calculations are good in my experince but if you use your own meter it'll be consistant with road rides.
I hated the 'virtual power' on TrainerRoad, but I think that's because I came from owning a power meter, and TR was so much lower that it was a bit annoying! My trainer isn't supported by Zwift anyway, I considered a Neo, but I'll get more use from a power meter, and they're cheaper.
I'm not entirely sure about the training aspect of Zwift, intrigued to see. The Tacx I-magic virtual world thing was actually quite good, I managed to do 2 hour turbo sessions using that back in the day.
The workouts are available to view here..[url= http://www.stronglikeox.bike/zwift-beta-workouts/ ]LINK[/url] I expect there similar to other available.
Effort is based on your ftp tests, mines not that high but it still had me doing 1h50m of constant 175 watts on day one, of the winter plan, today looks like another long day.
Starting this without looking through all the sessions may have been a mistake.
I hated the 'virtual power' on TrainerRoad, but I think that's because I came from owning a power meter, and TR was so much lower that it was a bit annoying! My trainer isn't supported by Zwift anyway, I considered a Neo, but I'll get more use from a power meter, and they're cheaper.
Virtual power is a pretty poor experience once you've used a proper PM.
Tempted to give Zwift a go though can't quite figure out how it works. I get that if you have a smart trainer it can vary the resistance as you go up and down hills but how does that work if you just have a PM? Just giving you a power target isn't very hill like! Or does it just work out your speed based on power and the virtual slope you're riding up? I should probably just give it a go.
Or does it just work out your speed based on power and the virtual slope you're riding up? I should probably just give it a go.
This..and your weight is part of the equation.
So without a smart trainer the resistance doesn't increase and you don't have drop gears or stand etc but your speed still reflects the watts/weight/incline.
I started on Zwift on a dumb trainer. I still found myself changing down and attacking at the hills. It's nonsense but I think the visual environment ****s with your head a bit.
I'm not going to call it 'realistic', it's not, but it does give a sense of place and involvement in the same way a real ride does (& oddly that I didn't get from the real life films in Veloreality).
Mind you I was always a bit of a wuss in Doom too, way 'back in the day'. A door to a dark room would open, there's be a lot of demon muttering, I'd feel a chill and I'd have to remind myself it was just a few silly pixels on a screen.
So without a smart trainer the resistance doesn't increase and you don't have drop gears or stand etc but your speed still reflects the watts/weight/incline
So you could say you weigh 20kg and 'win' everything?! Interesting...
So you could say you weigh 20kg and 'win' everything?! Interesting...
Yeah, it's a recognised phenomenon they call "weight doping".
Some people take Zwift, in particular the racing, very earnestly.