I’ve been debating on the subject of high intensity training vs lower to moderate intensity training otherwise known as  continuous training(click link training programs). There is a time and a place for both. Control the amount of intensity and you’ll be much better in the long run. High intensity interval training (HIIT) can produce to many mistakes that lead to illness,  injury and burnout. Sure, the majority of  athletes are time crunched. They have families, careers and other obligations. What happens to lost training time do to illness, injury and burnout?

The Pareto Principle is a good example of how to train. Spend 80% of your time below 70% max heart rate. Another way to look at it, and be on the safe side, is to take 180-age and train around this heart rate 80% of the time. How do you spend the 20%? That is the finesse part of training. There is a fine line between to much intensity.

Marc

Posted by admin as Training, intervals, performance, power at 1:36 AM MST

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During yesterdays chit chat group ride from Joyride Bicycles I produced a training stress score of 73. Here is how TSS is figured out mathematically: .57 intensity factor^2 x 2.25 hours x100 = 73 TSS.

How much energy did I use? You don’t need a calorie measuring device to do this. I burned approximately 1100 kcal. The human body stores approximately 350-400 grams of carbohydrate. At 4 kcal/g that comes out to 1400-1600 kcal as carbs stored. Let’s make it 1500 kcal that I store for, arguments sake.

TSS basically represents glycogen usage.  So 100 TSS = 100% usage and thus 15kcal, in this example, is equal to 1 TSS (15kcal x 100=1500 kcal).  If I take yesterdays chit chat ride TSS of 73 and multiply it x 15kcal/TSS I come up with 1100 kcal that I burned during that ride.

To find out more on how to use power in your training and the metrics related power visit training peaks.

Marc

Posted by admin as Training, general, power at 9:16 AM MST

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Make good use of those commercials while on the trainer. During the commercial pump up the intensity to around 80% of max heart rate. This is a 2-3 minute effort. Then recover when your program comes back on.

Another way to make the trainer time go by, go at 70% of max heart rate for as long as you can. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends hitting at least 70 percent of your MHR while you exercise to maximize your calorie burn and fat loss. Then recover by spinning. Next, try to go at 85% of MHR for as long as you can.

Make your trainer workouts fun. Burn up that trainer and burn up some calories

Posted by admin as Training, power at 2:55 AM MST

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If you have limited time to train there is a technique that increases endurance as described by Dr. Gabe Mirkin in this article Why Sprinting Improves Endurance. This involves short, 30 second, intervals at maximum power. I mentioned, in the previous post, that I recommend this type of interval session to fine tune your criterium/cyclcross fitness. Seems like it also boosts your endurance.

If your event is anything over 1.5 to 2 hours, I would recommend still putting in time at over 1.5 hours. You still want to be specific to your event by building up time in the saddle and developing the pathways associated with longer durations.

Finally, as a beginner you should have a good base of 3-4 months before attempting these. There is a greater risk of injury if you don’t have a good base built up.

Marc

Posted by admin as Training, intervals, power at 9:56 AM MST

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Paying Your Oxygen Debt! via Personal Trainer Today – Education and Network for Health and Fitness Professionals.

The above article explains the physiology behind a couple of workouts that I prescribe before a criterium, these also work for cyclocross, that an athlete wants to do well in. The two main workouts are 15 second on/ 15 second off and 20-30 second maximum efforts.  When you vary the reps, sets and recovery these can become extremely difficult.  These workouts are not done that frequently because of the intensity. They are done in the last few weeks leading up to the event and will push your fitness to it’s peak. Since these efforts are so short, heart rate lags behind, and a power meter is the ideal tool to gauge your efforts. You can use perceived exertion, but make sure you’re around a 9 to 10, on a 1-10 scale.

So, when that special crit or cross race is fast approaching try doing these 2-3 times per week. You’ll raise the ceiling of your fitness quickly.

Marc

Posted by admin as Training, power at 11:27 AM MST

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You need a plan. Our bodies respond very well to structure.  When you apply this plan you also need the right amount of duration, frequency and intensity to improve. Balance these 3 ideas and you’re on your way to great improvements. Get these wrong and you could end up over-training.

Plan and Structure

You work hard at your training and you deserve to see good results. The athletes that I train see big improvements in 3 months of training. They think it’s because of the special combination of intervals. What it is exactly is they are on a structured training program. As a recreational cyclist, you don’t need more than 7-10 hours of training if you have an intelligent training program.

Build that plan properly and you’ll avoid over-training and putting stress on yourself, avoiding the pressure that the extra time can put on family, friends, and your profession.

Duration, Frequency, and Intensity

These are the three elements that are key to a structured plan. They need to be dosed out properly during the week, month and year.  If you train more frequent and at a higher intensity your overall workload will increase. Don’t get this wrong because if you do you’ll end up over-training.

The Most Overlooked Aspect of Training: Recovery

To see progress you need the right balance of training and recovery. Reintroducing stress too soon after a stressful workout will interrupt the process of adaptation and soon result in reduced fitness.  Recovery also depends on fitness and nutrition. By taking a rest day or a light training day you should be able to feel fresh again.

Consistency is what will bring about improvements in a training program. With small, incremental changes over time, you’ll be on your way to greater fitness improvements.

Marc

Posted by admin as Training, periodization, power at 9:14 AM MST

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Today’s file is an example of a type of interval that is crucial for time trials, that is,  pacing up rolling hills at 5-10% over your functional threshold power. Try doing these intervals without looking at the power tap too often, for those of you who don’t time trial with power, to get a good perceived level of exertion up the hills.

Posted by admin as Training, power, power file at 11:20 AM MST

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The power file below is a workout that is good for developing fast twitch fibers. The workout entails 4 sets of 10 reps at 15 – 20 seconds on/ 40 seconds off with 10 minutes of recovery between sets. Criteriums, mountain bike races and cyclocross races are run very similar to the on/off periods. Lots of repeated efforts, or jumps out of corners, getting back up to speed. Each interval is started out of the saddle for 8-10 seconds and then the remainder of the time is done in the saddle.

Doing 15 second intense bursts over and over such as these gives your muscles time to recover while keeping your heart rate up.  A benefit to both systems.

Posted by admin as Training, general, power, power file at 7:25 PM MST

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The following is a brief explanation of the physiological science behind the 3 energy systems. What durations of training cover which sources of fuel?

At the beginning of a workout, whether anaerobic or aerobic, the body will respond by provide the working muscles with adequate energy to meet the demands of the workload.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the chemical substance within the body that supplies the energy that enables muscles to contract or relax. During muscular activity, ATP is converted to adenosine diphosphate, or ADP, while releasing direct energy for the muscle.

After approximately 10-20 seconds the ATP and creatine phosphate anaerobic energy source is depleted , then glucose is used by the body. After roughly 20 seconds, more emphasis is placed on the anaerobic lactate (glycolytic) system. Stored muscle glycogen will be  used to provide energy by being broken down into glucose.  From 20-120 seconds of exertion, glycogen becomes the primary source of energy.

The first two minutes of activity should be primarily anaerobic, meaning the body does not use oxygen to metabolize stored glycogen. Usually any burst of activity that lasts less than a minute or two is considered predominantly anaerobic.

After 120 seconds, glycogen is the source of fuel and the aerobic energy system starts kicking into action. After about four minutes, the energy supply is completely aerobic, using glycogen and fatty acids as energy. Aerobic means “with oxygen.” Oxygen is used to help metabolize (oxidize) stored fatty acids (triglycerides) to ATP through a complex process known as the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle (Kreb’s Cycle or Citric Acid Cycle). The longer the duration of exertion, the higher the percentage of fats burned. With aerobic training, the body becomes more efficient at using fat as an energy source for strenuous work and recovery.

FROM: USATF COACHING EDUCATION PROGRAM–BY: Jack Ransome, Ph.D., Tinker Murray, Ph.D., Bob LeFavi, Ph.D., Robert Vaughn, Ph.D., Joe Vigil, Ph.D.

Marc

Posted by admin as Physiology, Training, general, power at 1:02 PM MST

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The days are getting longer, the weather is warming up and you’re starting to plan your ride and race calender for the year. This is where your winter training program will pay off. Hopefully this winter you’ve gotten in at least 500 miles of riding either on the indoor trainer or outside, cross training time off the bike, and weight training emphasizing core development. For people getting back into the workout routine it’s always best to have physical.

Once you’ve put in the 500 miles of base, crucial to prevent injuries, you can start to increase your mileage weekly by 10%. This is a good rule of thumb to go by to prevent injuries. It’s important to ride 5-6 days a week with one or two days off depending on your level of fitness.

Schedules for people with busy work weeks
Here is an example off how you might want to set up a 5 day riding program:
- one long day
- one short day
- three intermediate days
- two days off
Plan a short day on Monday, intermediate ride on Tuesday, off on Wednesday, intermediate ride on Thursday, an off day on Friday, intermediate day for Saturday and a long day for Sunday.

An example of a 6 day riding program would look like this:
- one long day
- one short day
- 3 to 4 intermediate days
- one or two off days
Plan a short day on Monday, and intermediate day on Tuesday, an off day on Wednesday, an intermediate day on Thursday, an off day on Friday( or intermediate day depending on your fitness level), an intermediate day on Saturday, and a long day on Sunday.

The short day is ridden at 25% the length of the long day to promote recovery at 50-60% of maximum heart rate.

The long ride starts at 75% of your goal ride and can build to as much as 125% of your goal ride. This is where the 10% weekly increase in mileage comes into play. To build up to 75% of your goal take your longest ride during the 500 mile base period and add 10% weekly. This should give you tell you how far out you need to plan.

The intermediate ride is at a distance that is between your short and long ride. These are ridden at your goal pace. One of the intermediate rides can be ridden at 2-3 mph faster than goal pace.

Some important details to consider:
- be flexible and adjust the plan to your lifestyle
- recovery is so important
- eat a balanced diet of 50% carbohydrates, 25% protein, 25% fat

Spring is just around the corner. A well thought out plan is your best course of action to reach your goals.

Marc

Posted by admin as Training at 3:35 AM MST

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