1/2 hour training

sloxam

hi, as time is tight with work and kids is it worth doing a 1/2 hour session (including warm up). shold i just do a flat to the boards session?
i'm concerned cos i measure myself with average speed which has improved over the last 3 years but has dropped gradually this year as i only get out at weekends for 20-30 mile sessions (i also commuted before)

nickcuk

Definately worth doing 30 mins when you can - thats 7 to 10 miles of lovely cycling which should be enough to warm up, do a few bursts, work on the cadence, etc. I'm not sure anybody would recommend making every 30 min session a flat out blast but I reckon making every second or third would get yr speed back up, depending on intervals between rides.

If you are doing 20 - 30 miles both weekend days, maybe ride Monday working on cadence, Tues off, Wed blast, Thurs or Frid cadence with the other off, then do intervals on the weekend rides ?

Russell Smith

Snatch it while you can, popped the car in today for the MOT, whilst it was in ther, popped out for an hours spin over the Hampshire border and back into Berks, othersie I would have sat waiting in the MOT room.

Grab and Go

Shavedlegs

I get 30 minutes inthe gym during my lunch break.

I alternate with 1 minute hard/ 1 minute easy interval session and flat out 20 minute effort .

Too early to tell how effective it is. I'm open to other ideas.

bahzob

You could try out the Tabata method. That only takes 14 minutes...

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_5_20/ai_n6011850

There were some queries recently about whether this was any good. You could try it out and let us know..

Shavedlegs

You're on. I'll start tomorrow.

Garry H

bahzob wrote:

You could try out the Tabata method. That only takes 14 minutes...

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_5_20/ai_n6011850

There were some queries recently about whether this was any good. You could try it out and let us know..

Tried it on a rowing machine and it's a killer. Here's a tip; take a sick bag with you

Shavedlegs

That Tabata chap is lucky he lives in Japan, if I could get my hands on him.

Having said that, it was strange to feel so out of breathe/ill after such a short exercise period. I managed all six, despite feeling like throwing in the towel after the 2nd.

It left me with the feeling that my organs had a good work out but not my legs. Not really looking forward to doing it the rest of the week.

A.

bahzob

Well done and good luck. Let us know how it goes...is there a benchmark you are training for?

GyatsoLa

I can't find a link to it at the moment, but there was some research a few years ago (it was reported in the Guardian amongst other papers) that a 15 minute routine was found to have the same benefits as a 2 hour 'steady' ride. The routine was essentially four 30 second blasts with one minute rest between, the rest was warm up and warm down. I tried it for a bit and it was certainly quite useful.

jonty1977

I think i misread the article.

Ended up doing the 20sec on 10 sec off for five mins then five mins recovery then repeating over and over. I've done this for an hour for the last three nights.

it's been a killer

Is this right?

alex16zx

Well I don't think you're supposed to do any more than the 5 mins warm-up, then the actual work out, then the 5 minutes warm down, but if it's not dangerous to you I don't see why you shouldn't do more.

idaviesmoore

GyatsoLa wrote:

I can't find a link to it at the moment, but there was some research a few years ago (it was reported in the Guardian amongst other papers) that a 15 minute routine was found to have the same benefits as a 2 hour 'steady' ride. .

Can't see it though, can you?

I suppose it depends what you are training for

GyatsoLa

idaviesmoore wrote:

GyatsoLa wrote:

I can't find a link to it at the moment, but there was some research a few years ago (it was reported in the Guardian amongst other papers) that a 15 minute routine was found to have the same benefits as a 2 hour 'steady' ride. .

Can't see it though, can you?

I suppose it depends what you are training for

Here's the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/ ... eandhealth

Its the Guardian, so it must be true ;-)

Infamous

jonty1977 wrote:

I think i misread the article.

Ended up doing the 20sec on 10 sec off for five mins then five mins recovery then repeating over and over. I've done this for an hour for the last three nights.

it's been a killer

Is this right?

Not doing them hard enough IMO. They are supposed to be done at flat out, balls to the wall sprint pace. So hard that you shouldn't be able to manage more than 5 or 6 sets of them.

If you are doing them very hard, then an hour of them would tend towards overtraining.

Cougar

The trick to getting the most out of interval training and not overtrain is to know when to stop.

Whenever I find that I can no longer sustain the level of effort then I stop. After all the whole idea is to maintain progress not to run yourself into the ground. Done this way then the next time you do the interval session you will be able to sustain the effort for longer or do it faster.

Keep an eye on the long game, and build your speed up towards a peak. You can only retain top form for short periods.

liversedge

Shavedlegs wrote:

That Tabata chap is lucky he lives in Japan, if I could get my hands on him.

Having said that, it was strange to feel so out of breathe/ill after such a short exercise period. I managed all six, despite feeling like throwing in the towel after the 2nd.

It left me with the feeling that my organs had a good work out but not my legs. Not really looking forward to doing it the rest of the week.

A.

RESPECT!

How has the rest of the week been?

Shavedlegs

Last session today. They haven't gotten any easier.

I can't decide whether to stick with them or not in the future. I find it hard to change to the unknown. My worries are that my legs don't feel exerted as much as by my usual intervals, but then again my repiratory system has been pushed to a small cough of sick.

Also the session seems too short.

bombdogs

Oh my God, I did this for the first time last night - what a killer. The sweat was pouring off me in buckets. My kit was drenched by the end of the routine.
Did an easy 20 min warm up to get my legs nice and toasty, then launched into 20secs on, 10 secs rest, repeated six times, then a three minute easy spin, then back into the routine five more times.
Took half an hour, but really struggled finishing the last few 20sec intervals of the final two sets off.
Didn't feel the effects at first - even though I was going full pelt, but after a while those 10 seconds just don't seem enough.
Suppose this is good for people who get bored sitting on the turbo or rollers. Will just use it for when I am short of time and can't get the miles in ourside.

bahzob

Unfortunately the small print in the Tabata routine says you need to do the drill for 5 days a week for 6 weeks in order to get the benefits. Therein lies the rub.