Turbo Training for Beginners - a NapD guide

paul-yokaholnes

hopper1 wrote:

I use a Bike Thong to stop dripping all over my headset/frame, etc. It also has pockets, really handy for the DVD/TV remotes, etc...
Just ordered a chuffin' great Fan, too.

This is a really cheap fan I got http://www.hotukdeals.com/item/443836/16-pedestal-fan-wickes-instore-onli

StrangelyBrown

I believe Turbo training was one of the outlawed techniques used at Guantanamo Bay. But as I intend to race next season I think I will be doing a lot more of it than I want to

Where it wins over road training is it allows you to push yourself right to the edge, and beyond, without crashing/falling off/being hit by a car/being absolutely bolloxed and miles from home/blubbing in public etc.

As I don't have a setup that allows me to watch a DVD, does anyone know of training sessions that you can get to play through an iPod i.e. someone shouting at you to stop crying and MTFU etc.

softlad

StrangelyBrown wrote:

As I don't have a setup that allows me to watch a DVD, does anyone know of training sessions that you can get to play through an iPod i.e. someone shouting at you to stop crying and MTFU etc.

just play Radio 1 - after 30 minutes, your brain will be too numb to notice the effort anyway. Works for me...

Bronzie

StrangelyBrown wrote:

does anyone know of training sessions that you can get to play through an iPod i.e. someone shouting at you to stop crying and MTFU etc.

www.thesufferfest.com

meruz2008

I just got my first turbo a week ago and I've got to say, for all dads with very little time in the week, its a god send.
I've tried a couple of different sessions and my favourite so far has been the Pyramid.

Warm up for 10 minutes as always, then...
10s hard effort
50s recovery
20s hard effort
40s recovery
30s hard effort
30s recovery
40s hard effort
20s recovery
50s hrd effort
10s recovery
40s hard effort
20s recovery...
continue in this way until you are back at the bottom of the pyamid, recover for 5 minutes light spinning and repeat.

I know some of you guys get bored on the turbo but after this I just felt sick. Surely a good sign.

Anonymous

meruz2008 wrote:

I just got my first turbo a week ago and I've got to say, for all dads with very little time in the week, its a god send.
I've tried a couple of different sessions and my favourite so far has been the Pyramid.

Warm up for 10 minutes as always, then...
10s hard effort
50s recovery
20s hard effort
40s recovery
30s hard effort
30s recovery
40s hard effort
20s recovery
50s hrd effort
10s recovery
40s hard effort
20s recovery...
continue in this way until you are back at the bottom of the pyamid, recover for 5 minutes light spinning and repeat.

I know some of you guys get bored on the turbo but after this I just felt sick. Surely a good sign.

If you like that then you'd love The Downward Spiral on http://www.thesufferfest.com!

Velonutter

I have used http://www.thesufferfest.com a couple of times and it really is good, so much so that I changed the gearing on my Turbo bike so that I can put more pressure on!

sampras38

I did an hour last night on the Carmichael Cycling for Fitness. I use this one a lot and it's pretty good. Lots of pace changes and intervals.

fishyweb

StrangelyBrown wrote:

As I don't have a setup that allows me to watch a DVD, does anyone know of training sessions that you can get to play through an iPod i.e. someone shouting at you to stop crying and MTFU etc.

I think either Spinervals or CTS (or maybe both?) do training CDs, so you could rip those to your iPod.

Anonymous

fishyweb wrote:

StrangelyBrown wrote:

As I don't have a setup that allows me to watch a DVD, does anyone know of training sessions that you can get to play through an iPod i.e. someone shouting at you to stop crying and MTFU etc.

I think either Spinervals or CTS (or maybe both?) do training CDs, so you could rip those to your iPod.

sufferfest is optimised for th'ipod.

fishyweb

Is Sufferfest any good on a PC screen, or is the resolution too low for anything bigger than an iPod?

johncp

The Downward Spiral is fine on a PC screen - with all the sweat in your eyes the picture doesn't need to be too good :shock:

StrangelyBrown

I've taken the plunge and gone for Sufferfest. Thanks for the suggestions.

Anonymous

I did the sufferfest again this morning in lieu of a 2hr ride.

I was incredibly close to vomiting.

macondo01

After reading mention of Downward Spiral here last night, I used it this morning in the cellar.
Yep I nearly vomited too! My kids were intrigued, my 5 year daughter brought me a flannel and watched agog, my 6 year old boy appeared and wanted to have a go! Not sure his 24" wheel will fit though! Fun

flanners1

Sufferfest: not vomited but seeing lots of stars! I have rollers and find myself following the crash and corners off-road nearly had me off a few times and coming off rollers is not fun! Looking forward to next Sufferfest instalment, thought it was this month?

flanners1

IS that the new one up on site?

Fight Club?

Going for it

flanners1

It is a good'un again!

ATTACK! :oops: :shock:

macondo01

Thanks for this Alex.

Rigged up my sons 20" wheeled islabike in my turbo trainer this morning. Without the incentive of sufferfest he acheived 49 mph. OK I didnt recallibrate from 700 to 20" but hey he thinks he's a pro at six years old! Cant get the magnet close enough on the crank for cadence..yet!

Anonymous

Going to try the new Sufferfest vid tonight!

flanners1

It's tough, tougher than downward spiral, great workout! Those Attacks keep coming......

Anonymous

Jesus H Christ.

That. Was. Hard...

I thought I was close to vomiting on the Downward Spiral :shock:

I know for a fact that I have just done the hardest hour I've ever ridden due to the calories burnt. Will post up the graph and facts and figures shortly.

Bearing in mind I put out about 10% more power on the road than on the turbo too! :shock:

Right, first to get rid of the metallic taste of blood with a recovery drink...

fairweatherbiker

I want to see a trainer with built in fan linked to the resistance unit - so the faster you go, the more cooling you get.

Also instead of wasting all that power, can't your trainer be used to power something, or at least charge a built-in battery to give you some 'illusory downhill' section where it powers the backwheel, forcing you to brake occasionally.

did anyone see that BBC thing with a room full of cyclists powering a house - I didn;t but heard about it - though after looking at trainers I am guessing the bikes didn't really generate the power, somehow they just linked up the resistance units to the power consumption of the house.

I don;t have a trainer yet. Am I right in thinking you have to remove your backwheel and thread it onto the trainer, so its not really a simple thing to set up? Also would they work with my old 27inch 1982 bike - which has a solid threaded spindle and not a spring loaded spike thing

singlespeedexplosif

Am I right in thinking you have to remove your backwheel and thread it onto the trainer, so its not really a simple thing to set up?
erm...no. You put your bike onto the turbo, and ride. Basically most of them involve just clamping it via the rear QR. About 2 seconds work.

fairweatherbiker

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

Am I right in thinking you have to remove your backwheel and thread it onto the trainer, so its not really a simple thing to set up?
erm...no. You put your bike onto the turbo, and ride. Basically most of them involve just clamping it via the rear QR. About 2 seconds work.

QR? whats that?

Could use my old bike on one?

Anonymous

Quick Release Skewer...

fairweatherbiker

NapoleonD wrote:

Quick Release Skewer...

Thanks thats has actually answered my question.

I can't use my old bike - it doesnt one of those skewers

macondo01

Alex, I read some of the other threads but was unclear about the outcome of your tabata experiment. Was it good for power, not so good for endurance?

Anonymous

Macondo01 wrote:

Alex, I read some of the other threads but was unclear about the outcome of your tabata experiment. Was it good for power, not so good for endurance?

Very difficult to say a it turned out I'm asthmatic and all previous cycling efforts up until that diagnosis, three weeks ago, are null and void!

I do know that it really helped my anaerobic capacity though!!

fishyweb

I'm a beginner, especially on a turbo (only 3 sessions so far), and am thinking that the Sufferfest stuff will be too tough for me at present, judging by NapD's experiences with them! So, for now, I'm using the built-in workouts in my Garmin 305, and finding them quite tough enough at the moment. I find my mind getting so engrossed in counting down the seconds to the end of each interval that I don't miss any visual stimulus!

Having said that, I've just received the CTS DVD that I ordered off eBay, and have a horrible feeling that Mr. Carmichael is going to become my nemesis once I feel brave enough to try it out!