Turbo Training for Beginners - a NapD guide

milese

Did 'The Hunted' last night. Really enjoyed it, think its my favourite so far, in front of Angels.

Dont really enjoy Downward Spiral.

I really used to struggle with the turbo and generally give up after half an hour, but these videos make it almost enjoyable.

geo91

Hi just about to start turbo training got the hunter to try , but not sure what this means

You’ll do :50 tempo, then :10 attack, then :40 tempo/:20 attack, :30 tempo/:30 attack, :20 tempo/:40 attack, :10 tempo/:50 attack

Can someone explain to me please, sorry if this is a stupid qustion.

thx geo

Anonymous

Tempo is a steady pace where you are pushing on but not too hard (not time trial pace). Attack is flat out.

Marc Laithwaite, of www.theendurancecoach.com, a level three coach with the Association of British Cycling Coaches, describes tempo pace (also called threshold pace) as ‘sustainable discomfort’.

“It’s the highest intensity you can sustain for a prolonged period of time,”

So, 50 seconds tempo, 10 seconds attack = 50 seconds going fairly quick followed by 10 seconds as fast as you can.

napoleond

Thought it was time for a bump on this thread...

DF33

Damn. Saw this, reminded me I need to arrange a bike fit (as on a turbo etc).

Now £££ lighter as just booked into Cadence Sport in a couple of weeks as a birthday present.

Thanks Nap

lucan

Any thoughts on the latest Sufferfest offering - "A Very Dark Place"?

navrig

NapoleonD wrote:

Thought it was time for a bump on this thread...

Thanks.

napoleond

Yes, it's excellent, great for VO2 max type efforts at the start of your training 'week'.

It's exactly the sort of workout prescribed by several coaches I know.

Plus the footage is great...

Mr Dog

Is the music indie US rock? I can't suffer Downward Spiral.. the music is honkin.

Good to see you back NapD

napoleond

Yeah, not a fan of the indie rock either so I just put my bangin choons on instead. However it's well worth having.

That and angels for intervals, the hunted for an FTP test...

Bobbinogs

NapoleonD wrote:

Yeah, not a fan of the indie rock either so I just put my bangin choons on instead. However it's well worth having.

That and angels for intervals, the hunted for an FTP test...

I soon got bored of the musaak and now fire up itunes instead (the onscreen info is great so it works all round). Sufferfest really is fantastic although I think the 6.5 stuff is a bit of nonsense (why not just make it 7 or 6 with a higher cadence?). Hunted is my fave (with Angels a close second)...love the way they ramp up the suffering and then, just when you think it's all over, another whammy. Certainly helps the training...and suffering.

Trouble now is, I am very tempted to try some of that roller showboating at the end when I am fixed up...which could end up with more time out

napoleond

New Sufferfest out today, hopefully it'll please some of the 'Girls in Lycra Shorts' brigade!

http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-suff ... h-no-fury/

skyblueamateur

Looking at downloading the Sufferfest vids but only have a cheap Minoura turbo which only has manual changing of resistance. Are the sufferfest vids compatible with increasing resistance by gearing?

Also, only have a sigma comp so can monitor cadence but not distance as it is front wheel fitted. Again, is this an issue?

Bobbinogs

The best thing about sufferfest is that they work on effort. Hence, for turbos with a variable resistence, one just needs to tweak that until certain gears correspond to the effort level shown, at least that is what I have done.

I started by working out my level 7 (TT or "sustainable suffering" level) and managed to set that such that 7th cog whilst in the middle ring of my triple equates to what I can handle for about 25 mins before crumpling in a big heap. 4th cog is therefore recovery, 6th is just below, etc., which works well. In other words, now that I have set the resistance level I can just cycle without bothering with the resistance levels but just using the gears, although I figure I might need to up the effort if/when things get easier!

I guess fixed level turbos could also be easily used with the same trial and error on the suffering levels. Obviously, one doesn't need to get cog numbers to align to suffering levels, "level 7" could be 3 at the back whilst in the big ring at the front, etc. Sorry if that is bleeding obvious.

The programmes do work on cadence (which my computer doesn't do) but you can work that out using a big clock with a second hand (as in count the right leg revolutions for 15 seconds and multiply by 4). You only really need to work out 80 and 110 (or 80 and "much faster" as I call it as I don't bother trying to count out the quicker one exactly) in the vids I have done.

The files are big. When downloading them I gave up on wifi and fitted a LAN cable to my wifi router, which sped things up no end.

Oh, speed/distance does not come into it so your front wheel computer (like my Cateye) is of no use but no hindrance either.

Edit: If you have problems getting an app to play DVDs or vid files then VLC is highly recommended as a freebie download.

Mr Dog

Anyone used HHNF yet? I like the fact its pounding dance. Will download tomorrow. The Haunted is my fave.. the music is spot on. Local Hero is ok, but the multi sprint ending dosen't quite flow.

skyblueamateur

Thanks for your reply bobbinogs. Great help that. Will get downloading over the weekend 8)

Bobbinogs

NapoleonD wrote:

[Downward Spiral] and angels for intervals, the hunted for an FTP test...

In case anyone (like me) wondered what Nap was on about, here is a really good site that explains FTP (and quite a few other useful things too):

http://www.flammerouge.je/content/3_fac ... thresh.htm

napoleond

Some Warm Up tips here from that man Adrian Timmis-

http://cadencesport.blogspot.com/

WisePranker

I haven't got a turbo but the other half has got a spin bike which she never uses.
I take it there wouldn't be a problem using the spin bike to do the Sufferfest training video's with?

napoleond

WisePranker wrote:

I haven't got a turbo but the other half has got a spin bike which she never uses.
I take it there wouldn't be a problem using the spin bike to do the Sufferfest training video's with?

No problem whatsoever, their creator actually test them out on his spin class...

richard36

Glad this thread has been bumped as I'm hoping to get my first TT.

I suspect I will only use it 2 possibly 3 times a week for about 1 hour at a time.

I don't race or anything like that and will be hoping the TT will maintain my (reasonable) bike fitness and hopefully improve it a little.

Can anyone give me some idea as to what sessions I would be best doing. There seems to be loads available but given I won't be using it that often I was wondering what I should concentrate on to get the best results.

Thanks

andyrr

There is no 'best' one : each one has a type of session, shorter intervals or longer, steadier ones etc.
I've the feeling that as time has gone on each new release has been a bit better produced etc than the previous - I've the Hunted and Angels.
Hunted concentrates on relatively long intervals, starts with a 5 minute TT effort then has a 20 minute steady'ish climb, then a breakaway with steady 5 mins (I think) then finishes with 5 mins of shorter bursts, starting with 10 on/50sec off and descends to 50 on/10 off.
Angels has a number of sessions where it is intervals mainly of the short on/short off type : climbs sections of Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Paris-Nice breakaways with 30/30sec (or is it 60/60 ?) and the Dauphine Alpe d'Huez (2010 ?) stage finish with Brakovich, Smydd attacking each other like mad.

Xommul

Yes torrent downloads are illeagal, some countries are tightening down on them and people r having internet cut off. Not worth the risk imo.

Sufferfests r cheap as chips, you can get spinnervals on ebay dead cheap, record some stuff from euro spors on sky and watch that,

Also if you know your intervals and just need a timer and have an iphone the use an app called seconds - works as an interval timer, fully customisable and works along side itunes playlists, i.e fast int with fast music and rest int with slower stuff.

I do lots of turbo training, i think im a wiss for not getting outside but i work long hours and its dark a lot, on my days off i tend to be with family so no chance there so turbos help me make the most of my time. I have cycleops mag pro, not tried any others but this is great and works my legs hard, have it on toughest setting all the time.

xom

jgsi

Xommul wrote:

I have cycleops mag pro, not tried any others but this is great and works my legs hard, have it on toughest setting all the time.

xom

Hardest setting always?
So for example in 'Spinervals -aero base building' you are able to comply with a resistance setting low and and a rear sprocket around the 21/19 and a cadence 110 quite easily then?

What you say you are doing is treating the turbo trainer as a 1 trick pony whereas it is capable of whole lot more.
It is a valuable training tool from base building right thru to pre season interval sessions.

Gibson44

Hi Gents
Just got into cycling this year and I've been riding a Spesh hybrid. Now thanks to a recent tax rebate and xmas high spirits I've treated myself to a Scott CR1. Question 1: Which one do you use on a turbo? Question 2: Which Turbo? My plan had been to get a Kurt Kenetic rock & roll, stick the Scott on that and use the Hybrid when weather permits. Any advice would be very welcome.

andyrr

Handy link with details on each vid for those unfamiliar with the Sufferfests :
http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/

skyblueamateur

Downloaded the Hunted by Sufferfest and would recommend these to anyone interested in TurboTraining. As hard as I thought I was working before doing intervals these definitely make you up the work-rate. Downloaded Angels last night and looking forward to giving that a bash tonight.

Thanks to all those who recommended these 8)

DavidJB

SkyBlueAmateur wrote:

Downloaded the Hunted by Sufferfest and would recommend these to anyone interested in TurboTraining. As hard as I thought I was working before doing intervals these definitely make you up the work-rate. Downloaded Angels last night and looking forward to giving that a bash tonight.

Thanks to all those who recommended these 8)

'Local hero' will smash your legs off!

Bobbinogs

I think Angels is my fave in that I actually enjoy it. Fight Club is pretty good too but it is a bit jerky as there are loads of attacks and going from level 7 to 10 for 30 secs means trying to dump the block whilst cranking up the effort, all for a short period. Probably a good technique for racers but I am not one of them. Whatever, the massive increase in effort for a short period is definitely great for upping the old heart rate and then sustained suffering afterwards.

Xommul

At the moment im doing 4 sessions on the turbo a week. Its always dark when i get home and even with lights its down to the drivers not killing you, so i stick on the turbo.

Session 1 Endurance based, over 2 hours at 65-70% MHR it gets you ready for other training, makes your bum get used to the saddle, also your body gets used to using fat sores as energy. My aim with this is to drop some weight and build endurance base. I usually stick on a box set of dvds like Lost, Star trek, stargate, BSG.

Session 2 Hill Training - for this i do CTS Hill Climb or Spinervals Hillaious or big gear strength. At the end my legs are jelly and i can tell ive done hard work.

Session 3 Recovery cycle, about an hour easy riding, either to a dvd, music or a spinervals e.g recovery and technique. You do single leg peddling and super fast spinning.

Session 4 Endurance again.

In between i hit the gym for all the other body parts, i use a heart rate monitor for all my exercise, i like to see my calories brned and i can see if i can perform better at lower heart rates. Kinda lets me know if i am getting fitter or tells me i need more recovery time if i cant cut the mustard on hat day.

Big tip, if you have man flu, dont exercise, give your body time to recover, else you will only delay your return to health and return to form

Xom