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30 minute Turbo sessions?

GavHGavH Posts: 998
edited January 2010 in Training, fitness and health
Is there any point?

Went back to work this week and now time is tight, plus weather constraints equals not much time (if any) out on the road. Longer Turbo sessions just aren't firing my rockets but 30 mins I can readily motivate myself for. So the question begs to be asked, is there any point in doing 30 min sessions indoors given that Cycling is ultimately an endurance sport?

Posts

  • bluecowbluecow Posts: 306
    I always tell myself... something is better than nothing.
  • GavHGavH Posts: 998
    bluecow wrote:
    I always tell myself... something is better than nothing.

    Funny thing, I had a PTI at Sandhurst once who used to say just that! Thing is, 'something' may not be relevant and thus as good as nothing surely? :? I just can't see how 30 mins of puffing and panting can benefit me when it comes to longer runs at the weekend.
  • BigDarbsBigDarbs Posts: 132
    Absolutely yes.

    Go to www.turbotraining.co.uk and have a look at some of the 30 minute sessions on there.

    Whe you have done them, especially some of the power sessions you will get off feeling like you have ridden hard.

    I did 45 minutes of alternating legs tonight, with one leg stationary while the other one maintained 70 rpm for 1 minute, then swapped legs.

    I can still feel it in my legs now, even if it had been 30 minutes it would have been worthwhile.
  • shockedsoshockedshockedsoshocked Posts: 3,953
    Can't you try something similar to tabatas? Or 1 minute off, 1 minute on intervals (balls out) till you feel sick and can't feel your arms anymore? That should sort ya!
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015
  • Slow1972Slow1972 Posts: 362
    I'd say absolutely yes. I would bet that all other things being equal, someone who is doing some targetted 30 mins turbo sessions during the week will go better on a longer run at the weekend than someone who is just doing the long run and nothing during the week. So if its the only available option other than nothing, I'd do it.
  • Dunedin397Dunedin397 Posts: 145
    I use the turbo a lot during December, January and February with 4 or 5 sessions per week. as I work and have a familiy, I can't justify training in the evening, so all I've got is the morning most days.

    I'll do around 3 or 4 half hour sessions starting at 6:00am with 1 hour sessions at the weekend starting around 7am. Whilst the 30 minute sessions are short, they are more intense than the 1 hour sessions and I tend to just go through the gears and get to as close to 10 miles as possible. I'm doing between 9 and 9.5 miles at the moment (the bike is a 26" wheel). The 1 hours sessions aren't quite as intense but I do different sets along with following the Rick Kiddle or Chris Carmichael DVDs.

    As I can't get out on the bike at the moment, I do think something is better than nothing and as long as the intensity is there I think it'll help when I get back out on the road.

    Cheers,

    Dunedin
  • SCR PedroSCR Pedro Posts: 912
    Once per week I do a 5x3 intervals session with a warm-up and cool down.

    It's hard to give a HR level for such short intervals, but I aim for a certain speed that I couldn't hold for any more than 3 minutes. I've been at it for about 5 weeks, and I'm starting to notice a small improvement. When the roads are clear I'll be able to see how it relates to longer ride.

    Pedro
    Giant TCR Advanced II - Reviewed on my homepage
    Giant TCR Alliance Zero
    BMC teammachineSLR03
    The Departed
    Giant SCR2
    Canyon Roadlite
    Specialized Allez
    Some other junk...
  • andyrrandyrr Posts: 1,507
    4 x 4 mins efforts - have seen these recommended to have 4 min recovery but I generally do them with 2 mins between each so the total time (less warm-up) is 4 x 6 mins = 24 mins, add 1 more to make a round 30 if you want. I've done a fair few of these and they can be pretty darn hard work.
    IMHO they must be better than nothing - yes not as useful as a good 2 hour hard run but doing these sufficiently hard stresses your body and will produce positive results over time.
  • tlw1tlw1 Posts: 18,685
    got to get mine working now its in the house rather than garage - some great tips here thanks
  • lfcquinlfcquin Posts: 470
    30 minute sessions is about my limit too. I'm a bit less structured in my method. Can't be doing with watching a clock it's brain numbing.

    I made myself a couple of 30 minute playlists on my Ipod.

    10 minute song to start with as a warm up
    4 minute high intensity song where I go flat out
    4 minute steady song where I spin a low gear
    3 minute high intensity song flat out
    3 minute steady song spinning
    2 minute high intensity song - and this time it is eyeball bulging flat out
    2 minutes steady song spinning
    1 minute high intensity song eyeballs out again
    few minutes warm down

    I found it a really good session coming into the racing season. I have moved things up a nothc now and set up some new ones where the steady periods inbetween are shorter, so my recovery time is less. Had to build into this though.

    Not many of the songs are spot on to the minute, but it was easy enough to find songs that fitted the bill which came close.
  • softladsoftlad Posts: 3,587
    GavH wrote:
    So the question begs to be asked, is there any point in doing 30 min sessions indoors given that Cycling is ultimately an endurance sport?

    Of course there is, provided you are using them properly. Rollers or turbos were never really intended to replace long, outdoor endurance rides - but they are ideal for replicating short term, high intensity efforts which you need in road racing or TTs....

    I rarely, if ever, go over 45 mins on the rollers - but you can pack an awful lot of high volume work into that time....
  • GarzGarz Posts: 1,155
    Nice iPod idea lfcquin! :)
  • Gav888Gav888 Posts: 946
    I ride between 30min and 90min on the turbo, the 30m sessions for me are zone 2 recovery rides, but given some of the idea's here I might pack in some high intensity rides too :)
    Cycling never gets any easier, you just go faster - Greg LeMond
  • GavHGavH Posts: 998
    Well thanks for the advice thus far guys, I gave a 30 min session a blast at lunchtime. Only did 5x2mins at >90% with 1 min recoveries in between and some easier stuff as a warm up and down.

    I wouldn't say I'm 'feeling it' now like I would after a longer ride, but am certainly felling it more than having done nothing. Defo worth further efforts I think.
  • freehubfreehub Posts: 4,258
    Seems hard to think you can get decent training out of 30min sessions, I meant to go on the turbo but I can't motivate myself, it's worse than doing my coursework.
  • SCR PedroSCR Pedro Posts: 912
    freehub wrote:
    Seems hard to think you can get decent training out of 30min sessions, I meant to go on the turbo but I can't motivate myself, it's worse than doing my coursework.

    Getting started is the hardest part. You'd be surprised at how quickly a session can pass.

    Pedro
    Giant TCR Advanced II - Reviewed on my homepage
    Giant TCR Alliance Zero
    BMC teammachineSLR03
    The Departed
    Giant SCR2
    Canyon Roadlite
    Specialized Allez
    Some other junk...
  • BhimaBhima Posts: 2,145
    freehub wrote:
    Seems hard to think you can get decent training out of 30min sessions, I meant to go on the turbo but I can't motivate myself, it's worse than doing my coursework.

    Told you you should have got rollers! Waaaay more fun in my opinion.

    Why not try to do the coursework while cycling? Hopefully, the boredom of each activity will cancel the other out. :lol: In my experience, It's a situation where two wrongs can actually equal a right as 30 minutes on the rollers flew by the other day when I was talking to my mate, helping him fill out a load of forms related to tax/business/other boring legal stuff.
  • stigofthedumpstigofthedump Posts: 331
    Like BigDarbs i have been using http://www.turbotraining.co.uk/.

    Some great 30 min workouts on here. Also if we all register we can add more plans. I have found it easy to keep up with the timer and scrolling plan during the workout, much better than coursework!

    Also one of the advances in training over recent years is recognition of the benefit of shorter, focussed sessions rather than just 'getting in the miles'. I think a certain C Boardman proved this around about june 1992 in Barcelona.
  • bristolpetebristolpete Posts: 2,255
    Good news from my point of view. Since Xmas week, I have done at least 30 mins each day on the turbo, some interval, some just spinning and some making sure my cadence stays about 95 rpm. Today I got out and did 1.5 hours on the road and felt bloody great, a lot different to last year when I put the bike away for three months solid. Quite a difference and I am now really looking forward to spring as I think I have given myself a good start to the year.
  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 28,799
    Hi,

    I dont know if people will agree with this.... I broke my collar bone on the 29th of Dec whilst fell running so have been restricted in my training ever since... I struggled with the turbo for ages prior and and just couldnt get motivated. Two weeks ago a friend lent me the CTS - Train right dvd's.... wether these are the best traiing dvd's or not they have giving me some great morivation and i have really enjoyed the turbo doing the hills stuff and crits or time trails training. Just been mixing them up and they last from 1hr to 1hr 10 and im smashed! I enjoy them but thats just me.... if your looking for motivation for a quick structured one hour work they are great.

    Also it nice to see all the other cyclists on the same trainers in the room looking just as knackered and working hard!
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