Training zones question

KnightOfTheLongTights

I suspect if I really want to get into training properly I'll need a heart-rate monitor and / or a bike computer but, for the moment bear with me being all unscientific...

I'm getting in a couple of sessions on the gym exercise bike midweek - what I probably inaccurately call 'speed sessions'. In which I basically go for it as hard as I can, eyeballs out, for 40 mins. Enough to be quite mentally and physically exhausted and a bit shaky when I'm done.

Is this an efficient way of raising aerobic fitness or could it be that I'm spending too much time in the anaerobic zone?

What am I aiming for? To get as fast as possible on my weekend ride, which is effectively a 21-mile time trial.

Ta.

SBezza

You are probably doing sessions of 40 mins as a sub threshold session, or possibly threshold (if you could sustain that effort for another 20 mins).

You will still be very much in the aerobic zone, as you could never sustain an anaerobic effort for 40 mins.

With your 40 mins, perhaps try a slightly hard effort for 20 mins, have a easy 5-10 mins, and then another 20 mins. This is your classic 2x20 mins at just below threshold pace. Obviously this will work out at slightly over 40 mins, but you can work harder in the 20 min intervals, and thus in the 40 mins of work, do more work.

As to how many times you could do this a week, is a personal thing, but I would underpin this with endurance work as well.

KnightOfTheLongTights

SBezza wrote:

You are probably doing sessions of 40 mins as a sub threshold session, or possibly threshold (if you could sustain that effort for another 20 mins).

thanks for that - the only bit I didn't understand was this first bit.

I thought 'being at threshold' was something that is easier to sustain over a short period, whereas here you seem to asscociate it with a longer period - i.e., 60 mins?

SBezza

Threshold is the power you can sustain for 1 hour, more commonly called FTP ( Functional Threshold Power)

Obviously if you are going balls out for 40 mins this is still likely to be around your threshold level, as I wouldn't expect someone to do above their threshold for 40 mins straight in regular gym bike sessions, unless very fit. When you do a 2x20 min session, you work just under your threshold power, but you still get the adaptions from it.

KnightOfTheLongTights

SBezza wrote:

When you do a 2x20 min session, you work just under your threshold power, but you still get the adaptions from it.

but why would you operate under threshold for 20 minutes? I'd've thought you would achieve the gains by operating above threshold effort over that shorter period?

SBezza

You can get the similar adaptions of riding just below threshold effort.

If for example your threshold power was 300 watts, your threshold zone would be in the region of 285w to 330w. Now you could do all the training at 330w, but you may find you blow before completing a session, hence to get 2 good quality intervals you back it down a touch so you complete the sessions and within the correct zone.

KnightOfTheLongTights

gotcha - thanks very much

Bronzie

SBezza wrote:

If for example your threshold power was 300 watts, your threshold zone would be in the region of 285w to 330w. Now you could do all the training at 330w, but you may find you blow before completing a session, hence to get 2 good quality intervals you back it down a touch so you complete the sessions and within the correct zone.

Not only that, but doing the intervals at the higher end of your threshold zone would mean recovery takes a little longer so you may not be able to do an effective training session the following day.

Perhaps better to aim for a slightly lower intensity to start with so you can maintain volume, and then increase the intensity week-on-week. Sooner or later however you will probably want to be doing them at the upper end of your threshold zone to keep getting the benefits.

KnightOfTheLongTights

Ok ta

How accurate are the watt meters on gym exercise bikes (old crap ones at that)?

my threshhold power looks to be not that much over 200w at the moment ...

SBezza

I doubt they will be accurate at all, though they might be repeatable if you use the same bike each time.

I wouldn't worry about what your power is to be honest, if you are new to cycling I doubt it is high, though 200W on those bikes might well be more.