Heart rate % and intervals...
badly_dubbed
Posts: 1,350
Can anyone suggest a decent 30-40 minute interval session I can use in conjunction with my HRM?
I'm unsure of what rates to train at when doing intervals...
My aim is to build power speed and endurance if this helps.
(just got HRM)
Cheers guys
I'm unsure of what rates to train at when doing intervals...
My aim is to build power speed and endurance if this helps.
(just got HRM)
Cheers guys
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Comments
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Add to your question - mine:
If you are doing such a short session, would it not make sense to do the intervals as hard as you can? Therefore not rely on HR....
To the OP - how long are your intervals? That will help determine the intensity.0 -
Well this is what I'd like to establish
Should I do 1min hard 2mkn recovery or what?0 -
badly_dubbed wrote:Well this is what I'd like to establish
Should I do 1min hard 2mkn recovery or what?
Someone will chime in with this question:
What are you training FOR? You want to build speed and endurance, but what is your goal? TT's? Road races? Track sprinting? Just keeping up on club runs?
Knowing what your goals are will help determine the type of training you should do.0 -
Yea club stuff sorry I should have mentioned
Not racing road though I will race mtb 2011...
Just all round want to be fast and be up with the quick guys of the groups (they are androids!)0 -
10 minutes warm up, 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy x 10, 5-10 minute cool down. HR not really applicable because of the lag, great session though and it goes pretty quickly.0
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Pokerface wrote:
If you are doing such a short session, would it not make sense to do the intervals as hard as you can? Therefore not rely on HR....
Yea agree with that!0 -
So, what can I use my HRM for...?
Longer sessions 1hr+ at say 70-80% MHR steady pace?
Or higher/lower HR?
Sorry for the q's folks lol0 -
I've done sessions like this before
5 minutes under 70%
10 minutes 70%
Sprint/hard effort for 1 minute
9 minutes 70% <===should be warmed up now
4 minutes 80%
1 minute 70%
Then repeat 85% and "recovery" at 70%. The exact duration would vary according to what you've done. The number of repeats too
Start with 3 minutes at 85% and 2 minutes recovery
In subsequent sessions, Increase the length of the 85% part until you get to 10 minutes +
The HRM is not the greatest tool for this sort of thing. As the session goes on the amount of real "effort" will vary. Each time you alter your current target from 85% to 70% or 70% to 85% there is quite a long lag between the effort altering and the heart rate altering
But it is useful. The amount of pain and sweat is surprising. You can take this experience to other situations.
If you get bored of this method then make the "on" period more difficult, ie 90%+ and shorter. The HRM is less usful for this. But your previous experience at 85% will help you gauge it correctly. For this do efforts of no more than 2 minutes.
I have done 30 minutes at 70% then 70 minutes at 80% but that was just extremely boring
I only did it as I had a busted collar bone and couldn't ride on the road0 -
Well first you need to work out your zones and there are plenty of threads on how to do that. How long the intervals are will determine how hard you go, obviously. Different durations lead to different adaptations so you should do varying lengths of time, up to say the famous 2x20mins. I've read stuff that says you can't improve your VO2 max with intervals as short as 1 minute so you need to be looking at some of 3 to five mins as hard as you can. Also remember when doing these (and this is where a power meter is better or even using speed) that you can't set off at 100% or you'll be cooked after 30secs.
Have fun!0 -
If you are looking to improve sustainable power, Level 4 intervals (ie 2x20's) offer great "value" in terms of time spent:
Typically
10 min warmup gradually increasing resistance
2 x 10-20 min intervals @ 85-90% MHR* with 5 min easy in between
5 min cool down
* - initial heart rate will be below this but will rise during the interval - aim to keep the same power output during the interval (use rear wheel speed on the turbo as a proxy for power)
1-min on / 1-min off are good for improving lactate tolerance / anaerobic threshold, but may not be that useful for club rides0 -
The first thing to do with your HRM is to warm up properly and then go balls out to see what your MAX is!
As others have said, intervals with a HRM are pointless due to lag and 'hang-up'.
HR is independent of Power, VO2 uptake and Blood Lactate. What it is useful for though is quantifying the rate of reduction when work stops.
Your HRM will be an indication of what your heart is doing during your kWHour ( or as much as you can do in an hour ).
If you use HR as the feedback to intensity, when cardiac drift starts, intensity will reduce in sympathy, so your workout load deminishes.
Use the HRM as a indicator meter during a constant effort session and you will notice cardiac drift happening.
If you train hard enough to get cardiac drift, you will be sweating a lot, so don't forget to replace the lost Sodium ( salt ).0 -
Ok, so find your lactate threshold with the following test.
http://www.steelcityendurance.com/index ... &Itemid=85
When you've done that, work out your zones and do some 3 minute intervals with 3 minute recoveries sustaining a pace higher than your threshold. Example, threshold = 180BPM, do them at 185................ouch! Mentally very tough sessions but also very potent.0 -
I would say for any duration under 5 mins HR is going to be next to useless, and I train with HR. By the time it has got to above threshold, the session will be over.
You can do the longer intervals by HR, but even this is a little bit of a guessimate, due to HR drift as Chiggy has mentioned.
I would do intervals by perceived effort, 3 min intervals if done correctly will hurt BIG time, it might take a little trial and error at first of what you can actually manage in this sort of interval.
I would go along with Bronzie and say increasing your threshold power is a better way of improving for a club run0 -
For short intervals (< 3mins) yes, an HRM is pointless - for longer intervals, it can be useful as a guide to intensity provided you allow for cardiac drift and don't get too hung up on exact numbers - it's a guide, that's all.Chiggy wrote:As others have said, intervals with a HRM are pointless due to lag and 'hang-up'.
A 2x20 session with constant power will look something like this in terms of HR lag and drift:
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rock_hopper wrote:Ok, so find your lactate threshold with the following test.
http://www.steelcityendurance.com/index ... &Itemid=85
When you've done that, work out your zones and do some 3 minute intervals with 3 minute recoveries sustaining a pace higher than your threshold. Example, threshold = 180BPM, do them at 185................ouch! Mentally very tough sessions but also very potent.
There's just a minor slight anomoly in that test.
IF, you finish knowing you gave it everything you had, you won't be able to walk to the shower, let alone cooldown pedaling for 15 minutes.
You should collapse in heap off the ergometer with your calfs and quads writhing in agony.
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Jeez lol info overload!
Think I will give the 2x20/10 @85-90mHR a shot....seems the simplest to follow for now
Lol
Thanks guys 0 -
Bronzie wrote:
For short intervals (< 3mins) yes, an HRM is pointless - for longer intervals, it can be useful as a guide to intensity provided you allow for cardiac drift and don't get too hung up on exact numbers - it's a guide, that's all.Chiggy wrote:As others have said, intervals with a HRM are pointless due to lag and 'hang-up'.
A 2x20 session with constant power will look something like this in terms of HR lag and drift:
If that red zone is for you, you must be in your early sixties. 0 -
Well I did
10min warm up @65%MHR
15min effort @78-81%MHR - took a bit to get there and I was pushing! I couldnt have went much longer I don't think so how you guys do 20mins @85% is mental lol
5min recovery @70%MHR fell rapidly back to this and was steady.
15min 2nd effort again only around 78-80%MHR this was tough, I hit 85% only for the last minute or so! My legs were Shouting.
5min recovery dropping to around 60-65%MHR.
Any thoughts or that as I felt I had a tidy session but I'd like a bit feedback?0 -
Sufferfest Revolver or downward spiral, both interval sessions, both work you hard. Try them, they're great
http://www.thesufferfest.com/video-suff ... -revolver/0 -
I personally wouldn't worry about your % of MHR, have you actually tested your MHR or are you using the default value set into the HRM.
If you did 15 mins and thought hanging on for a few more minutes really wasn't possible, then you have probably got the intensity right. The session should be a tough session
One thing I would do though is warm up gradually to a HR not far off from where you would start the interval.
I would do 15 mins working up to about 80% and keep it at 80% for about 5 mins, then pedal easyish for a few minutes, before doing 20 mins ending up at about 90%+
Below is an example from one earlier in the year.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/317168070 -
I have angels and fight club?
I also have all the CTS Train right series...0 -
SBezza wrote:I personally wouldn't worry about your % of MHR, have you actually tested your MHR or are you using the default value set into the HRM.
If you did 15 mins and thought hanging on for a few more minutes really wasn't possible, then you have probably got the intensity right. The session should be a tough session
One thing I would do though is warm up gradually to a HR not far off from where you would start the interval.
I would do 15 mins working up to about 80% and keep it at 80% for about 5 mins, then pedal easyish for a few minutes, before doing 20 mins ending up at about 90%+
Below is an example from one earlier in the year.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/31716807
Thanks, that makes sense I'll give that a go!
Think I went from my warm up a bit hard and like you say shouldnhave built up gradually learning curve tho! 0
