Turbo training for rider who hates the turbo

marin_maniac

Much the same as many of you, I am now restricted to the turbo till the icey weather goes away.

Herein lies my problem. I hate the turbo. I'm fully aware that its either sitting on my butt, or doing some miles on the turbo till I can get out on the road.

To be honest with you, up until now I haven't really paid too much attention to the scientific side of training, rather than just getting out on the road and ride 8)

Now the winter is here, I see this as a good opportunity for my fitness to progress so that when I am able to get out on the bike, I will have made some progress in terms of speed and endurance. I certainly have no aspirations of racing, although I quite like the idea of doing some TT's when they start up again just for fun.

I don't have a HR monitor but my turbo does measure power. I can really only hack the turbo for 45mins to 1 hour at a time, any longer than that I'll want to slit me wrists!

In terms of time I can probably commit 3-4 hour sessions only per week due to work/family/studying etc.

So heres my question, how can I use that time most effectively with what I've got to work with?

I've seen and heard all sorts about intervals, 2x20, FTP, tempo and to be fair I can't seem to get me head around it all.

Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to make sure that I got everything down

THANKYOU PLEASE.

Anonymous

2x20s are ideal if you want to do some TTs.

Using the power on your turbo, do a good warm up then record the average power in a 20 minute effort as hard as you can. Take 95% of this as your Functional Threshold Power.

E.g. You average 300 watts for the 20 mins, set your FTP as 285 watts.

Then do the 2x20s at 90-95% FTP, in this example 256-271 watts.

Just an example, many people have different ways of doing things. I personally do 4x10 rather than 2x20...

marin_maniac

NapoleonD wrote:

2x20s are ideal if you want to do some TTs.

Using the power on your turbo, do a good warm up then record the average power in a 20 minute effort as hard as you can. Take 95% of this as your Functional Threshold Power.

E.g. You average 300 watts for the 20 mins, set your FTP as 285 watts.

Then do the 2x20s at 90-95% FTP, in this example 256-271 watts.

Just an example, many people have different ways of doing things. I personally do 4x10 rather than 2x20...

Cool, thanks for the quick reply 8)

I'm pretty sure that the turbo takes an average of various things including power over the duration, so thats a bonus.

On the basis that I haven't really done any miles turbo or road for the last 3-weeks, would it be ok to jump striaght into the 2x20s?

Doing the 2x20s, would a 20min warm up be sufficent, how long between the sets and how long to warm down?

Anonymous

I'd do a bit of riding easy/steady for a few days then do the test. Once you have done the test have a rest day then 2x20s. Have a rest day between successive 2x20 sessions but there's no harm doing a 2x20 then a normal ride the next day.
Warm up for 20 mins, 1st interval 5-10 mins recovery then 2nd interval. Cool down 5-10 mins.
After about 8 weeks, it may well be time to retest your FTP. If you are finding it easy after less time then retest. The test is good training anyway!

Pokerface

NapoleonD wrote:

2x20s are ideal if you want to do some TTs.

I *thought* 4x5s were better for TT training whilst 2x20 is more suited to road racing?

marin_maniac

Cheers Nap 8)

Chiggy

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index ... 35841.html

Some bloke has listed a whole raft of workouts.

marin_maniac

Chiggy wrote:

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-635841.html

Some bloke has listed a whole raft of workouts.

Thats gonna take some digesting, thanks

fish156

As a self-confessed turbo hater who doesn't want to race and is only considering doing some TTs for fun, you may well need to work out a plan with some specific goals if you're going keep up the 3-4 hour sessions per week.

marin_maniac

fish156 wrote:

As a self-confessed turbo hater who doesn't want to race and is only considering doing some TTs for fun, you may well need to work out a plan with some specific goals if you're going keep up the 3-4 hour sessions per week.

Maybe you have a point. I certainly haven't got any goals when it comes to riding my bike (except for maybe getting faster) , or need any motivation to get out of bed at 5am to ride, purely because I enjoy riding.

On the other hand I do need something to motivate me to get on the turbo, as the time I am able to commit to this is 1st thing in the morning before work etc, and to say I haven't been able to get out of bed to do any turbo miles in the last 3-weeks would be an understatement!

Chiggy

Marin Maniac wrote:

fish156 wrote:

As a self-confessed turbo hater who doesn't want to race and is only considering doing some TTs for fun, you may well need to work out a plan with some specific goals if you're going keep up the 3-4 hour sessions per week.

Maybe you have a point. I certainly haven't got any goals when it comes to riding my bike (except for maybe getting faster) , or need any motivation to get out of bed at 5am to ride, purely because I enjoy riding.

On the other hand I do need something to motivate me to get on the turbo, as the time I am able to commit to this is 1st thing in the morning before work etc, and to say I haven't been able to get out of bed to do any turbo miles in the last 3-weeks would be an understatement!

Turbo work is not measured in 'miles', its measured in kWhrs.

I was once told "Make it a pleasure, it will be a pleasure. Make it a chore, it will become a chore."
Sounds like you've made it a chore. A chore that you've been reluctant to do for three weeks makes me think you should give up the idea of becoming a faster cyclist.

Or would you like me to write down here what a PTI sergeant would say?

SBezza

Pokerface wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

2x20s are ideal if you want to do some TTs.

I *thought* 4x5s were better for TT training whilst 2x20 is more suited to road racing?

the 5 mins intervals are good for targetting Vo2Max, and good for 10m TT's, the 20 mins intervals really target the FTP however, and if this goes up your TT times will get better.

I would say any steady state stuff is probably better suited to TT's, something like the hour of power would be good for road racing I would have thought, or any session that the pace is increased for short periods.

SBezza

Marin Maniac wrote:

On the other hand I do need something to motivate me to get on the turbo, as the time I am able to commit to this is 1st thing in the morning before work etc, and to say I haven't been able to get out of bed to do any turbo miles in the last 3-weeks would be an understatement!

If very early morning is an issue, try and make time later in the day. I would struggle to get on the turbo at 5am, but I will spend 2.5 hours on the turbo during bad weather. I just make time in the evening to do sessions.

P_Tucker

SBezza wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

NapoleonD wrote:

2x20s are ideal if you want to do some TTs.

I *thought* 4x5s were better for TT training whilst 2x20 is more suited to road racing?

the 5 mins intervals are good for targetting Vo2Max, and good for 10m TT's, the 20 mins intervals really target the FTP however, and if this goes up your TT times will get better.

I would say any steady state stuff is probably better suited to TT's, something like the hour of power would be good for road racing I would have thought, or any session that the pace is increased for short periods.

4x5s are excellent for road racing too, given that its this sort of effort that gets you in the break or over the big hill.

Chiggy

Get someone to take a drive round the Peak District with your Garmin.

Convert the track into a distance/gradient profile. Slap it into your dyno controller's schedule folder; jump on your turbo and do it.
Arrange a scrolling chart on the screen so you can see the hills approching.

Don't bother with airy-fairy 5 minute mediocre power 'blips' that do exactly nothing.

P_Tucker

Chiggy wrote:

Get someone to take a drive round the Peak District with your Garmin.

Convert the track into a distance/gradient profile. Slap it into your dyno controller's schedule folder; jump on your turbo and do it.
Arrange a scrolling chart on the screen so you can see the hills approching.

Don't bother with airy-fairy 5 minute mediocre power 'blips' that do exactly nothing.

What do you get out of lying to people asking genuine questions? Just wondering like.

Pokerface

Chiggy wrote:

Get someone to take a drive round the Peak District with your Garmin.

Convert the track into a distance/gradient profile. Slap it into your dyno controller's schedule folder; jump on your turbo and do it.
Arrange a scrolling chart on the screen so you can see the hills approching.

Don't bother with airy-fairy 5 minute mediocre power 'blips' that do exactly nothing.

Seriously - I think it's time you p1ssed off to the Audax section (or simply go terrorize another forum altogether).

As usual, your training 'advice' is useless and contradictory to everyone else's. And once again you are clogging up the forum with nonsense.


Take the hint.

Anonymous

Chiggy wrote:

Get someone to take a drive round the Peak District with your Garmin.

Convert the track into a distance/gradient profile. Slap it into your dyno controller's schedule folder; jump on your turbo and do it.
Arrange a scrolling chart on the screen so you can see the hills approching.

Don't bother with airy-fairy 5 minute mediocre power 'blips' that do exactly nothing.

Anonymous

I sincerely hope this b0ll0cks isn't going to derail another thread.

I'll treat Chiggy's post as serious and respond.

1 - The OP has a turbo, not a programmeable Dyno.

2 - The OP wants to train for TTs, not bimbling round the peaks. What evidence do you have that 5 minute power intervals do nothing? Source/reference please.

bexley5200

i also have trouble concentrating on the turbo but with 4 inches of snow on the roads its beter than 4 hours in A + E with a broken arm then 8 weeks recovery i do 90 mins daily as i am trying to lose weight

Clank

As a quick comment - I've learnt a lot from this thread. I should be able to use some it in my quest to get back into cycling shape. Cheers guys 8)

A useful thread, and worth the price of admission by itself!

Determination

NapoleonD wrote:

I sincerely hope this b0ll0cks isn't going to derail another thread.

lol I just love this forum! :roll:

ugo.santalucia

For the first time even I had to resort to indoor training... but rather than a turbo, I bought a Gym membership... the spin classes are fairly good workout and the female instructors are very fit and better to look at than the door of my garage.
The high heart rate and immense heat in the room is a good training for the long hot summer climbs. I do up to 4 sessions a week at the moment, 45 -60 minutes each.
The spin bikes aren't terrible, they even have SPD pedals

I would recommend them over a boring session on the turbo on your own

Anonymous

The thing with spin classes is the other people around (and sessy laydees) always give you extra motivation.

SBezza

I found spin classes great for fitness, but for performance on the bike I thought the sessions were not so good. Still better than nothing, and you can make it as hard as you like. Fit instructors are always a bonus though

Turbo sessions can be very structured to what you target, spin classes for me would be fairly pointless, as most of the stuff taught is not relevant to TT's at all.

CarbonCopy

SBezza wrote:

I found spin classes great for fitness, but for performance on the bike I thought the sessions were not so good. Still better than nothing, and you can make it as hard as you like. Fit instructors are always a bonus though

Turbo sessions can be very structured to what you target, spin classes for me would be fairly pointless, as most of the stuff taught is not relevant to TT's at all.

I`m in total agrement here.I`ve been using spin classes and gym bikes for 12 months or so now and after reading Pokerface and Naps threads i bought a turbo trainer and powertap setup after the first weeks training i was walking like i had shat myself .It,s real addictive pain and having the graphs to compare things is a real motivator.

ugo.santalucia

Yeah, but for me at the moment is just about keeping a bit of fitness and pedalling in my garage just would add up to the already frustrating feeling of impotence... at least a pair of round breasts seem to cheer me up quite a lot...

Anonymous

Heh heh.

I must admit, the thought of a spin class is much netter than the thought of a grueller on the turbo. My three mine gripes with spinning are-

Replicating bike position accurately

Having to be a member of a gym

Having to walk bent forwards afterwards to hide my 'appreciation' of the lady instructor.

marin_maniac

NapoleonD wrote:

The thing with spin classes is the other people around (and sessy laydees) always give you extra motivation.

Thats it!

Thats the motivation I need to get on the turbo for an hour 4 times a week at 5am in the morning. At that time in the morning I might even get to see some full on door hanger nipple action. 8)

marin_maniac

Whoops double post. I think I was getting a bit carried away!

ugo.santalucia

NapoleonD wrote:

Heh heh.

I must admit, the thought of a spin class is much netter than the thought of a grueller on the turbo. My three mine gripes with spinning are-

Replicating bike position accurately

Having to be a member of a gym

Having to walk bent forwards afterwards to hide my 'appreciation' of the lady instructor.

I can normally find a riding position similar enough and certainly it doesn't bother me for 60 minutes or so... if i had to pedal for 4 hours maybe it would be different...

The membership costs me 48 pounds a month, but includes swimming pool, gym etc .etc... I will certainly drop it in march... all in all it costs me less than what I spend on average in tyres per year.
The third problem will soon disappear, just give more harsh time to your prostate...