Heart rate for 2 x 20's

bjl
bjl Posts: 353
edited March 2012 in Training, fitness and health
Been doing a few 2 x 20 intervals to try to improve performance; my max heart rate is @ 185 bpm - i have been doing these on a long constant drag of a hill at @ 166 bpm , am i at the right intensity or do i need to go up or down. Can anyone point me to a good book that covers interval training as i need to understand a bit more, cheers.

Comments

  • Pseudonym
    Pseudonym Posts: 1,032
    166 would be about 90% of your max, so that sounds about right for threshold, in general. Training by HR is not a precise science, but anything between high 80s to low 90s could be termed as threshold.
  • cyco2
    cyco2 Posts: 593
    I don't know any books but if you google..'Heart rate training zones' and then....'Interval training' it will get you plenty of information. It is that simple that a book would soon pick up dust.
    ...................................................................................................

    If you want to be a strong rider you have to do strong things.
    However if you train like a cart horse you'll race like one.
  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    Did you do a max HR test to determine your max HR? Or are you using the 220-age equation?
  • bjl
    bjl Posts: 353
    Haven't done a max heart rate test for a while- but have been to 183 recently, could have probably pushed a little further - age is 48 so not based on 220 - age. I realise it is easy to google anything but was interested in some real life experience from you guys, cheers.
  • chrisw12
    chrisw12 Posts: 1,246
    Real life experience, back in the day, my figures were more or less the same as you, so I'd say you were bang on.
  • cyco2
    cyco2 Posts: 593
    RLE....Luckily I have a flatish 10mile circular course and I don't do 2x20's I get myself up to the Zone 4 and hold it there for 1 hour. I prefer doing it that way because I can also enjoy the ride. :oops:
    ...................................................................................................

    If you want to be a strong rider you have to do strong things.
    However if you train like a cart horse you'll race like one.
  • Pseudonym
    Pseudonym Posts: 1,032
    cyco2 wrote:
    RLE....Luckily I have a flatish 10mile circular course and I don't do 2x20's I get myself up to the Zone 4 and hold it there for 1 hour. I prefer doing it that way because I can also enjoy the ride. :oops:

    what is zone 4 for you, as a matter of interest..?
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    From Coggan re Level 4
    "Effort
    sufficiently high that continuous cycling at
    this level is mentally taxing..."
    no mention of enjoyment....
  • cyco2
    cyco2 Posts: 593
    With a MHR of 160 due to age, zone 4 starts to low for me so I work it at 140 (87.5%) and really know I'm cooking when it settles between 150 (94%) and 155 (97%). My MHR test was correct.
    Nothing more than knocking off a couple 10's.
    ...................................................................................................

    If you want to be a strong rider you have to do strong things.
    However if you train like a cart horse you'll race like one.
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,473
    Sounds spot on to me. I'm 2 or 3 years younger, HRmax as it happens probably about 2 or 3 beats higher, and my last 2x20 I did the first one at 167 and the second one at 173. That was on an indoor tacx fortius trainer (RLV) and really pushing it on the second one though.
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    cyco2 wrote:
    RLE....Luckily I have a flatish 10mile circular course and I don't do 2x20's I get myself up to the Zone 4 and hold it there for 1 hour. I prefer doing it that way because I can also enjoy the ride. :oops:

    surely thats 1x60? not 2x20
    :?:
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    edited March 2012
    on a separate note, i find riding at a set and consistent HR impossible even on a turbo. so how do you Lot achieve it?
    there's also cardiovascular drift so a consistent HR will result in a constant power drop off throughout the interval.
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • doyler78
    doyler78 Posts: 1,951
    sub55 wrote:
    on a separate note, i find riding at a set and consistent HR impossible even on a turbo. so how do you Lot achieve it?
    there's also cardiovascular drift so a consistent HR will result in a constant power drop off throughout the interval.

    I'm with you on that one and furthermore the idea that you could settle on 94-97% of max for a 1 hour effort would be impossible for me. I might see that range for about 1 min @ the end of a 2x20 effort.

    On 2x20s I'd start around 155bpm and rise to around 183bpm (or 78% to 92%) and then the second effort would start a bit higher about around 160bpm and finish around 188bpm (or 81% to 95%) and that's kicking the last minute if there is anything left.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Bob a job..? someone to shout at you to keep your HR up and to shout at you to keep your HR level?
  • sub55
    sub55 Posts: 1,025
    JGSI wrote:
    Bob a job..? someone to shout at you to keep your HR up and to shout at you to keep your HR level?

    what i was trying to say was , you dont want to keep your heart rate level . What you want is to keep your power output constant or at least as constant as possible given minor fluctuations, at any given time.
    Now if you have`nt got a power meter , you really want your heart rate to be drifting upwards throughout the interval.
    constantly reavalueating the situation and altering the perceived parameters accordingly
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,473
    In my case I was quoting averages over 20 minutes and there is indeed an upward drift. The first session ranges from about 160bpm-175, the second one from 170-180.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    sub55 wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    Bob a job..? someone to shout at you to keep your HR up and to shout at you to keep your HR level?

    what i was trying to say was , you dont want to keep your heart rate level . What you want is to keep your power output constant or at least as constant as possible given minor fluctuations, at any given time.
    Now if you have`nt got a power meter , you really want your heart rate to be drifting upwards throughout the interval.

    Heat stress is a source for an escalating HR... bob a job... someone to fan you down at great knots as well as shouting
  • bjl
    bjl Posts: 353
    Thanks for all replies - i will get round to reading up on it but i find your thoughts very useful - on a similar note - would doing 5 minute intervals allow for a higher bpm effort.
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    my MHR is 186, so virtually the same as you, and I usually aim to do 20 minute intervals at 165-170 so I'd say you're spot on.

    For shorter intervals, say 2-3 minutes, then 170-175 is my usual range. That's doable but hard work.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • Alex_Simmons/RST
    Alex_Simmons/RST Posts: 4,161
    HRResponseAPITTI.png
    RST Sport : Coaching - Training Plans - Powermeters -- My blog -- AeroCoach Australia
  • The Swedish Chef
    The Swedish Chef Posts: 16
    This is my last 2 * 20 session, as you can see the power is consitent over the two, whilst the HR slowly rises but stays under zone 5.
    2by20.jpg
  • Alex_Simmons/RST
    Alex_Simmons/RST Posts: 4,161
    and this is what happens to power and speed when HR is kept flat....

    2009-08-23_TT-1.jpg
    RST Sport : Coaching - Training Plans - Powermeters -- My blog -- AeroCoach Australia

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