Knowing if a Turbo session has been effective?

badly_dubbed

Ive just done the sufferfests new video, There is No Try, and did it to the letter as best i could, how can i tell from my figures if the session has been effective or worth the effort?

heres my graphs on strava (will be using trainer road tomorrow working with power)

http://app.strava.com/activities/26505228

TINT is geared for speedwork, can you tell from HR figures if ive managed to get the best from the session or not hard enough etc etc?

pretty new to turbo training seriously, before id just spin and do any old crap....


maybe some of the more experienced chaps could comment further?

thanks!

nmcgann

Well, it's pretty much impossible to measure the effect of a single turbo session - especially one as massively variable as this appeared to be. From what I have seen of the sufferfest sessions they are mostly aimed at people that can't handle the boredom of normal turbo work, so they do have a good motivational purpose.

I'd say you'd get more benefit from time spent by doing a continuous hour of tempo effort, or harder threshold work (2x20 etc.) at this time of year and leave the intervals until closer to the new season.

Herbsman

You can tell by trying to walk down some stairs the next day. If your muscles give way and you collapse into a heap at the bottom of the stairs, then it worked.

bigpikle

Its the same concept as 'no bad foods just bad diets'....

You have to look at every session in the context of your goals, current fitness, your total programme, other workouts and recovery. Think big picture...

ShutUpLegs

Getting off the turbo quickly enough to find an open door/ window or bucket to puke into

Curious Yellow

Can you not measure how faster you are on a ride you do frequently? If you're getting faster then the sessions are working surely?

jgsi

I've done enough 'turbo' miles this year to give an opinion....
I really don't care what distance it measures except for curiosity.. when I did a 4hr 'indoor ride' it claimed 79 miles for me.
What does matter is 'intensity' - how you work your intervals.. it should be all interval training whether it be endurance or anaerobic capacity.. but for that you need a proper measuring 'stick'.... (power based training)
So at the very least you could work with Sufferfests or Spinnervals to make best use of your time and energy.

Herbsman

FOUR HOURS?! On a turbo trainer? Jesus wept!

jgsi

I admit it was a bit of insanity... but strangely enough after the desperately needed 4 days recovery , that weekend following, I got my best race result of 2012...

Harley35

4 hours on a turbo? My never regions, concentration and willpower can take an hour and a half tops. Madness!

Trev The Rev

JGSI wrote:

I admit it was a bit of insanity... but strangely enough after the desperately needed 4 days recovery , that weekend following, I got my best race result of 2012...

Strange that - how you got your best result of the year after 4 days desperately needed recovery.

There are 2 key points here,

1. You trained hard enough to need the 4 days recovery.
2. You took the 4 days recovery and recovered fully.

cougie

As has been said - its impossible to say definitively what effect just one session has had.

BUT - if you train regularly - and rest well - you will get better.

What would the other option be ? Sitting on the sofa ? I dont know many champions who did it that way.

If its turbo v road - then its trickier to judge - but a turbo session can be more intense and just quicker to do.
By the time i'm kitted up for a night ride these days - thats 20 mins I could have had on the turbo.

Find a plan and stick to it and you'll improve.