Help!! Threshold training using a heart rate monitor

Yaspole

Looking for advice on threshold training. I have not exercised using my heart rate monitor much. I have taken my max heart rate and min and I have all my calculations for Zones.
I have been doing a session at 100rpm tempo for 45 mins keeping it in my Zone4 which is about 169-178. Am I right in thinking it's not about resistance but about keeping it in those Zones. Not sure if I am doing it right as sometimes I dont have much resistance on at all.

napoleond

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19782173#p19782173]Yaspole[/url] wrote:

Looking for advice on threshold training. I have not exercised using my heart rate monitor much. I have taken my max heart rate and min and I have all my calculations for Zones.
I have been doing a session at 100rpm tempo for 45 mins keeping it in my Zone4 which is about 169-178. Am I right in thinking it's not about resistance but about keeping it in those Zones. Not sure if I am doing it right as sometimes I dont have much resistance on at all.

Rather than max heart rate (how did you find it?) you're better off getting zones using a test such as a 30 minute time trial or the Carmichael 2x8 minute test then getting your zones from that. (Google them)...

Yaspole

Once I'm half way through the tempo training I don't feel too bad,I am trying to do 3 sessions on the turbo trainer a 100 tempo, a tabata interval ( bikeraders one ) and a general 60min session. I also do about a 40-50 mile ride at the weekend. I have entered a few sportives so I am looking at getting a bit quicker and stronger ( also want to get a a few more strava QOM's). I just panic that my max heart rate goes up quite high.

slowmart

Correctly establishling your zones is vital if you're to max out your training and be aware your zones will move as your fitness increases.

Alex_Simmons/RST

HR response from a well paced set of 2 x 20-min efforts at ~ FTP (red dots):

bobmcstuff

Are you doing your entire 45 minutes in Z4?? If you are that would/should feel a bit nasty by the end!

The Carmichael 8min HR test is quite useful as it's the average HR over an 8 min effort, which if you pace it right could take some of the guesswork out of whether you've definitively hit MHR or not as you can set your zones from that instead. I have previously done efforts that I thought were absolute max, with all the hallmarks, but then managed a few of beats higher on a different day.

I also find that no matter how hard I try I just can't reach the same heart rates on the turbo as I can on the road (I assume something to do with cooling and wind), so it could be worth doing a turbo specific test.