What type of training should I do on Zwift?
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If you are a Strava premium user and have Zwift linked to Strava, you will be able to see your progression on the Fitness & Freshness tab under Training.0
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All I can say is the Garmin HRM is telling me my heartrate is hovering around the 180 mark but I can talk fine during the activity, don't feel particularly stressed from a respiratory perspective. Perhaps my heartrate can go higher, but I'm not overly comfortable with trying to find out.
If you can talk and don't feel stressed then you I would suggest you are not that close to Zone 4 or 5 at 180bpm. Power/HR zones as per the Coggan chart (the most commonly used chart and the one which platforms like TrainingPeaks use) work on lactate threshold %, which is not the same as max HR. General rule of thumb is that lactate threshold HR is around 85% of max HR.
At 180bpm, if you were really finding that comfortable that could, for arguments sake, put you in Zone 3. Let's say that is 85% of lactate threshold HR (LTHR). That would put your LTHR at 212bpm. Working on the basis that LTHR is roughly 85% of Max HR that would put your max HR at 249bpm! This is unlikely to say the least.
The above is obviously speculative (and someone with better maths may dispute me!) and you would need an expert to do proper lab tests to get true HR readings, but I suspect either your Garmin HRM is wildly off the mark or your actual effort is a lot harder at 180bpm than you think it is.
None of this is meant to be critical or patronising at all by the way, I am genuinely interested by this stuff and the numbers you have posted and general observations have got me thinking.
Also, as you want to get fitter and you are largely working to HR at the moment, ensuring your HR zones are correct is key to aiding your training. I will also add the caveat that I could be completely wrong on all my assumptions!0 -
I don't really want to buy another HRM just to test if my existing one is accurate. How likely is it that the Garmin is wildly wrong?
From what I have described/experienced previously, I feel that I hit the wall very quickly. I feel fine, feel fine, feel fine, feel fine...wall.
So when Im saying I don't have laboured breathing, that is true, but if I was to just push say 5% more, it would exponentially deteriorate.
This is also what I've described when mountain biking, in both terms of duration and effort. For example I cant seem to push beyond a certain level of effort even over a short distance or I just grind to a halt, but also I tend to have nothing left in my legs after around 2 to 3 hours of riding as well so there is a short term power component and a long term endurance limit both acting like a hard wall on me.
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From what I have described/experienced previously, I feel that I hit the wall very quickly. I feel fine, feel fine, feel fine, feel fine...wall.
So when Im saying I don't have laboured breathing, that is true, but if I was to just push say 5% more, it would exponentially deteriorate.
Ah okay, this is making much more sense now.
Again, this is an educated guess but I suspect your 180bpm is around or perhaps just slightly above your LTHR i.e. your FTP kind of power output. You are likely not going as high as Zone 5 in my opinion. This could account for the fact that your effort feels manageable and not too laboured for a period, but then suddenly you go pop. The 'wall' feeling is most likely the point at which you are going from aerobic to anaerobic and thus the effort is no longer sustainable.
If this is the case (again, it is speculative on my part) then as you say, it is a question of improving aerobic/cardiovascular fitness.
If I am correct and that 180bpm is around LTHR, knock the effort down to say 165bpm and do a couple of controlled sessions per week (45-60mins) if possible at this sustained HR. 4-6 weeks of this and do another FTP test to see if there have been any improvements.
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Is your heart rate monitor one with a chest strap or just a wrist watch type.0
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Its a chest strap one. Garmin HRM dual.webboo said:Is your heart rate monitor one with a chest strap or just a wrist watch type.
Ah ok so this should be fine because the first workout I did of the programme Ive just started - the Absa Cape Epic programme - my heartrate was around 165 for most of it and only started to creep up to 180 on the last of the three intervals.MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:
If I am correct and that 180bpm is around LTHR, knock the effort down to say 165bpm and do a couple of controlled sessions per week (45-60mins) if possible at this sustained HR. 4-6 weeks of this and do another FTP test to see if there have been any improvements.
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Re chest strap just checking because the wrist ones are supposed to be very unreliable.0
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Plenty of advice I agree with.
Note that a garmin watch tends to be really laggy when you rapidly increase effort.
I'm not fit enough to sprint (running) long enough for the garmin watch to display my true heart rate.
The highest reading ive ever had was 190bpm (im 44) I can output 150-155 bpm easily for a few hours but if i creep above 165 I start blowing, lose my speed and struggle to recover.0 -
Guys my main problem at the moment is my private parts going numb from the constant sitting down and pressure all in one spot. Ive tried adjusting my saddle and its not helping. Any ideas please?
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A pair of bib shorts with an excellent pad and a breathable back, plus try and get into a habit of regular getting out of the saddle for ~30secs+.
You should be finding by now that your body is starting to adapt to the heat of turbo training, so your heart rate for a given power zone is lower, providing you are drinking plenty of water and have the fan blasting your back.================
2020 Voodoo Marasa
2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
2016 Voodoo Wazoo0 -
Yeah I have some padded shorts, and I have my saddle where it is otherwise comfortable. Its just after about half hour my bits just get really squashed and go numb.
on my mountain bike I run the saddle with a slight downwards nose, but I cant do that on the turbo because the more static position keeps making me slide forwards, so I run it exactly flat. Its comfortable until my bits go numb.
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Try something with a cut-out. I picked up an Aspide cheaply from Spa Cycles (they've still got them listed) and despite them looking a bit like a razor blade, my comfort limit on the turbo went from 45-60 mins to 2 hours plus.
(Bought the "supercomfort" version at twice the price for my new road bike and it is great for hours, but then road riding is not so heavy on the old bits...)0 -
Just have a 3 minute break every half hour, get off the turbo have a stretch and then restart the session. That's what I do, I can't sit for more than 30-40mins at a time on the turbo. Changing saddles/poisitions etc made no difference. Getting off the bike and having a break is the only thing that does.0
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Who needs to train or have natural talent for Zwift races, when apparently you can use the Companion app and change your weight on the fly, lose a bit on inclines and add a bit on descents?
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2020 Voodoo Marasa
2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
2016 Voodoo Wazoo0 -
Is it really dangerous not to worry about HR? I have maxed at 200 (about two weeks ago) and frequently cycle well over my theoretical maximum, usually averaging above it.0
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There is no such thing as a theoretical maximum heart rate. Your maximum is your maximum.HilaryAmin said:Is it really dangerous not to worry about HR? I have maxed at 200 (about two weeks ago) and frequently cycle well over my theoretical maximum, usually averaging above it.
I presume you were referring to 220 minus your age which is b0llocks.1 -
I'm astounded this is still perceived as fact by, what must be, a large percentage of people who are looking to train.webboo said:
There is no such thing as a theoretical maximum heart rate. Your maximum is your maximum.HilaryAmin said:Is it really dangerous not to worry about HR? I have maxed at 200 (about two weeks ago) and frequently cycle well over my theoretical maximum, usually averaging above it.
I presume you were referring to 220 minus your age which is b0llocks.
It's like one of those myths that has perpetuated
Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
Scott CR1 SL 12
Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
Scott Foil 180 -
Yes, 220-age. It is something I got off the gym apparatus and then realised that my HR was way over if I really made an effort. I guess gym owners have to transfer risk acceptance to their users in that way. I have quite low blood pressure too but my doctor (whom I haven't seen for two years - I think he has gone into hiding) said I didn't need to worry about that, so I don't. I never got to ask him about HR before he vanished.0
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Whatever your highest HR reading is - use that as your max number. If you ever see a higher number, then update it with the new number. If you use HR as a way of setting training zones, then just adjust your zones to reflect the new number. By definition, you cannot exceed your 'maximum' HR, so it doesn't sound like you've hit it yet...HilaryAmin said:Yes, 220-age. It is something I got off the gym apparatus and then realised that my HR was way over if I really made an effort. I guess gym owners have to transfer risk acceptance to their users in that way. I have quite low blood pressure too but my doctor (whom I haven't seen for two years - I think he has gone into hiding) said I didn't need to worry about that, so I don't. I never got to ask him about HR before he vanished.
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Zwift says I do all my riding in zones 4 and 5 but Strava says zones 2 and 3. Guess Zwift must be using the age thing and Strava ignores age and bases zones on performance figures.0
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Strava will go by your theoretical unless you tell it what your actual max is.
Looking at zwift, it does the same as it's got my max as 190bpm, where in reality that's not even my threshold.
Looks like you have to set them both to your actual max rather than let them calculate them.
Also the algorithms for zones is probably different as I know strava uses it's own for weighted power, which is completely different to everyone elses.
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Are you completely done in after every ride on Zwift? If not, you aren't only in zones 4 and 5.HilaryAmin said:Zwift says I do all my riding in zones 4 and 5 but Strava says zones 2 and 3. Guess Zwift must be using the age thing and Strava ignores age and bases zones on performance figures.
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Zones are meaningless without any reference to the HR numbers involved.HilaryAmin said:Zwift says I do all my riding in zones 4 and 5 but Strava says zones 2 and 3. Guess Zwift must be using the age thing and Strava ignores age and bases zones on performance figures.
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Was cream-crackered after my last - the TOW stage 5, Eastern Eight. A bit of zone 3 warming up then all zone 5 but with avg HR only 150 and avg power 189 watts. My FTP is currently 223 (estimated).kingstongraham said:
Are you completely done in after every ride on Zwift? If not, you aren't only in zones 4 and 5.HilaryAmin said:Zwift says I do all my riding in zones 4 and 5 but Strava says zones 2 and 3. Guess Zwift must be using the age thing and Strava ignores age and bases zones on performance figures.
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