Turbo Training

rjyoung1978kgSHBPHN

Is there any greater benefit in doing your turbo session in the morning, lunchtime or evening ?

MattFalle

No. Its all the same.

katani

Not just turbo, but training in general - afternoons are the best. If it is a week day and I go to work, and the session is to be pushing a hard effort I won't do it in the morning as I will then find I start feeling tired around lunch time and will struggle to maintain focus on work. I would also often find I struggled to control my hunger and overate later in the day after training before work, so weight management was an issue.
Too late in the evening won't be good either as I may then not have enough time to calm the hormones down and struggle to fall asleep / the sleep will be poor quality. The last meal must be no later than 3-4 hours before going to bed especially if it is rich in proteins, so training must be finished no later than 6pm.
If I train on consecutive days, I will also sometimes find I wake up in the morning and feel that the leg muscles are cooked / muscles still depleted of glycogen. I wouldn't be able to do a quality session in that state, but if I do one in the afternoon, I can use the day to top up the glycogen and give the muscles additional time to recover. I enjoy the workout itself more and can focus on it fully knowing I have nothing else to do that day, rather than knowing I still have a full day of intense work at workplace ahead.

super_davo

It totally depends on the person. I feel I have most energy and focus in the morning so that's when I train. But the previous poster is clearly an afternoon person, everyone is different. And of course the most important thing is fitting it around your life... The difference between morning or afternoon or evening is small, the difference between doing or not doing is enormous!

singleton

There probably are different physiological benefits to doing your training at specific times of the day - due to the amount of other activity you may do before or after - but ultimately I'd say to just do it at the time you want or is most convenient.
The very best training is the training that you actually do - so why not make it easy for yourself and increase the likelihood of you doing it?

feelgoodlost

In the morning before breakfast, if it can be done. Help to kickstart your metabolism and all that. I find doing it too late in the evening leaves me wired by the time I go to bed and can't sleep. I don't think I've ever jumped on the trainer after dinner either.

daniel_b

It's a very individual thing, which you can only work out by trying it.

I used to sometimes turbo up until 10pm a night, but then as already mentioned, sleep is a real struggle.

Best times for me personally in order are:

Early morning before work ~06:00/07:00
After breakfast ~09:00
Lunchtime-ish ~11:30-12:30 start time

Dorset_Boy

The only time that's bad is too close to going to bed, as others have said.
Otherwise, whatever fits your lifestyle.

kingstongraham

Also too close to drinking time is bad.

pblakeney

kingstongraham said:

Also too close to drinking time is bad.

I've never had any issues prior to drinking time.
One memorable incident after drinking time though. 😉

MattFalle

So the consensus seems to be anytime really.

isn't that what that bloke at the top said?

carbonclem

NO, late at night generally isn't considered a good option, and morning is good if part of a weight loss/fasted training regime. So, really not just 'anytime'.

MattFalle

what if you're a shift worker or your body doesn't mind late night training?

there is no wrong time

just do it when it suits you.

carbonclem

What if you havent got a turbo?

Its general advice.

ugo.santalucia

As a side track... I did an over under session today, quite easy one, 1 min 105% and 2 min at 80% times 12... didn't feel too taxing by my standards, but still a decent sweat, I was thinking of using something similar as recovery, as opposed to pointless slogs at low power, which are boring as hell... thoughts?

webboo

Are you not just better doing nothing. I’ve never found recovery rides, runs or the like doing anything other than add to the fatigue you feel. I know there’s tons of stuff saying it works but people also reckon those compression socks work.

ugo.santalucia

webboo said:

Are you not just better doing nothing. I’ve never found recovery rides, runs or the like doing anything other than add to the fatigue you feel. I know there’s tons of stuff saying it works but people also reckon those compression socks work.

There will be days when I do nothing, but today I was working from home, did seem a waste not to have a workout of some sort...

webboo

ugo.santalucia said:

webboo said:

Are you not just better doing nothing. I’ve never found recovery rides, runs or the like doing anything other than add to the fatigue you feel. I know there’s tons of stuff saying it works but people also reckon those compression socks work.

There will be days when I do nothing, but today I was working from home, did seem a waste not to have a workout of some sort...

But is that a recovery ride. The more years you train, the more you can train.

ugo.santalucia

webboo said:

ugo.santalucia said:

webboo said:

Are you not just better doing nothing. I’ve never found recovery rides, runs or the like doing anything other than add to the fatigue you feel. I know there’s tons of stuff saying it works but people also reckon those compression socks work.

There will be days when I do nothing, but today I was working from home, did seem a waste not to have a workout of some sort...

But is that a recovery ride. The more years you train, the more you can train.

that was my original question... whether a lighter workout skirting around the FTP can be seen as recovery... it certainly feels like it, after a hard training session (eg VO2 max stuff) or after a race, or even after a long outdoor ride.

webboo

To be honest I’ve no idea re FTP. However even at my age 67 I will sometimes do an interval session the day after a 4 or 5 hour ride or the other way round, if I feel like it.
When you’ve been riding as long as you have, you should have a good what you are capable of on given day by how you feel.

slowmart

ugo.santalucia said:

As a side track... I did an over under session today, quite easy one, 1 min 105% and 2 min at 80% times 12... didn't feel too taxing by my standards, but still a decent sweat, I was thinking of using something similar as recovery, as opposed to pointless slogs at low power, which are boring as hell... thoughts?

You might find yourself digging a hole if you use over and unders as a recovery session incorporated in a structured training plan;-)

Depends if you mean recovery or zone 2?

And adding a caveat to webbo, the older you get the fewer high intensity sessions you can do incorporated within a structured programme without symptoms of over training.

Me, I’ve just stopped digging from 6hrs a week with four intensity workouts a week. Just considering doing 2 high intensity supplemented with 4-5 hours of zone 2. 55 and still writing cheques my body is having trouble cashing.

daniel_b

I'm no expert on training, but I know my body needs those recovery weeks at Zone 1 and Zone 2.

I don't personally think a workout hovering around FTP will give the necessary recovery effect, but I guess you can only try it, and monitor what happens with your output and fatigue levels.

Admittedly I too find recovery workouts pretty boring.

My method to alleviate that, OR get maximum benefit is to go for a slightly harder intensity level, and or combined with a longer workout. Maybe use no fans, or on a lighter setting, so it's harder work, and also spend a lot of time down in the drops, potentially the entire workout.

rjyoung1978kgSHBPHN

Thanks all. I think lunchtimes will work better for me at least for now. Bearing in mind I need to factor in changing and showering afterwards how long a session would be beneficial to start making a difference?

daniel_b

In my opinion, the shorter the workout, the higher intensity it would need to be to make a tangible difference.

For me, the sweet spot amount of time for a workout is between 60-90 minutes, but we are all different of course.

DeVlaeminck

It depends on your training philosophy and whether you are doing other sessions than your

rjyoung1978kgSHBPHN said:

Thanks all. I think lunchtimes will work better for me at least for now. Bearing in mind I need to factor in changing and showering afterwards how long a session would be beneficial to start making a difference?

Pretty much anything will make a difference - how long you should train really depends on too many other variables - main ones being how much time you have, what your goals are and how much turbo training you can take both mentally and physically.

Ive slipped into a pattern of rarely going outside on the bike over Winter - that means I do fewer long rides than ideal but I try and get in some 2 hour sessions in zone 2 where I'll listen to podcasts or the radio , some easier recovery sessions (really just sessions where I don't have or don't fancy 2 hours but am too tired to do a hard session) and then zwift races of typically 20 minutes to an hour because I enjoy them. I wouldn't claim this is structured training but I find it enjoyable enough to be sustainable and keeps me fit enough to go out with others if I want to.

The key for me is something is better than nothing. In the past I've had periods where I'd do Winter club runs and chain gangs, I've had a few winters where I supplemented a hard Saturday training group ride with structured sessions on a cheap fan trainer, a few Winters where I joined a gym and combined weights with sessions on a watt bike 3-4 days a week. Of course if you are planning on racing - or just if you enjoy the planning and structure - next year it's worth putting a bit more thought into it.