My mate is following a strange training program, he keeps on my back to start the same training. Apparently it is the best way to build power. Before I do, I was wondering what you guys think of it?
They're basically hill reps done in a massive gear on a 5-6% gradient completed twice per week eg;
Week 1 (session done twice per week) 4 x 2 min (gearing at least 53x14 or 13 or 12 @ 30-35 rpm) at maximum effort.
Week 2 6 x 2 min
Week 3 8 x 2 min
Week 4 4 x 4 min
Week 5 6 x 6 min
Week 6 8 x 6 min
Week 7 4 x 8 min
Week 8 6 x 8 min
Week 9 8 x 8 min
I would have though it'd be better to do intervals like this at cadence the replicates a race environment eg. 80-90 rpm.
What he's doing is building muscle and power at that cadence and gear - you can do the same on a smaller gear and steeper hills, but on the 'flatter' land it means you can take the appropriate breaks to make fartleks effective.
Watch your breathing: over breathing means you are generating too much lactic acid and you'll only be able to keep up the effort for about 3 minutes. Much longer than that seems overly ambitious.
Personally I would train using 3 minute intervals in big gears. Go all out in the first minute, push harder in the second, and even harder in the third. You can always give more on that first minute!
yeah 30 - 35 cadence is too low, you risk injury in tendons and such and i don't see much benefit for you doing that, i would pick up a gear where you'll start with a low cadence but moving steadily up to a higher cadence by the end of the interval, it is ok to do so on a hill, you also want to have an (active) resting week after 4 or 6 weeks of training and then start again another block of training,
I've seen some guys doing this type of workout in my local park. To me that low of a cadence might be good for a strength workout but for power, which is essentially force (strength) over time, I would want a slightly lower gear. It's entirely possible to run that gear at those rpms without focusing on power at all. Someone once explained it to me in terms of an explosive movement at a given strength. In other words I can deadlift or bench (or whatever) the same weight in a variety of different ways, but it's the speed at which I execute the movement that makes it a "power" exercise or not. For instance, benching a lot of weight slowly (5 seconds up and 5 seconds back down) lacks a power component altogether.
When I am generating power in a race or TT, my cadence is in the 90-100 range. 35 rpm's doesn't reconcile on any level to where I would actually be in a typical racing scenario. Just my 2 cents... I think you may have answered your own question.
The numbers you give are not really big. They translate into 200-300w. 2x2 @300w and 8x8 @200w are certainly reasonable efforts even for me. For racers they seem like light efforts.
But your big problem is following a training plan that is suitable for someone else. Don't do it.
I don't see a problem in working toward lower cadences. If you have hills that you can do comfortably at a certain cadence, drop your cadence down one gear and keep your power output the same. As long as that works for you keep moving your cadence down. At some point you will get fed up with the cadence and move to something easier to tolerate.
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While the cadence seems low, the power is also low so I suspect your mate can do the efforts without incurring injury. I sure I could do those efforts when I was young.
From time to time I wander up big hills in the wrong gear. I seem to survive.
I now have a 34/30 on my bike so that I can avoid the low cadence stuff (15% climbs are not a lot of fun at a 44 cadence). Not because I cannot do it. Not because it causes damage, but because it is not as much fun as going up a hill at lower power and higher cadence. Low gears give you the option of lower power.
Old guy, not sure how you calculated power, but to keep the bike moving @ 30+rpms on a 6% grade in a 53x14 is going to take more than 300 watts.
As for the training plan, different strokes for different folks.... It all depends on where you are lacking, if you are lacking drastically in force this type of training could help, but only in moderation. For me a better approach would be some off of the bike strength training, like squats, lunges, etc. then train as normal on the bike, as others have said this type of drastic force day in day out is asking for injury and can maybe even lead to bad tendencies (lack of ability to functionally ride in a high cadence, etc.). There are times I will push a big gear up a hill as described, but the efforts are short power efforts, not overly difficult force efforts......
Old guy, not sure how you calculated power, but to keep the bike moving @ 30+rpms on a 6% grade in a 53x14 is going to take more than 300 watts.
The numbers the OP gave were: 5-6% gradient, 53x14 or 13 or 12 30-35 rpm
Bounds on the speed are: 53x14@30rpm (8.8mph) 53x12@35rpm (12.0mph)
Bounds on the power are (using my weight): 8.8mph on 5% grade is 171w 12.0mph on 6% grade is 285w
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The good news is that 53x14@60rpm is 17.6mph and only requires 350w. That should not hurt a racer. (Might be tough to do 8 minute repeats but ...) So 53x14@30rpm should not hurt a racer.
Pay attention to your gear. I've had my knee operated twice and I don't want to move back to those times. You have to rely on your gut feeling. When you feel it's to hard, chose a different gear. You must also remeber that cycling is a pleaure. People start to get to know it after the problems I've had. Don't be concerned too much about about the gears. mybikecoach.blogspot.com
