LT Intervals - what works best?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by bstoner
I have all the tools- but knowledge.

I am trying to maximize my cycling strength using my computrainer. Can anyone offer suggestions for exercises that will build my sustainable power to 300+ watts?

bs

what can you sustain at the moment, and for how long?

BTW If you are sustaining something, it has nothing to do with strength.

Ric

Thanks for the reply.

I can sustain 290W for 30-minutes. I want to build to where I can sustain 300+W for an hour.

I don't understand your comment that sustaining has nothing to do with strength...

i'd likely start off with 1 to 3 x 15 to 30 mins @ 270 W, once or twice a week, depending on when you start racing/goals/etc. adding a ~ 5 W a week, or just keeping it at that current level

or some longer continuous effort tempo sessions. i do a 1 x 75-min trainer session at a slightly easier effort -- zone 3 to 4

if you're doing something that is an endurance activity (i.e. > ~ 90+ secs) then the effort involved is way below any maximal force generating capacity of the muscle or muscle groups used (this is the definition of strength). the forces involved at riding for e.g. 300 W at 95 revs/min is 177 Newtons or 18 kg

Ric

Got it. Thanks Ric. This sounds like what I've been doing. Lactate Threshold HR is 178, and I've been doing 2x10-20 minute lactate threshold power intervals at my Cp30 level of 290W.

However, I studied my workout data and just noticed that I'm only spending 10-20 minutes of the whole intervals workout in the sub-threshold zone just below my LTHR. That's less than half the minutes I spend in the same zone during a criterium or hard group ride. It doesn't seem like I'm building aerobic fitness at this rate.

I'm thinking of changing over to sessions where I spend less time watching the wattage level and pay more attention to getting increased volumes of quality minutes in my sub-LTHR zone. I'm gonna try it tonight and see how I feel tomorrow. What do you think?

As long as I have your attention, can you give me your opinion on supplements? Do you take them and recommend them? If so, which ones?

Thanks,

bs

I'm not 100% certain i'm following what you're saying, apologies if i've misunderstood what you've written:

I'd pretty much ignore HR when using your computrainer, i.e. just concentrate on the power that you're producing.

I'd not go below 15-mins for these intervals, and at that duration i'd do three of them.

Don't compare how long you spend at a specific HR with how long you spend at a specific power -- during races etc., HR can be higher simply due to anxiety, etc.

I *only* train with power, not HR, so my sub TT efforts and endurance work are controlled by power (not HR). You'll get most gains in fitness from training at zones 3, 4, and 5, but these are the zones i developed and are very likely different from the one's you're using (judging by some of your nomenclature)
see http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=powerstern

depends what you mean by supplements... i use a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink when training and racing, along with energy bars and gels. I also use sodium phosphate for peaking (see http://cyclecoach.com/articles?article=Phosphates&ext=.htm). i can't off the top of my head think of much else, except coffee!

cheers
ric

I would do these different, do a five min test and calculate the average power you could maintain for 5 min full out.
then to two workouts a week at 6x5min
week 1 @ 80% max power
week 2 @ 82%
week 3 @ 84%
week 4 @ 86%
week 5 @ 88%
week 6 @ 90%
then retest and start the process all over
john

i recommend something similar to the above, see http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/trainingstern.shtml

however, given that this is the "off-season" at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere (although, i have no idea where the OP is located), these intervals are a little too hard for this time of the year (they tend to make you peak quickly). and i would save these for prior to a big event.

also, and in conjunction with the above, during most of the year you can often get better increases in fitness with the more sustained, slightly lower intensity session (the longer duration intervals i suggested are ~ 75 to 80 % of JRLee 5-min effort -- i.e. just below to equal to week 1 power)

Ric

Ric
"offseason" man is just starting down here......
we always think about where we are and what we are currently trying to achieve. I do these intervals most of the year with the riders I coach, just less of them (2 x5min).
8 weeks out from major events we add in 30 sec and 15 sec intervals....on a trainer
as a mountain Bike coach here in NZ we are just about to start the final stage of development with National champs only 6 weeks away.
john
big user of home made BT-ATS type trainer