Question about training with power.

Use the power/MPH reading on your trainer. I do all my indoor training on a Kurt Kinetic trainer with the power computer and it's been great. The biggest advantage is you will be able to track improvements in fitness and know whether your training plan is really working. You will also be able to see when your power level is dropping off to know when to stop a workout session early.

Cusp said:

Hello,

I DO NOT own a PT meter yet. Too expensive for me and only been cycling for over a year now. However - I have a 1up trainer that has colaborated power readings based on MPH.

I just did my first FTP test on the trainer and noted my avg. HR and speed.

From now on - when doing indoor trainer workouts (2x20 L4s) - should I go by my HR or my FTP? OR basically - on using the 1up since the power readings are basically the same everytime - should I train by the power output or by heart rate?

Thanks!

- 1st of all using power to define the intensity of your training is the best since your addapations will be in direct relation to power/duration, not your HR.. HR is better than nothing but only just better than nothing and in some cases it might actually be worse than nothing... especially inside when heat becomes a factor.

- your HR drifts upwards as you do an interval at a given power so if you use HR as the basis you intensity is actually dropping as you do the interval

- if you are doing an interval less than about 3min HR is absolutely useless since you don't know what the correct intensity is for the 1st ~3min of the interval since it take about that long for your HR to rise and settle

- if you are doing longer intervals 10min, 20min, 30min + etc, if you use HR to judge your intensity you will likely ride much too hard intitially since if takes a while for your HR to go up and settle and this usualy results in ave intensity of interval being lower than it could be.. you red zone, legs [censored] out and results in low ave power or ending the interval early

- since the 2nd interval you HR will likely start at a higher HR and HR will rise faster... the second interval is even harder to judge

- basically HR is pretty much useless in judging intesity of workout of intesities above an endurance pace...which make HR pretty useless as a training tool

- approximating by using speed is much better than HR, but because the resistance units of trainer heat up the power at a given speed actually drifts during your intervals (resistance at different temps can be much different) and after rest periods when the resistance unit cools off a bit again speed:power ratio can change again can be off... some trainers drift more than others

doctorSpoc said:

- 1st of all using power to define the intensity of your training is the best since your addapations will be in direct relation to power/duration, not your HR.. HR is better than nothing but only just better than nothing and in some cases it might actually be worse than nothing... especially inside when heat becomes a factor.

- your HR drifts upwards as you do an interval at a given power so if you use HR as the basis you intensity is actually dropping as you do the interval

- if you are doing an interval less than about 3min HR is absolutely useless since you don't know what the correct intensity is for the 1st ~3min of the interval since it take about that long for your HR to rise and settle

- if you are doing longer intervals 10min, 20min, 30min + etc, if you use HR to judge your intensity you will likely ride much too hard intitially since if takes a while for your HR to go up and settle and this usualy results in ave intensity of interval being lower than it could be.. you red zone, legs [censored] out and results in low ave power or ending the interval early

- since the 2nd interval you HR will likely start at a higher HR and HR will rise faster... the second interval is even harder to judge

- basically HR is pretty much useless in judging intesity of workout of intesities above an endurance pace...which make HR pretty useless as a training tool

- approximating by using speed is much better than HR, but because the resistance units of trainer heat up the power at a given speed actually drifts during your intervals (resistance at different temps can be much different) and after rest periods when the resistance unit cools off a bit again speed:power ratio can change again can be off... some trainers drift more than others

Thanks for the response!