Interval Training Advice

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Zabriskie19
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Interval Training Advice

Postby Zabriskie19 » Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:21 pm

Hey guys,


well im looking to do some Interval training,
can anyone give me any good links to sites which have info on interval Training, also anyone who does/has done Interval training can you give me a few tips on it

i'm looking to do two 20x20 minute intervals ((AT)) 37-40km/h average speeed twice a week (buying heart monitor within next week)

also looking to do some sprint training, right now i just put some sprints into my rides and that's about it.


any tips on Interval/sprint training would do wonders for me and my brother who's looking to some specific training aswell.

also should i be doing some of my training with TT bars if i'd like to improve on aerodynamics?
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apv
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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby apv » Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:59 pm

Have you thought about a training plan from an accredited coach?

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby silkishuge » Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:16 am

Zabriskie19 wrote:Hey guys,


well im looking to do some Interval training,
can anyone give me any good links to sites which have info on interval Training, also anyone who does/has done Interval training can you give me a few tips on it

i'm looking to do two 20x20 minute intervals ((AT)) 37-40km/h average speeed twice a week (buying heart monitor within next week)

also looking to do some sprint training, right now i just put some sprints into my rides and that's about it.


any tips on Interval/sprint training would do wonders for me and my brother who's looking to some specific training aswell.

also should i be doing some of my training with TT bars if i'd like to improve on aerodynamics?

I am not sure where you intend to train..... 20 minute Interval training at 37-40km/h? Only roads I can think of are Hume Highway and Gippsland. I used to live in Gippsland so I know there are many good and safe roads you can use for this type of training. I think most other roads you will struggle to do 20 mins at 40km/h.

Might I suggest doing repeats 1:20. That also worked well for me. The other option is the trainer.

J

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby JV911 » Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:07 am

Zabriskie19 wrote:i'm looking to do two 20x20 minute intervals ((AT)) 37-40km/h average speeed twice a week (buying heart monitor within next week)
there are too many variables to aim for Xkm/h i.e wind, gradient etc

my understanding is that you should maintain a partiucular level of exertion i.e power or heart rate for the 20 mins
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DanielS
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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby DanielS » Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:21 am

2x20s are a good idea - although I wouldn't get hung up on aiming for a particular speed. Go by exertion level instead. You want to maintain the sort of effort that could sustain for an hour, not just the 20 minutes that you are riding each interval for. If you go out too hard in the first 20-min block, the second one will be slower, and you don't want that!

Just one question - what sort of goals are you working towards? General fitness? Racing? Tris?

Aerobars are good if you are training towards TTs or triathlons. If that is the case, then doing the intervals with aerobars is a good idea, assuming you are doing them somewhere where it is safe to ride on them.

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby kosmiccarbon » Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:09 pm

i think he means 37-40km/h at the end of the ride as his average speed.
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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby silkishuge » Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:59 pm

kosmiccarbon wrote:i think he means 37-40km/h at the end of the ride as his average speed.
Agree with previous comments regarding effort level. Don't use speed to gauge your effort level. For myself, 2 x 20 mins interval means keeping myself in zone 5 for as long as possible.

J

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Zabriskie19
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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby Zabriskie19 » Wed Jan 13, 2010 4:24 pm

okay thanks, i found a couple of websites that said i should try doing 2x20 intervals (AT) 80% max heart riding at 130rpm+
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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby tripstobaltimore » Wed Jan 13, 2010 5:13 pm

yeah 80-82% MHR is where I sit. good luck.

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby toolonglegs » Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:14 pm

Learn your perceived effort levels...HR helps but is a rough guide at best.
20 minutes intervals...start slow and keep a constant pace slowly building up your heart rate.20 min intervals are done at lots of different intensities...usually sweet spot up to 105% of your hour pace.The main thing is to make them hard and constant...10 minutes rest and do it again.Cadence is not important (especially quotes of 130 rpm plus).
4-5 minute VO2's are done way over your 20 minute pace (but not all out)...the main thing again is don't start too hard and go all the way till times up...rest 4-5 minutes and do it again.HTFU and don't bail on the last effort.
Spint's are simple...explode from a good pace,instantly on top of the gear,high cadence and 10-15secs max...rinse and repeat.

Now knowing how to do the intervals is easy...knowing when to do them is a different story!.
If you haven't bought the heart rate moniter yet...don't.Percieved effort is a lot better and save towards a power meter.HR is only any good in the 20 minute intervals and above.Useless for 5 min VO2 efforts and waste of time for sprints.

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:15 pm

Zabriskie19 wrote:okay thanks, i found a couple of websites that said i should try doing 2x20 intervals (AT) 80% max heart riding at 130rpm+
I would suggest simply riding in a gear/cadence that feel right and/or is specific to the type of goal event(s) you are targeting.

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby tripstobaltimore » Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:19 am

Alex Simmons/RST wrote:
Zabriskie19 wrote:okay thanks, i found a couple of websites that said i should try doing 2x20 intervals (AT) 80% max heart riding at 130rpm+
I would suggest simply riding in a gear/cadence that feel right and/or is specific to the type of goal event(s) you are targeting.
I agree with this, but I also find a HRM monitor is a good 'carrot' for the longer intervals. It's easier to slack off towards the end of a 20 minute interval, but if you have a set, measureable value (i.e 80% MHR) you have at least some measure of your effort.

Like TLL said, due to lag in HR, it is pretty much useless for shorter efforts, and you need to learn your PE intensity as your heart rate will lag and take time to reach its steady state value.

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby pine » Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:58 pm

Alex Simmons/RST wrote:I would suggest simply riding in a gear/cadence that feel right and/or is specific to the type of goal event(s) you are targeting.
Hi Alex, I just wrote on your turbo thread. Does the above work in your turbo studio, as I don’t want to push big gears too soon after back surgery. As I have a habit of pushing big gears. I am 9 weeks post discectomy, given the go ahead to ride at 12 weeks post op.

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:29 pm

pine wrote:
Alex Simmons/RST wrote:I would suggest simply riding in a gear/cadence that feel right and/or is specific to the type of goal event(s) you are targeting.
Hi Alex, I just wrote on your turbo thread. Does the above work in your turbo studio, as I don’t want to push big gears too soon after back surgery. As I have a habit of pushing big gears. I am 9 weeks post discectomy, given the go ahead to ride at 12 weeks post op.
We can set your threshold power in the system low enough to keep it relatively easy to start with, and then as you improve we can raise it.
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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby Zabriskie19 » Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:56 pm

I've decied not to do 20 minute intervals anymore instead im doing two 14km intervals (14km state and national champs for U/17) any reason why people don't do set interval distances?
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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby toolonglegs » Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:04 pm

14km is 20minutes'ish...unles you are training on the actual course then I can't see much difference.

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:22 pm

Zabriskie19 wrote:I've decied not to do 20 minute intervals anymore instead im doing two 14km intervals (14km state and national champs for U/17) any reason why people don't do set interval distances?
No, in fact that's where the 20-min came from in the first place, it happened to coincide with a training route that took about 20-min to do a loop on with a few minutes transition.

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby tripstobaltimore » Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:28 pm

A timed interval allows for different conditions as well, i.e. if you've got a strong head wind 14km is going to take a lot longer than 20minutes. I usually do my intervals on distance, rather than time.

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby Aushiker » Tue Feb 09, 2010 12:06 pm

tripstobaltimore wrote:A timed interval allows for different conditions as well, i.e. if you've got a strong head wind 14km is going to take a lot longer than 20minutes. I usually do my intervals on distance, rather than time.
Hi

What sort of distances do you use for the intervals?

Thanks
Andrew

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby Marty Moose » Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:31 pm

toolonglegs wrote: HR is only any good in the 20 minute intervals and above.Useless for 5 min VO2 efforts and waste of time for sprints.
Can you explain this please i don't understand why this would be the case! I understand the sprint the heart rate being not a good guide but a 5 min V02 is an aerobic effort so it should be useful.

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby toolonglegs » Tue Feb 09, 2010 7:08 pm

Fair question...
Here is one of my 5 minute efforts from when I used to wear a HR strap.At the start of the effort my HR is about 121 bpm at 500w.After 20 secs it is at 143bpm having risen pretty steeply in that 20 secs.The next 20 sec ramp is not as steep but it is at 151 bpm.After that it is gradual till the end of the effort at 5 minutes peaking at 176 bpm.
If I had started the effort and waited till I got to my expected HR I would have gone way too hard at the start to get my HR up...I would 100% not have finished this effort or the 4 remaining.The power is pretty much constant thru the ride apart from a couple of hairpins but the actual power jump isn't much till the last push for the top.
IMO the only way to achieve decent VO2 efforts is watch a power meter or PE (percieved effort).These efforts are so hard that if go to hard at the start you will not finish.The aim is to hold steady power for the 5 minutes...not 150% ftp at the start fading to 100% at the end.
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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby toolonglegs » Tue Feb 09, 2010 7:19 pm

Even in 20 minute effort the rise is gradual...if you got you HR up to quick at the begining you would be going to hard and not finish the effort.The slight difference with 20 minutes is you can think a bit!!!....in 5 minute efforts you are continually fighting and trying to make deals with yourself to give up!.A 20 minute around ftp hurts and can hurt pretty bad at 105% but at least you can sort of function mentally :lol: .Seriously Percieved Effort is a lot lot better than HR but you probably wont realise that till you have tried with a HR monitor for a while...and your perceived efforts won't really be that great until you have ridden with a power meter for a while.
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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Wed Feb 10, 2010 7:53 am

Marty Moose wrote:
toolonglegs wrote: HR is only any good in the 20 minute intervals and above.Useless for 5 min VO2 efforts and waste of time for sprints.
Can you explain this please i don't understand why this would be the case! I understand the sprint the heart rate being not a good guide but a 5 min V02 is an aerobic effort so it should be useful.
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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby Marty Moose » Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:49 pm

I don't get it RST! Power used will induce V02 max but the heart doesn't get up to a V02 level until at least 2mins in and drops before the inveral has completed 4mins. I ride 3 min intervals my heart is above 92% after 45 seconds and stays there til the 3mins is up e.g my max is 170 I hit low 160's after 45 seconds and hold 159-163 for the rest of he interval. What happens if you forget targeting power but instead concentrate on the heart rate being above 92% ?

MM

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Re: Interval Training Advice

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:51 pm

Marty Moose wrote:What happens if you forget targeting power but instead concentrate on the heart rate being above 92% ?
Your power will be steadily dropping through the effort.

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