Kilo / Sprint Training



Gidday Sam

Thanks for your comments. I think the programme is pretty ambitious. I would recommend less volume but put more intensity into efforts and allow full recovery. Theo Bos is quoted as saying a big part of his training is rest and a guy who wins the World Keirin by that much should be taken seriously. The Brits also do far less volume now and have greater recovery times.

Sam Armour said:
Fergie, in your schedule (a large chunk of which I'm using, and have picked up a load of speed over the last 6 weeks - thanks!), you talk about reps of 6s max speed - is this a high cadence exercise with a moderate/low gear to develop leg speed, or should I be using a 'track' sized gear (eg 88 inches) to develop power?

Can be 50m standing starts, 75m rolling starts or 100m flying coming off the motorbike or on a windtrainer with low resistance.

On the road they can be done with short hills, sprinting over the top for power, sprinting from the bottom for acceleration and sprinting downhill for leg speed .I have riders who don't have track access who put 50m 75m 100m 150m 200m and 500m markings down on the road for doing efforts.

Also, I don't have access to equipment/people (or money!) to test my VO2 max - is there any way I can use training levels based on heartrate or similar?

Wouldn't worry about it. If your sprinting and vO2 comes into play something is wrong. Having a speedo that tells you max speed could be handy or down the track someone recording split times. In sprinting you don't aim to overload the body in the same way endurance riders do so you should always be aiming to go faster or lift more in the gym.

And does the 12 sets of 15s on, 15s off max VO2 actually mean a 6 minute training session (or am I being incredibly dumb)?

Could be, although you would want to spend a while warming up for that type of effort. For training VO2 I have gone to pursuit pace efforts over 90sec to 3min rather than the on off efforts. I still think it's important to develop the aerobic system. Good thing is that pure sprinters don't have much of a aerobic system to start with and it doesn't take long :)

Hamish Ferguson
Cycling Coach

ps, sorry for taking a while to reply, busy times, 3 of the 4 14-15 year old riders I started working with last year have made the NZ team and been flat out getting them up to speed for a trip to Aus.
 
Sam Armour said:
I'm coming back to racing after 5 or 6 years off! I've kept fit during this time (fair amount of cyling, running, etc), but nothing in the explosive/power range, though this is what I was naturally better at when I was last racing.

Me too, did nothing for 5 years. I expect it to take me a good three years to gt back into any sort of fitness to tackle some challenging racing goals.

Have started specific sprint training for this season pretty late - only about 6 or 7 weeks and have been concentrating on getting speed and cadence back. I don't really have the time to do the whole of Fergie's programme (nor the regular cash to get access to a gym with a decent squat bar or leg press), and if I did manage to follow it to the letter, I'd burn myself out after a month. (Given that I'm pretty undertrained at the moment.)

On reflection I would say halve the programme, either the volume each day or take 2-3 hard sessions out per week.

In addition to the bike stuff (which I've been doing, though more towards the max power end rather than an threshold stuff), I do some overgeared starts every other week. Also, from this week, I'm going to start doing some lower body plyometrics once a week.

All good stuff.

Hard to gauge accurately quite how much faster I'm going - I'm now able to hold long (20s) sprints much easier and with faster average speed on the turbo. Can also now get a decent sized gear (48x15, outdoor concrete) to top speed and still have something left in the tank to hold it and then kick again.

Will be doing the local track league from Monday onwards, so I'll let you know how I do....

Cool, keep us up to date.

Hamish Ferguson
Cycling Coach
 
Wow! Thanks for everyone getting back to me so quickly - all my questions answered and lots of food for thought. Glad to know I'm heading in the right direction. Right now, having got the racing bug again, I'll do the training I can (it's a good thing that my schedule forces me to do no more than 3 decent sessions a week - though then again, I've never been one for 'getting the miles in';)) and see how I'm going as the season progresses. At 27, I ain't aiming for the Olympics, but just hope to mix things up locally.

Thanks again and ride fast.
Sam.

fergie said:
Me too, did nothing for 5 years. I expect it to take me a good three years to gt back into any sort of fitness to tackle some challenging racing goals.



On reflection I would say halve the programme, either the volume each day or take 2-3 hard sessions out per week.



All good stuff.



Cool, keep us up to date.

Hamish Ferguson
Cycling Coach
 
Its amazing at the quality of posts that you can get on this forum and FGF. Warren G, 2006...oops 6002, Fergie back to back to back.
 
Sam,

I didn't realise that you are still a puppy of 27yr.

I might not have been so easy on you.

Get work'in, you will be back ! :)

Bill: I'am not sure who I'am some days either.

2006 AKA 6002