I been a faithful reader on this site for sometime and I have noticed a lot of angst in measuring workload via TSS. I have developed a system that I have successfully used in my coaching over the last couple of years. http://www.critfit.net uses TSS in a slightly different way. All training is accomplished in blocks. A form of TSS is measured for each block but only the intervals (WODs) are counted in the TSS accumulation. I know there isn't anything new under the sun but we have found this system to be amazingly effective. Check out the website http://www.critfit.net for more info. We have the best training system on the web.
New method of Power Training
- Thread starter CRITFITxCOACHT
- Start date
Why do you find accounting for TSS generated by intervals only to be a better approach than accounting for all on-bike stress?
Instead of trying to serve every single cyclist competing on every level we have targeted our training at normal working folks who are so busy running the human race that they are overwhelmed with trying to think about racing on any other level. For a lot of years coaches have targeted the rider who has cash, time, and ambition. It is our strong belief that only a few of those folks are still racing. Most have dropped out because of burnout or the pressures of everyday life. For the record, our system is not better than TSS and TSS is not better than our system. The difference is we make training that accommodates a lifestyle and not forcing the lifestyle to accommodate the training.
By assigning a value to the WOD/interval "only" the playing field is level for all athletes. You can train with power, heart rate, or perceived effort and as long as you do the interval the score is the same. The field is also even regardless of what CAT you race or how high your FTP is. This is important to CritFit because we are trying to create a social environment were elitism is not welcome and people are coaching each other. Our athletes are Cat 2 - Cat 5, ultra endurance - cross country MTBRs, 20 year old to 50 year old and include both men and women. We have professional strength coaches, dieticians, cycling coaches, and race gurus. All of us come together to create an environment that is unlike any other coaching experience.
One other benefit to the WOD/CritScore is that it fosters friendly competition within the CritFit House. Last month you could do 3 rounds of a particular WOD but this month you were able to complete 5 rounds. Of course all of this has to fit within the confines of sound training principles of build then recover.
Finally, having a WOD only score provides a very easy way to track intensity from day to day and is very measurable. Simplicity breeds consistency and consistency is what really brings cyclists to the next level regardless of your starting point.
By assigning a value to the WOD/interval "only" the playing field is level for all athletes. You can train with power, heart rate, or perceived effort and as long as you do the interval the score is the same. The field is also even regardless of what CAT you race or how high your FTP is. This is important to CritFit because we are trying to create a social environment were elitism is not welcome and people are coaching each other. Our athletes are Cat 2 - Cat 5, ultra endurance - cross country MTBRs, 20 year old to 50 year old and include both men and women. We have professional strength coaches, dieticians, cycling coaches, and race gurus. All of us come together to create an environment that is unlike any other coaching experience.
One other benefit to the WOD/CritScore is that it fosters friendly competition within the CritFit House. Last month you could do 3 rounds of a particular WOD but this month you were able to complete 5 rounds. Of course all of this has to fit within the confines of sound training principles of build then recover.
Finally, having a WOD only score provides a very easy way to track intensity from day to day and is very measurable. Simplicity breeds consistency and consistency is what really brings cyclists to the next level regardless of your starting point.
I'm trying to understand...
First off, I'm quite familiar with your way of coaching since I use a system that's very similar to this, ie no training plan (which comes a bit as a surprise for new athletes joining my project), most of the focus being put on what I call Key Workouts etc...
That said though, this approach is not incompatible with using TSS the way it was originally designed to be used.
Correct me if I'm wrong. What your system implies is that if one athlete just goes out for I donno, a group ride, for fun... That score for that ride would not be accounted for in your system?
First off, I'm quite familiar with your way of coaching since I use a system that's very similar to this, ie no training plan (which comes a bit as a surprise for new athletes joining my project), most of the focus being put on what I call Key Workouts etc...
That said though, this approach is not incompatible with using TSS the way it was originally designed to be used.
Correct me if I'm wrong. What your system implies is that if one athlete just goes out for I donno, a group ride, for fun... That score for that ride would not be accounted for in your system?
At http://www.critfit.net our ultimate goal is to put the training in the hands of the person who knows the athlete the best, the athlete. That goal is best reached by teaching athletes to be keenly aware of their body, their need for recovery, their ability to race or ride at the peek of ability without numbers flashing in their face. Unfortunately we (coaches) have made coaching so cosmic that many people are reluctant to even try. Because of the elitist stigma attached to the art/science of training, weekend warriors miss out on what can help them achieve more than they can imagine. Our method has made coaching accessible and as simplified as possible while still providing solid results. I love TSS, IF, NP and all other metrics. I use them daily when coaching one on one and with athletes using power. However, I've found that it is very difficult to track these same metrics using heart rate or perceived effort unless you use Trimp or Daniels points but if we do it the playing field gets terribly convoluted. Remember from my earlier post, we are not targeting the career athlete but instead targeting the weekend warrior. Those weekend warriors are not always using power so we had to develop a system that would work for the masses.
As far as accounting for the random group or long ride, our coaches use Garmin Connect, Golden Cheetah, and/or Strava to analyze ride data with each individual athlete as needed or when requested. We provide feedback and recommendations and work jointly with the athlete so that in time they can learn to interpret their own rides. By empowering our athletes we do stand the risk of making ourselves obsolete but our experience has been the opposite. The CritFit experience is amazing and 35+ (and growing) cyclists working together makes us a serious force to be reckoned with in the peloton or the Tuesday night world championships.
I would love to hear about your coaching project and potentially learn from you and your methodology. I will gladly set you up with a free trial account so you can get a better understanding of how we do things. Once your immersed in the CritFit system I think you will find that it is very effective and easy to understand.
As far as accounting for the random group or long ride, our coaches use Garmin Connect, Golden Cheetah, and/or Strava to analyze ride data with each individual athlete as needed or when requested. We provide feedback and recommendations and work jointly with the athlete so that in time they can learn to interpret their own rides. By empowering our athletes we do stand the risk of making ourselves obsolete but our experience has been the opposite. The CritFit experience is amazing and 35+ (and growing) cyclists working together makes us a serious force to be reckoned with in the peloton or the Tuesday night world championships.
I would love to hear about your coaching project and potentially learn from you and your methodology. I will gladly set you up with a free trial account so you can get a better understanding of how we do things. Once your immersed in the CritFit system I think you will find that it is very effective and easy to understand.
