Off Season training recomendations



bgoetz

Active Member
Nov 25, 2010
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Does anyone have any recomendations for good off-season training programs? Unfortunately winter hits my area pretty hard from December to March so my outdoor training will be limited. In group rides I ride with the fastest groups I can get in and would consider myself one of the stronger riders, so I am certainly looking for some training that will push my limits to new levels. Here is what I have to work with:

-1-2 hours a day 7 days a week (although I am not sure how much longer than 1 hr. I can stand on the trainer, LOL)
-A fluid trainer and a magnetic trainer
-A speedo that works when on the trainer
-A basic heart rate monitor that I do not intend to use when I race

I am a larger frame individual, but not overweight by any means, so strength really is not an issue; however, I think muscle stamina could use a bit of work. Most importantly I would like to increase the intensity in which I can ride before getting into the "red zone" and increase my ability to keep my self in the "red zone" longer when I am in it (if that makes sense).

Right now I am hitting the trainer 5 days a week 1hr a day. My training consists of 10 minutes of 1 leg drills to get warmed up. 1 of the days I spend working on cadence by working my way up to max cadence in a lower gear. The other days I spend most of the time @ just over the max level I feel I could sustain for a really long ride and mix in some intervals spining both a moderate gear at higher rpms and a higher gear @ lower rpms.

I really feel like I am just blindly training, so some direction would be much appreciated!!
 
Search the web and these forums for info on SST or Sweet Spot Training, 2x20s, L4, Threshold work, etc. Read the first couple of dozen pages of the It's Killing Me... thread to see how this stuff works. A good start would be a couple of days a week of 2x20 minute Threshold intervals at the highest steady intensity you can sustain for a full 20 minutes but can still complete both efforts with five or ten minutes of easier pedaling between them. That and some days with an hour to 90 minutes of easier but still focused Tempo riding. You can definitely use your indoor time better than one legged drills and some short intervals here and there.
 
There is tons of info about winter training on this board, but let me sum things up for you (as I see them).

To increase your threshold (the intensity you can maintain over a longish duration before going into the red zone) you can do 20min efforts at the max intensity you can maintain for 20min (just try to keep the effort steady for the duration). Do at least 2 of these in a session.

I don't think that you can really increase the time you can spend in the red zone. By definition, once you are in the red zone you have set yourself up for failure. However, you can do VO2 max intervals to increase the power (intensity) you can put out before going into the red zone. Just train above your threshold for 1-3min intervals. You can also try to limit recovery between these efforts, to make some really quick adaptations toward boosting your VO2 max. Just don't ride easy between intervals, instead ride at a moderate/fast pace (slightly below threshold).

Hope that helps. Good luck.
 
Originally Posted by CalicoCat . you can do 20min efforts at the max intensity you can maintain for 20min (just try to keep the effort steady for the duration). Do at least 2 of these in a session.
I think you mean at a percentage, usually about 90%, of your 20 min. max. It would probably be impossible to do more than one maximum 20 minute effort in a session (care to try?). Without a power meter, the OP will have to gauge his effort by perceived exertion and his heart rate monitor; he could aim for an effort that brings on a "sensation of continuous fatigue." I think that's how I've seen it put. There's nothing magic about 20 minutes either. Any interval over 10 minutes will work the threshold "system." But in general, yes, what he needs to do is raise his threshold power to delay the onset of getting in the "red zone."

Also, for what it's worth, this winter I'm supplementing my indoor interval sessions with some short "sweet spot" rides on the road (on a mountain bike if necessary) to keep my volume up. e.g., I'll do a 30 to 45 minute ride outdoors, then do 3x15 inside. So far, it's working well. The extra two hours or so a week really help.
 
Whilst riding on the indoor trainer can get a bit monotonous I've just started using the Sufferfest videos. They are great to use and sure take away the boredom. There's an ad for them on this page.
 
Originally Posted by Animator .



Quote: Originally Posted by CalicoCat . you can do 20min efforts at the max intensity you can maintain for 20min (just try to keep the effort steady for the duration). Do at least 2 of these in a session.
I think you mean at a percentage, usually about 90%, of your 20 min. max. It would probably be impossible to do more than one maximum 20 minute effort in a session (care to try?).

I've done that, plenty of times! At the end of the first interval I am totally trashed, but after about 10min of recovery, I can put out the 2nd effort and make it through.

However, indoors I can't do that, and do my 20min intervals at 100% of my FTP (or 95% of my max 20min number). Indoors everything feels more difficult than outdoors.
 
Originally Posted by CalicoCat .



Quote: Originally Posted by Animator .



Quote: Originally Posted by CalicoCat . you can do 20min efforts at the max intensity you can maintain for 20min (just try to keep the effort steady for the duration). Do at least 2 of these in a session.
I think you mean at a percentage, usually about 90%, of your 20 min. max. It would probably be impossible to do more than one maximum 20 minute effort in a session (care to try?).

I've done that, plenty of times! At the end of the first interval I am totally trashed, but after about 10min of recovery, I can put out the 2nd effort and make it through.
You're made of a lot stouter stuff than I am. After I complete a 20 minute test, I usually soft pedal it home. I would still recommend aiming for a percentage of one's 20MMP for most folks, CalicoCat excepted.
 
Hey thanks guys!! I know the search thing is always a sure bet and I will do some of that, but with something like this it is always helpful to have some direction when searching and you guys provided that.

One question though, so for the 20 min intervals I should be targeting 90% of my max heart rate? Is the idea to be able to increase the heart rate that I can complete the 20 min intervals, to increase the output (with no power meter I would need to use gear and cadence), or to do both? I guess that is two questions, LOL
 
If you pace via HR, then you'd be targeting a 20 minute effort where your HR gets up to roughly 90-100% of your 'Threshold HR' which may be a bit below your max HR and is defined as the average HR you'd hit on a full out hour long effort paced as hard but as steady as you can for a full hour. In practice you don't really need to pace these off of HR, lacking a power meter you can pace them off of perceived exertion (RPE), ideally they should be ridden hard but the first five to eight minutes won't feel too bad but once it catches up with you it'll take a lot of focus to finish the full 20 minutes without backing off of the pace. You should be breathing steadily and deeply but still in control and not ragged or gasping. You should be able to take a drink from your water bottle if necessary but it you'll almost certainly have to take a few deep breaths before hand and any speaking will be limited to one to three word sentences not casual conversation. It's hard work but not impossibly hard to finish each effort or to finish the whole set.
 
Good post by Dave.

If you're using HR, only other thing to watch is that your HR won't necessarily be constant for the whole period. Might take a bit of trial and error, but it's the HR at the END of the interval that counts. FWIW, for a constant power, my HR really only tops out in the last 5 minutes or so of the first 20 minute interval.

Also, be aware that for the same power/conditions, HR will vary day-to-day.
 
I generally go to the pub during the off season /img/vbsmilies/smilies/ROTF.gif
 
During the "tolerable" months I cycle 3-5 days a week, 18-22 miles per day. When the weather turns cold, I generally go to the gym and do a mix of dreadmill, elliptical and weight training. Last winter took a toll on my body as I started suffering with bursitis in my hip. My sports medicine doctor got me through the winter until I could get back on my bike. Weather has turned cold her in NC, much sooner than most winters so I took the plunge and bought a fluid trainer to avoid last year's malady. I've done four workouts on it and it's been good. I set it up in my garage. Basically, I'm doing intervals, gearing up and down and not getting too stagnate at any point. But to spend an hour on the thing can become tedious, even with the best intervals trying to keep you occupied. I've been listening to podcasts on my ipod which are ok, but how do you all train in your living rooms? I'm always hearing about people watching tv while training but, I have found that I have sweat pouring out of my body when I train. To do that indoors would have your living room smelling like a gymnasium. My wife wouldn't hear of that! So what do you all do to keep occupied while on the trainer? Not going to be on mine every day as I do plan on going to the gym some because I have found that cross training is the best way to be all-around fit.
 
Originally Posted by doctorold .

During the "tolerable" months I cycle 3-5 days a week, 18-22 miles per day. When the weather turns cold, I generally go to the gym and do a mix of dreadmill, elliptical and weight training. Last winter took a toll on my body as I started suffering with bursitis in my hip. My sports medicine doctor got me through the winter until I could get back on my bike. Weather has turned cold her in NC, much sooner than most winters so I took the plunge and bought a fluid trainer to avoid last year's malady. I've done four workouts on it and it's been good. I set it up in my garage. Basically, I'm doing intervals, gearing up and down and not getting too stagnate at any point. But to spend an hour on the thing can become tedious, even with the best intervals trying to keep you occupied. I've been listening to podcasts on my ipod which are ok, but how do you all train in your living rooms? I'm always hearing about people watching tv while training but, I have found that I have sweat pouring out of my body when I train. To do that indoors would have your living room smelling like a gymnasium. My wife wouldn't hear of that! So what do you all do to keep occupied while on the trainer? Not going to be on mine every day as I do plan on going to the gym some because I have found that cross training is the best way to be all-around fit.

I live in Canada and it's colder here than in NC - my trainer is in my basement. To keep cool I have a big fan in front of me and I open the door to the outside to let in cold air. Even then I still get quite hot during intervals. You must get a big fan if you don't already have one.

I put the TV on but I can't really concentrate on it during intervals so I usually have the sound turned down. I use my iPod instead for music and I like ACDC, The Prodigy, Led Zep and few others. If I'm just doing SST then I turn the TV volume up - sometimes I use wireless headphones because then I don't hear the fan and trainer noise so much.

You need some sort of feedback to guage how you're doing and to keep yourself working at the level you want to work at. It's pretty easy to drift lower if you take your eyes off the measuring device.

Good luck - riding a trainer is mental torture.
 
Really it's all about a mix of expectation, concentration, desire, and most importantly creativity. I know it sounds cheezy, but that's how I go about it. My desire and expectation trump over the boringness, and by being creative, meaning making up some sort of plan (or plans) to keep you interested and modivated. Before each winter, I sit down and try to plan out my sessions and goals I want to get from the trainer, (example: hit an average ### Watts on my 2x20 by week 4.) The #1 thing I want to remember is that I 'need' to get better for the next season. With that always in mind, I never feel bored or dread the trainer, knowing that each interval gets me closer to my goals.

Also, keep a journal/notebook of all your workouts to every detail. Mine consists of : date, total mins for each interval, level #, rpm #, watt #, gears, HR #, total miles, average mph for each interval.

Good luck,
-Greg
 
I just go to spin class twice a week. I am not a competitive rider so I just need to keep my legs fresh and spin class works great for me.