Turbo sessions

[andyw]

So what are your favorites? Give a run down of what you do and what you aim to get out of it. Here are some of mine:

Race practise - I made this one up myself
Session takes one hour
5min warm up
3x50sec flat out, 10sec rest (after the first two intervals your HR will be hovering around 90% max HR for the remainder of the intervals)
3x40sec flat out, 20sec rest
3x30sec flat out, 30sec rest
3x20sec flat out, 40sec rest
3x10sec flat out, 50sec rest
5mins recovery riding
10mins steady pace (roughly 85% max HR)
5mins recovery riding
3x50sec flat out, 10sec rest
3x40sec flat out, 20sec rest
3x30sec flat out, 30sec rest
3x20sec flat out, 40sec rest
3x10sec flat out, 50sec rest
5mins cool down

This is a good session to hone your form when you're already quite aerobically fit - not one to do while you're building towards your first race. The idea is that during a race you do a lot of maximal efforts at the start with very little recovery to form a break, the break then works together steadily during the middle of the race, and then you all start attacking each other towards the end to try and win. This session mirrors that.

[andyw]

VO2 Max builder:

This session has been taken from this research www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/1030.htm and in more laymans terms here www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-4-41-16493-1,00.html

Session takes one hour
15mins warm up
Then 6x2.5mins with 5mins recovery
5mins cool down

The research behind this session was done with power meters, but as most of us don't have them, we'll have to make do with HRMs and common sense. The idea is to maintain the same power throughout the interval and this should be the same power output as you produce at VO2max. ie PAINFUL.
To maintain your power output throughout you need to maintain the same gear and the same cadence. Do this and your HR won't shoot up quickly, but by the end of the interval it should be nudging 95% of max HR.

This session will boost your VO2max which is good for everyone. Six intervals is too tough too start with so try starting with four, then adding one repetition per week, up to a maximum of eight (i've never done that many - six is quite enough according to the PPonline article).

[adi]

I've been doing a triple 5 set, ie 5 sets of 5 hard, 5 easy.

[andyw]

Nov 30, 2008 8:52:56 GMT @adi said:

I've been doing a triple 5 set, ie 5 sets of 5 hard, 5 easy.

Nice one Adi, but 5 whats? Pedal revs? Seconds? Minutes?

To make this a useful resource for other club members we need to spell out exactly what the session entails and what it's intended to achieve.

Cheers

Keep 'em coming!

[adi]

Sorry, that would be minutes. Done at around 85/90% MHR and the aim is to improve aerobically. Will perhaps start doing some shorter and more intense sprint sessions in the new year.

[Deleted]

A couple of other tips I found useful;

- a turbo with a hinge that allows your body weight to push the tyre down onto the roller (rather than the usual type that only has a little spring pushing the roller up to the tyre). This picture might help explain what I mean.



- outside. Rollering outside removes the need for a fan, as long as there is wind. Rain can cause wheel slippage though, unless you already got your tyre nice and hot.

- Arnie Baker's book 'Smart Cycling' contains lots of decent roller routines - having a plan helps relive some of the boredom I think.

R.