Cadence vs Heart Rate

[sprintr]

Hi all, first post here.

I recently purchased a Polar RS200 and used the Polar Personal Trainer website to come up with a fitness program. The recommendation of this training program is to maintain 90-100 rpm in a 60-70% of max HR (Zone 2). My problem is that as soon as get above 80 rpm, my HR goes over into the 70-80% range.

Will this improve with time? Should I keep the RPMs down in order to maintain the HR or should I disregard the HR and focus on the rpm in hopes that my efficiency will increase?

I am so confused... :cry:

Oh, i am also very new to road cycling

[fuzzthebee]

Hi all, first post here.

I recently purchased a Polar RS200 and used the Polar Personal Trainer website to come up with a fitness program. The recommendation of this training program is to maintain 90-100 rpm in a 60-70% of max HR (Zone 2). My problem is that as soon as get above 80 rpm, my HR goes over into the 70-80% range.

Will this improve with time? Should I keep the RPMs down in order to maintain the HR or should I disregard the HR and focus on the rpm in hopes that my efficiency will increase?

I am so confused... :cry:

Oh, i am also very new to road cycling

If you're intent on staying in that particular zone, just change to an easier gear.

[flip18436572]

Change to an easier gear if you want to get your cadence and heart rate to work out.

[Carbonfiberboy]

I think what you are saying is that even in an easy gear, just moving your legs that fast makes your HR go up. That's to be expected. It's a lack of neuromuscular coordination. Your nerves are not firing the correct muscles in the correct order to make your legs go around quickly and effortlessly. This coordination can take a long time to acquire.

I'd say, do the HR recommendations, but don't ignore the cadence, either. Try to slowly bring it up over a period of years. Once a week, either on the road or on a trainer (I think it's harder and therefore better on a trainer) bring your cadence up until you start to bounce on the saddle. Ignore your HR. Hold that cadence for a minute or two. Let the cadence go back down and spin easy for a few minutes. Repeat this drill several times. This will make a big difference. During these drills, keep the gear very low, keep your feet flat, try to relax your legs, wiggle your toes occasionally, and try to imagine that there is a cushion of air between your socks and the soles of your shoes.

[bac]

I think what you are saying is that even in an easy gear, just moving your legs that fast makes your HR go up. That's to be expected. It's a lack of neuromuscular coordination. Your nerves are not firing the correct muscles in the correct order to make your legs go around quickly and effortlessly. This coordination can take a long time to acquire.

I'd say, do the HR recommendations, but don't ignore the cadence, either. Try to slowly bring it up over a period of years. Once a week, either on the road or on a trainer (I think it's harder and therefore better on a trainer) bring your cadence up until you start to bounce on the saddle. Ignore your HR. Hold that cadence for a minute or two. Let the cadence go back down and spin easy for a few minutes. Repeat this drill several times. This will make a big difference. During these drills, keep the gear very low, keep your feet flat, try to relax your legs, wiggle your toes occasionally, and try to imagine that there is a cushion of air between your socks and the soles of your shoes.

Correct answer to OP found above. :)

... Brad

[bradlykf]

I don't know that it will take years to get your cadence up to that level unless you are really really out of shape.

Right or Wrong, this is what I did when I first started training a few years ago:

I spent most of my time working within my heart rate zones to achieve my general endurance goals and to build my Max Heart Rate and Lactic Threshold.

At least 2 or 3 times a week I would do some fast pedal drills on and off my trainer. I just shifted into an easy gear and peddled until I was bouncing on the seat. I would back off the cadence just a bit so I was pedaling as fast as I could with no bounce and hold that cadence for as long as I could.

Then I would easy pedal until my heart rate was back down and then I would do it again. I would do that 2, 3, sometimes 4 or 5 times in a row. This increased the cadence that I could ride and improved my pedal stroke as well. You can't really get one without the other I suppose.

I think those fast pedal drills also worked my Max Heart Rate which is a good too. Its good to do workouts that have multiple benefits.

[ericgu]

I don't know that it will take years to get your cadence up to that level unless you are really really out of shape.

Right or Wrong, this is what I did when I first started training a few years ago:

I spent most of my time working within my heart rate zones to achieve my general endurance goals and to build my Max Heart Rate and Lactic Threshold.

At least 2 or 3 times a week I would do some fast pedal drills on and off my trainer. I just shifted into an easy gear and peddled until I was bouncing on the seat. I would back off the cadence just a bit so I was pedaling as fast as I could with no bounce and hold that cadence for as long as I could.

Then I would easy pedal until my heart rate was back down and then I would do it again. I would do that 2, 3, sometimes 4 or 5 times in a row. This increased the cadence that I could ride and improved my pedal stroke as well. You can't really get one without the other I suppose.

I think those fast pedal drills also worked my Max Heart Rate which is a good too. Its good to do workouts that have multiple benefits.

+10

I spent a couple years trying to increase my cadence, and only got up to 115/120 Max. A few months doing cadence drills now and then got me up to 145, or maybe 150 if I push it.

I spend about 30 seconds ramping up cadence to max, and then hold it for 30 seconds, and then ramp back down. Repeat 3-5 times in a row, and call it a day. As you get better, increase the time to 60 seconds and then perhaps 90 seconds.

[Carbonfiberboy]

This is what actaully I do now, from October to January: one day a week, ride rollers in zone 1, but include one long high cadence interval, pedalling at a 115-120 cadence in as low a gear as will leave my HR in zone 2. If my HR goes up, I gear down. If I'm out of shape and out of gears, then I have to cut the cadence back a few beats. Try a 42X23 or similar. Interval length 15-45 minutes. Do 15' one week, then 20', then 30', then 45', then back to 15', etc. Don't stop to rest during the interval.

Another amusing drill is to leave your gear in about a 42X17 on a fast group ride. I can pedal continuously at 138 in that gear, but like I said above, it's a lot easier on the road.

Another good drill on a group ride is to not gear up too much when decending in rolly terrain. Let your cadence get up to 110-120, then blast into the next hill at that cadence. Watch yourself go around everybody. You'll cook your legs if you do it much, though.

After several years of this practice, the shadow of my upper body no longer moves. You can't do it all in one season. Let each season build on the previous one. Don't be impatient.

[sprintr]

Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions. Good stuff, as always. I guess cadence drills are in my near future. Thanks again!

[Richard Cranium]

I recently purchased a Polar RS200 and used the Polar Personal Trainer website to come up with a fitness program. The recommendation of this training program is to maintain 90-100 rpm in a 60-70% of max HR (Zone 2).

Yeah, the problem is you don't know anything about your heart rate, nothing about your fitness, and you're trying to follow poorly written instructions use an unfamiliar program.

You might want to play with the HR monitor and simply watch what happens as you try various activities.

Walking, jogging with it is a good idea. And checking your HR first thing in the morning is an idea.