North Coast Joe

Yikes, sounds like a lot of work and and gizmos to be faster. I'm faster now, and passing those that passed me a few years ago just by riding. It can get done on a budget and without a physiology degree.

Where are all those fast roadies when it's pouring rain, or snowing? Oh, I left them at home on while on my sure footed, wide tired FG roadie that they laugh at.

Lord_Stark

If you just ride you get fitter. And also with increasing the miles or doing harder/longer climbs. But with just doing these things you can't the maximum out of it. That's why you have to do intervals or even better HIT to get more out of it, because you can push your heart rate higher! But slower easy rides are just as important!!
You can vary your training more, which can give you maybe more fun, even though you have to suffer a bit in these trainings

And the benefit can be a big

echale3

Thanks! my second job is as a NETA-certified group exercise instructor with 3 separate indoor cycling certifications, teaching high intensity indoor cycling at the local YMCA 2-4 times a week.

I fully agree that it's difficult to do HIIT on the road on a bike, unless you have a nice hill to climb/descend repeatedly. Tabata intervals are so short that they're virtually impossible to do on a bike anywhere but on an indoor trainer. Running, though, you can do either indoors or out. As you said, the key to interval training is to do the work portion at max effort.

Lord_Stark

I can't send private messages because I don't have enough Forum Posts So I ask my question to you here.

Is it true that you can't to many weeks with specific "HIT" in your training plan? I have heard that you have to stop with it after something about 5 or 6 week and repeat it a few months later.
And is it essentially important to involve long base rides during this time where you do the HIT for the best effect?

Thanks

caloso

They're on Zwift.

echale3

There's different advice on this depending on who you hear it from. Some sources recommend doing HIIT up to 4 times a week with longer, low intensity workouts on days you aren't doing HIIT. Personally, I like to shoot for 3 times a week with longer, lower intensity workouts in between.

From what I've read/been taught on the subject, it's generally recommended that you only do HIIT for 6-8 weeks, take a week or two off hardcore cardio workouts, then go back at it so you don't overtrain and wind up going backwards.

You can do all your HIIT work with one type of exercise--the bike, running, or lifting, or you can switch it up. I personally like to switch it up.

caloso

For general fitness it doesn't matter. If you want to get faster on your bike, it very much matters.

puddinlegs

Didn't know anyone who raced actively that didn't ride in the winter unless there was just too much snow on the road to be safe. Mileage and pace usually dialed back for sure, and more time on the rollers, etc... A lot of 'roadies' have winter beaters and go incognito.

echale3

What doesn't matter? Improvements in cardio fitness via HIIT, whether it's obtained on the bike, through running sprint intervals, or through some sort of other form exercise will benefit you across the board. Perhaps you meant that if you want to maximize your gains on the bike, you should train on it? That would arguably be a true statement.

caloso

Correct. Although I can't imagine what the argument would be against it.

jeichelberg87

Then it should be more simply stated your immediate goal is:

A) Lie through written word on some internet forum to readers you do not even know; and/or;
2) Pass guys like me on a road bike (i.e.; fifty-five years old and 250 lbs).

DBrown9383

For the THIRD time, the quote above was done in jest.. Geeez.. Oh and I'm pretty sure I could pass you on my hybrid jeichelberg

headasunder

personally I hate being passed but at 51 years old I expect younger dudes to smoke me. If it worries you yell out "recovery ride" as they fly past

gpsblake

I don't think anyone in the world can put out that power for more then a few seconds.

One to remember if your goal is to build up power and strength is not only to ride harder but recover harder also. Good article here about it Training & Recovery | Bicycling

Doctor Morbius

Any decent training program is going to be periodized, which is a way to say there will be built in swaths of time at lower intensity for recovery purposes. Then theoretically, the next block of "hard" training will begin a notch above where it began on the previous hard training block. It's kinda like walking up 5 steps, then walking down 2 steps, then walking up 5 more steps. In the long run the built in recovery periods** will allow a person to become much more fit than if they try to make progress in a linear fashion. It also helps to prevent burnout, which can be common with high intensity workouts.

** These recovery periods don't equate to time off. They are easier and one will perhaps become a little deconditioned, but not like with total down time.

Mandeville

I'm 6'5" and 215 pounds. I'm 69 years old and very fit. I do about 125 miles a week average and included in most of my rides from 25-106 miles is always a 5 mile category 3 climb that I've now done over eighty times this year. It takes me 30 minutes to do the climb averaging 243 watts. A couple of week ago two guys about 15 seconds apart passed me literally going twice as fast as me. They finished the climb in 15 minutes and change.

Hey everything is relative.

RR3

Yes, I know. Painfully so.

Also, few recreational cycists can put down 250 watts.

Nontheless, my main point that a top rider will climb twice as fast and to forget about them is valid.


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