Originally Posted by
Leukybear
I'm pretty sure I've tried hard enough when I can wring my shirt out of sweat at the end of each session.
Well, trying "hard enough" is a personal decision, and I'm not sure if amount of sweat produced indoors when there is no cooling airflow is a good indicator, certainly not in my experience.
Also, you may have a high tolerance for pain, and be quite fit (you should race bikes!), but I guarantee you that you are personally capable of putting yourself through immense pain on a bicycle, certainly more than "no pain whatsoever"
Originally Posted by
hairnet
I can attest to that from when I rowed crew. Using the stationary machine hurt like hell and time seemed to stand still. Overall it was very beneficial to see my power and racing split and work towards a
PR for each test. I left with a 6:44 for my 2k and I vividly remember the pain during and after that effort. I don't think I will ever take a spinning class or spend much time on a trainer.
Yep. When you're outside you can directly experience the effects of your work; by having dynamic surroundings and experiencing that great sensation of speed.
Originally Posted by
TejanoTrackie
So you are 20 years old ?
Also, I get what you are saying, that he is exaggerating, but that 220-Age formula for HR is BS.
It's an average indicator at best, and the outliers/stdev is huge. Take me as an example: My zone 4 (threshold) is 174-187bpm, and like I've told you before, I've done a 45min climb at 186. Does it mean I'm fit, intrinsically? No. It just means my heart rate zones are high, resting through max.
Power, more specifically, W/kg, is the most important metric for determining fitness as it is objective. If I recall correctly from my copy of Friel's
The Cyclist's Training Bible, in the HR zone chart, there are columns for a span of more then 20bpm at LTHR. This means that a rider of the same fitness as me could be producing 166bpm up the same 45 min climb, all-out.