Originally Posted by
RShantz
I'm thinking of changing things up a bit and doing intervals/repeats by holding 300 watts for as long as I can. Then rest for 5 minutes and do the same thing again - etc, etc, etc. Currently based on my Strava power curve I've held 300 watts for 8 minutes.
What are your thoughts on the effectiveness of this method as I haven't heard it before I'm thinking there are some negatives that have escaped me?
There are two schools of thought - push your FTP up from below, or pull it up from above.
10 minute intervals starting at 110% of FTP seem to work well for me with 5 minutes rest between, noting that's at or close to time to exhaustion for me because I don't have much in the way of anaerobic reserves.
Stephen Seiler's test subjects had the biggest improvements in lactate threshold and VO2max with 4x8 intervals "as hard as possible" with 2 minutes rest between them; twice a week with the rest of their training time spent below their aerobic threshold.
He suggested 7-10 minutes with 2 minutes rest in
his post from January 22nd, 2015 on slowtwitch
Seiler may be the most visible polarized proponent, where 20% of sessions are above the anaerobic threshold and 80% below the aerobic threshold (generally in Friel's zone 2).