Hermes

IMO, that blog is sort of BS. The ideas seem correct and it uses the right buzz words and it is well written. It sounds good but the question is how to make an on / off interval set operational for an athletes objectives.

My coach has 5 different interval sets that focus on improving VO2/threshold. And he has a story about how he obtained the workouts from the East Germans and Soviets at Olympic Games and why the East Germans showed that 30/30 were the best workout to build threshold power. So that too sounds a little old school long in the tooth BS too until you try to do the workout.

His 30/30 is 2 sets of 3x(10 minutes of 30 on/ 30 off) 5 minutes rest between intervals and 10 minutes rest between sets. So his workout is 60, 30 second on intervals. I think Rubik could do this workout and maybe you could do it. I have done it and it is really hard but the key is getting the power levels correct. Too much power in the early intervals and the last set becomes almost impossible.

So I set the on period to 110% for the first 10 minutes and then try to hold and raise power as the 10 minute intervals progress. Also, I accelerate to the on power versus stomp it. And he likes these done on the track at Carson on the 45 degree banking. That means the 30 seconds of off power has to be enough to to keep from sliding down the banking. So on the road, the off power is maybe some higher z2 power.

If you think 40/20 is better have at it but keep the 10 minute duration and number of intervals and sets.

IMO, what I have provided coupled with a plan against a goal makes the workout operational.