Originally Posted by
gauvins
Yep, familiar with suggestions like these. But they apply to endurance rather than speed. My objective is to see if I can increase my average riding speed. The usual advice is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I'll have to read some more to understand the principle (frequency, intensity, effectiveness). I can only say that anecdotal evidence suggests that untrained cyclists trying to improve their power output often claim rapid increases in the 25% range.
One thing that I read years ago and that's stuck with me is that power is directly related to muscle mass, and specifically the cross-sectional area of a muscle. That explains why sprinters have such thunderous thighs, and why we lose power as we age; we are losing muscle mass.
HIIT, sprint intervals, and the like work to improve power by increasing muscle mass. Z2 and Z3 work on other things but aren't really geared at increasing muscle mass.
One thing that others here have said really helps is strength training in the gym. That's one of the things sprinters do too. I've got to give that a try myself.
I've got different goals but I'm trying to mix Z3, intervals, and rest days to build my speed and endurance. It's the traditional formula. I'm using Zwift to help while the weather is inconsistent and the days short. I recently did an indoor ride at the same power output as several weeks before, but my average heart rate was 20bpm lower. That's progress, I think.
Best of luck.