Post your sweet-spot workouts
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Carpe Diem
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Post your sweet-spot workouts
I'm going to put together a compilation of BikeForums workouts and "publish" it in PDF form as a Christmukah gift for everyone later this year. Every couple weeks I'll start a thread that says "Post your XXXXX workout", please contribute what you can. Intervals and intensities will be defined in terms of Functional Threshold Power (FTP). I understand not everyone has a power meter, but this is the format I have chosen. I'm sure you can adapt it to heart rate and/or RPE..
I've created a working GoogleDocs document, available here: https://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dff3pq75_3hjnjknd6.
----------------------------------
This thread will focus on "sweet-spot" workouts. Sweet spot has been defined as upper-L3 to lower-L4 workouts. I'll start with a few (thanks to Bill Black):
DRIVE FOR THE LINE
- 10min. warm-up;
- 20min. @85% of FTP;
- 5min. @70% of FTP;
- 5min. @100% of FTP with last 30sec. thereof @140%+ of FTP;
- 5min. @70% of FTP;
- 5min. @100% of FTP with last 30sec. thereof @140%+ of FTP;
- 10min. cool-down.
4.5 THEN DRIVE
- 10min. warm-up;
- 70% of FTP then every 4.5min. go @140% of FTP for 90sec. (so total of 6min.) and that is one rep and you continue that for 10 reps (total of 60min) never letting things go below the 70% of FTP base level;
- 10min. cool-down.
DRIVE FOR 5
- 10min. warm-up;
- 5min. @110% of FTP then 2min. @60% of FTP and that is one rep; do 3 reps per set and 2 sets with 10min. @ L2 between the sets.
- 10min. cool-down.
TERRIBLE 20's
- 10min. warm-up;
- 20min. @90% of FTP with last 2min. thereof being @110% of FTP and that is one rep; do 3 reps with 5min. @ L2 between the reps;
- 10min. cool-down.
HOUR OF POWER
- 10min. warm-up;
- 60min. @ 80-95% FTP
- every 90 sec or so, shift down, stand up, SURGE.
- 10min. cool-down
HOUSE OF PAIN
- 10min warm-up;
- 57min. @75% of FTP and spaced out fairly evenly during that 57min. do 4 x 2min. @110% of FTP;
- 18min. @80% of FTP and spaced out fairly evenly during that 18min. do 4 x 1min. @120% of FTP;
-10min. cool-down.
I've created a working GoogleDocs document, available here: https://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dff3pq75_3hjnjknd6.
----------------------------------
This thread will focus on "sweet-spot" workouts. Sweet spot has been defined as upper-L3 to lower-L4 workouts. I'll start with a few (thanks to Bill Black):
DRIVE FOR THE LINE
- 10min. warm-up;
- 20min. @85% of FTP;
- 5min. @70% of FTP;
- 5min. @100% of FTP with last 30sec. thereof @140%+ of FTP;
- 5min. @70% of FTP;
- 5min. @100% of FTP with last 30sec. thereof @140%+ of FTP;
- 10min. cool-down.
4.5 THEN DRIVE
- 10min. warm-up;
- 70% of FTP then every 4.5min. go @140% of FTP for 90sec. (so total of 6min.) and that is one rep and you continue that for 10 reps (total of 60min) never letting things go below the 70% of FTP base level;
- 10min. cool-down.
DRIVE FOR 5
- 10min. warm-up;
- 5min. @110% of FTP then 2min. @60% of FTP and that is one rep; do 3 reps per set and 2 sets with 10min. @ L2 between the sets.
- 10min. cool-down.
TERRIBLE 20's
- 10min. warm-up;
- 20min. @90% of FTP with last 2min. thereof being @110% of FTP and that is one rep; do 3 reps with 5min. @ L2 between the reps;
- 10min. cool-down.
HOUR OF POWER
- 10min. warm-up;
- 60min. @ 80-95% FTP
- every 90 sec or so, shift down, stand up, SURGE.
- 10min. cool-down
HOUSE OF PAIN
- 10min warm-up;
- 57min. @75% of FTP and spaced out fairly evenly during that 57min. do 4 x 2min. @110% of FTP;
- 18min. @80% of FTP and spaced out fairly evenly during that 18min. do 4 x 1min. @120% of FTP;
-10min. cool-down.
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"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
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Last edited by bdcheung; 04-28-08 at 03:39 PM.
#2
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I thought it was christmahanakwansika?
Thanks for doing this BTW. These will help me later when i make the drive to hone my TT form to kick all MABRA Cat 4 butt in August.
Thanks for doing this BTW. These will help me later when i make the drive to hone my TT form to kick all MABRA Cat 4 butt in August.
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John
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John
'09 Cannondale CAAD9 - Team Latitude/ABRT Special.
'04 Lemond Victorie Ti
'98 IF Crown Jewel (dead)
'92 Trek2100 (TT)
'50 something Gino Bartali (fixer)
'02 Ducati ST4s (Moto-Ref mount)
My Blog
#3
Carpe Diem
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I've always wanted an encyclopedia of workouts - doing 2x20's all the time gets boring. I don't mind doing the compiling, but I need people to provide the data!
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#4
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He's got the levels (if you're using A&C) wrong, but the workouts correct.
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#6
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"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!
"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!
#9
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Nobody has any sweet spot workouts?
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"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
ΛΧΑ ΔΞ179 - 15% off your first Hammer Nutrition order!
"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
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#10
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3x20's @ 91% day one, 2x20s @ 95% day two.
MIET = 90-120 min steady @ 91-93%
SST isn't really rocket science though, so... dunno what you're looking for.
MIET = 90-120 min steady @ 91-93%
SST isn't really rocket science though, so... dunno what you're looking for.
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#11
King of the Plukers
Is it possible to include some sort of conversion chart for the different acronyms, and from power to HR style, in the final draft?
#12
Making a kilometer blurry
COMMUTE:
-3-5 minute warmup with 45 seconds at target effort
-Between every traffic light on the way to work, target 97% FTP (varies with acute training load and fatigue)
-Practice finding the rhythm right out of the gate when the light turns green, and keep the pressure on until the next red light (for me, this is from 3-15 minutes depending on luck)
-Don't go easier if you make a green light you don't usually make
-3-5 minute warmup with 45 seconds at target effort
-Between every traffic light on the way to work, target 97% FTP (varies with acute training load and fatigue)
-Practice finding the rhythm right out of the gate when the light turns green, and keep the pressure on until the next red light (for me, this is from 3-15 minutes depending on luck)
-Don't go easier if you make a green light you don't usually make
#13
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At LTHR of 177, SST sits me at 165-168bpm steady on a normal, non caffeinated, non over rested day.
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#14
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It's all about diversity and spicing things up a bit. 2x20's get boring.
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#15
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The workouts you've listed are L4/L5, not SST (L3/L4). Check Bill Black's thread. Still good workouts, but different intensity.
For SST, I keep it simple: 60min@95%, 90-120min@90-93%.
For SST, I keep it simple: 60min@95%, 90-120min@90-93%.
#16
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Where's Black's thread?
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#18
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meh, enough of the critics. you can share your editorial remarks when the first draft comes out.
for now, just post your workouts.
for now, just post your workouts.
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#20
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If you're looking for replacements for 2x20s, these are all good. But 2x20s aren't SST, and neither are these. The whole idea of SST is to lower the intensity a bit in order to lengthen the work interval (more than 40min per session).
So are you looking for threshold workouts or SST? I was more enthusiastic before I got called a "critic" (WTH?) just for asking for clarification.
#21
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Post whatever you got - I may have called it "sweet spot" but you see where the thread is going. In the end, the document will have SST, Threshold, Anaerobic intervals, NM intervals, everything. So just post what you've got, we'll organize and classify later.
Didn't mean to be an ass, but I'm getting sick of people attacking the minutiae and missing the big picture that I'm trying to compile a resource that just might be helpful to fellow forum members.
Didn't mean to be an ass, but I'm getting sick of people attacking the minutiae and missing the big picture that I'm trying to compile a resource that just might be helpful to fellow forum members.
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"When you are chewing the bars at the business end of a 90 mile road race you really dont care what gear you have hanging from your bike so long as it works."
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#23
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4' @ 88%-90% of FTP
1' @ 100%-105% of FTP
this is one set. there is no recovery.
you can easily mess around with the length of the SST time and the LT time, but basically it gets you some minutes @ FTP without destroying you AND breaks up the SST monotony. I broke a CP60' record this winter with this workout.
I like 2x15 @ 103%-106% too. What I do is aim for let's say 350 watts and if I'm really drilling that wattage after 15 minutes, I'll take it to 20'. If I'm not feeling it, I stop, recover for 6-8 minutes and hit the second 15' interval. Sure, you could do a 3rd, too and call it 3x15's but the intensity is a bit high for that, i think, particularly if the first interval was 20'.
-L
1' @ 100%-105% of FTP
this is one set. there is no recovery.
you can easily mess around with the length of the SST time and the LT time, but basically it gets you some minutes @ FTP without destroying you AND breaks up the SST monotony. I broke a CP60' record this winter with this workout.
I like 2x15 @ 103%-106% too. What I do is aim for let's say 350 watts and if I'm really drilling that wattage after 15 minutes, I'll take it to 20'. If I'm not feeling it, I stop, recover for 6-8 minutes and hit the second 15' interval. Sure, you could do a 3rd, too and call it 3x15's but the intensity is a bit high for that, i think, particularly if the first interval was 20'.
-L
#24
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I applaud bdchueng's efforts to compile some workouts for everyone. It is a good idea.
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30 sec @ 60-70%; 30sec @ +100% 60+ min total.
Every 10th rep, I tossed in harder surge, +110% effort in a high gear and worked on my sprinting form and body position (@100-110 rpm); not in terms of producing sprint power, strictly unseated weight distribution and posture...that can hurt pretty bad, too.
Every 10th rep, I tossed in harder surge, +110% effort in a high gear and worked on my sprinting form and body position (@100-110 rpm); not in terms of producing sprint power, strictly unseated weight distribution and posture...that can hurt pretty bad, too.