Interval Help
 

Looking for "Pyramid Interval" time suggestions. Please be specific with time of hard effort, heart rate, rest time. THANKS

WRIs™

1min, 2min, 2min, 5min, 2min, 2min, 1min.
5 minutes rest between each interval.

Here's what one type of pyramid I do: 1-2-3-5-3-2-1 minutes

1 - minute @ 98-99% of all-out sprint effort, steady 32-35mph, HR goes from 125 -> max at the end
rest, I prefer to rest by HR down to 120-125bpm (60% MHR)

2 - minutes @ 97%, steady @ 28-30mph, HR 125 -> max
rest to 120-125bpm (60% MHR)

3 - minutes @ 95% steady @ 29mph, HR 125-> max
rest to 120-125bpm (60% MHR)

5 -minutes @ 92-93%, steady @ 27mph, HR 125 -> max
rest to 120-125bpm (60% MHR)

then go back down in reverse.

The HRM isn't very useful except for determining the recovered point. Intervals by definition are all done above LT/FTP and thus, your HR will always be climbing and should hit max by the end of the interval. Aside from the physiological training, it's also mental training in knowing exactly how far and long you can hold any given speed above LT/FTP. Really helpful for races if you know you can hold 33mph for 90-seconds, which may let you get away or chase down a break.

I've always had a question about this interval training on the road, trainer no problem as it's controled but what about on road. Were I live there is very few areas of complete flat it mainly rolling terrian with some pretty decent grade hills. I've always just used the hills for my intervals I.E go all out up hill then let HR come down it does not always get to 60% thou between efforts. Is this acceptable? Sorry for hyjaking.

Just a question since you gave mph values. For say a 3 minute interval are you doing as hard as you can go while seated and cranking on the pedals for the time (say like a 3 minute TT pace) or do you go all out stand and sprint and rip the **** out of the bike for as long as you can (say like a 3 minute sprint pace) and by the end of 3 minutes you end up going 4 mph with all your effort but your dead? Surely after a 5 minute interval I couldnt do 27mph unless it was a TT style pacing.

Just confused if it is literally all you have from start to finish which would surely lead to almost a crawl after a couple of minutes or is it maximal effort for a sustained amount of time you can keep. Thanks

It's actually 1125211, but I'm sure 1225221 would be just as ugly. I just have this "thing" for 1' intervals, so that's where my focus is.

Hills are great for intervals. I prefer to do them on hills too. Depending on your goals, it might be good to do some flat or even descending sometimes too. If you're training for racing, it's good to familiarize yourself with these kinds of effort on every kind of terrain, even corners. For fitness benefits though, anything that keeps the pressure on the pedals is fine.

Yeah, all-out every pedal stroke is fine for 1' intervals, but there's an important distinction between 98-99% and 100%. It doesn't sound like much difference, but you want these to be hard enough for performance to degrade through the workout, but not so tough that the first one ruins everything. I can't do a 1' all-out effort without having an impact on the next couple days of training.

The 1' intervals should be really hard though. The 2, 3, and 5 are all going to be somewhat paced, but if they're on the shorter side, you should start harder.

That makes sense, thanks for clearing it up.

Sorry, Danno is pulling those mph numbers out of his ass. Very few people would be able to do 32-25mph for a few seconds, let alone a full minute. Pacing a workout like that on speed would be stupid.

Edit: And since this was posted in the ROAD CYCLING forum and NOT the ROAD BIKE RACING one has to assume that we are NOT talking about racing.

I hope your not doing structured intervals during a race, that would be a bit excessive!

what should your cadence be for those intervals?

Thanks
 

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I'm not interested in racing, just would like to improve.