Can someone decipher this gobbledygook for me. If I'm to remember correctly ' means feet or minutes? So what the hell are they saYing here? Also what the hell are weights on the bike?



BIKE RIDE

Intensity:*Very Hard

Distance:*15.0*mi*
Duration:*1:00:00*

HOP (Hour Of Power) 87 to 90% of Max HR with a cadence between 50-55 (RPE 6-8) -- WOB (Weights On the Bike) is 87-94% of Max HR with a cadence betwwen 40-45 (RPE 6-9)

Warmup 30' to 45' - Your choice of: 30' at HOP - 10' WOB, 30' HOP 20' easy, then repeat HOP for 20' (RPE 6-7) --or -- 3 times 25' HOP 5' WOB no more than 15' between HOP/WOB set (RP 6-9) --or-- 4 times 15' at HOP 5' WOB no more than 10' between HOP/WOB (RPE 6-9) - Easy rest of the ride

Minutes.

Should have posted this in the Training subforum.

If you don't know what it means you shouldn't be using it.

Boy, those seem like extremely low cadences for exceptionally long periods. I'm not familiar with a workout like that.

How idiotic. If that is the case everyone who's ever lived should have stayed in their crib and never done a damn thing and died of starvation as an infant.

I signed up for a website that I received recommendations not only from people on this forum but multiple bike stores as well, and there is no explanation as far as terms on the website.

Yes I know that's what ' means. BUT 25+5 x 3 with no more than 10 between sets, that's at least 1hr 40... for an hour workout....with a 45 minute warmup... so they don't intend for it to mean minutes obviously.

Lighten up Francis. It's a joke.

thus quote the snark.

The whole thing looks like some kind of odd "strength training on stationary bikes" thing. I think that's what they're getting at with the term "weights on bike" -- a 40 RPM cadence at 90+% MHR means you would have resistance cranked to the max so it basically becomes a high-volume/low-weight leg press exercise that doesn't really have anything to do with cycling. Say goodbye to your knees.

Just go out and ride. No need for silly acronyms.

Back when I was in high school, my friends and I were particularly sarcastic and derisive toward other people. We often called people we thought were stupid as "nons". When someone asked what a "non" was, we'd reply, "A non is anyone who doesn't know what a non is." We thought we were extremely clever.

I did that, but I wound up over exerting myself, so I looked for an organized way to advance towards my goal, and I was recommended a website... and now I'm getting snarky and unhelpful feedback about it, and not just here, but 2 other forums, and the official help section of the website... I'm about to just say **** all of this, I can't get a straight answer from anyone about anything to do with fitness. Not from fitness coaches, other cyclists, local cycling shops, doctors, anyone. All I want is a simple "follow this plan" so I can go back to having fun riding.

When I was in the army my fitness plan was simple. "Fall in. Right Face. Forward March. Double time."

I might suggest trying to relax a little. Just go out and ride, really slow for now. Slowly build up from there. It might take a few weeks or a few years, but if you stick with it you'll want to push yourself. You'll know when you're ready, and you body will tell you when to go harder and when to back off.

Unless you are competing for a living, no one needs anything that regimented. Don't engineer the fun out of riding.

Just do these:

Interval Bike Workouts for Power & Endurance | Bicycling Magazine

Except that I'm ready, and was ready, but using my body as a gauge didn't work very well. I just want to get on my bike and ride a century every week, I want to take my days off and ride as far out as I can and come back the next day... but apparently I'm not supposed to do that yet, I need "conditioning" or some kind of "plan" to get there because it's "extreme" or wtf ever. So when I go look I get gibberish....

Does anyone know wtf it means or not?

Thanks elvo I'll give it a look

Yes, the Bicycling Mag link I was going to post also, but do look at Cycling Training Videos: The Sufferfest videos for stationary/trainer workouts, too.

I don't know what that means, other than it's some kind of interval work. But there are much simpler and intelligible interval plans out there, why not look for some of them?

You got a pretty good answer on another site for the meaning of the acronyms, but my impression of those workouts from Map My Ride is the same as has been expressed above -- the cadences are way too low for a cyclist and put you at risk for knee problems. I also am not of the opinion that you should do the intervals specified in Bicycling magazine article to train for century riding, and you definitely don't want to do them unless you have established a good base of fitness, and have good form -- meaning your endurance is high, your movements don't place unnecessary strain on your structure, and your muscles and ligaments/tendons are in shape for abuse. I think you'd be much better served by lower intensity, longer intervals.

If you're looking to ride a century weekly and don't have specific time goals in mind (especially challenging time goals), then you really just need to ride longer and longer until you have the endurance to ride that time & distance. The key is building endurance. You won't ever ride a century at 90% of max HR -- you'll want to be mostly in Z2/Z3 (endurance pace heart rate zones -- working up a sweat but able to converse) at a moderate cadence (80-100rpm). It will take you some time to build up to regularly riding a (I'm guessing here) 6 - 7 hour ride.

The plans I've had the best results from start with serious base workouts -- all Z2/Z3 kinds of rides -- and then getting into power building with longer intervals at or around threshold (meaning 10-20 minute long intervals just under or at the point where your breathing gets ragged).

My personal favorite plans are on TrainerRoad -- the base building plans and the century preparation plans are top notch. The problem with TrainerRoad is it's really tailored specifically for the stationary trainer, but for me it's perfect for the long indoor winter season. Followed to a tee, the base lasts 3 months followed by 2-3 months of power building.

I think with the Thus you need a Quoteth
fify

Well that's nice and though a purveyor of sarcasm and snark, it is never meant personally and never in a superior mode of thought. I love all you guys, hell you all like bicycling which is one of my greater loves.