bortola

Hi all, I am sure this topic has been discussed many times here however I would like to hear from people who had positive experiences (gains) with a winter training plan that is based on powermeters. I recently bought a training plan that was supposed to be based on powermeter but ended up having workouts based on gear ratios that are very confusing since I can have different power outputs for the same gear ratio depending on training resistance or terrain. Preferably I was looking for something that is more indoor focused.

Any recommendations would be very welcome.

thank you

Bortola.

merlinextraligh

A training plan based on gear ratios is going to be worthless indoors, unless it was specifically designed for the power curve of your trainer and took into account your FTP.

You have a power meter you need to be training by power, particularly indoors.

merlinextraligh

That said, read one of Friels or Carmichaels books, and or buy a canned plan off Training
Peaks

RJM

The sufferfest training plans are power based. They give you directions on figuring out your FTP using power and then applying that to their workouts. Sportive training plans

bortola

I have been training with power for a while and I know the dangers of going for a canned training plan and/or silver bullet solution. However at least I would like to get a plan that would work as a reference .

kv501

Read Training and Racing With A Powermeter (even if you don't race), or dive into this thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/33-road-bi...cipe-book.html

Either one of those sources will give you more than you could possibly want.

kv501

Not really true at all.

bortola

I have been racing for a while and I own the book you mentioned which by the way it is excellent. I just wished to have a winter training plan that would follow the philosophy to the book which I haven't found yet. Something that I could see periodization on prescribed TSS/week for instance.

unterhausen

I need a plan that takes into account my inability to suffer

valygrl

TrainerRoad has power based plans. I haven't used the plans since I'm working with a coach, but they look like they would work for what you want. I use the program to display telemetry while I do intervals - either Sufferfest, or my coach's workouts which you can create yourself and add to your library.

Power Based Indoor Cycling Training Software - TrainerRoad - susbscription for the service, $10/month, you buy a $30 dongle and you can see your wattage on your screen with the prescrbed intervals. Training plans are part of the subscription.

edit - not sure if this link works if you aren't signed in, but here is a sample plan
https://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/p...or-high-volume

svtmike

+1 for the TrainerRoad plans. They have a good variety and they are good quality workouts.

carpediemracing 

Me too. I just ride the trainer. I download the power data. Look at the graphs. Wonder why I can only avg 120w or 140w or whatever. It's all good. If I'm listening to music or watching a particularly inspirational thing on the screen (bike race usually) then I'll work harder. Today was inspiring and I did 147w and it was a hard ride for me, right now.

I directly attribute my inability to do intervals to my first few years of racing where I did intervals religiously in the off season. Now I rarely do even FTP tests since I can't do 20 minutes, hard or easy, without sitting up somewhere in there. 8 minutes is hard also. The MAP test is best for me but tough since it's hard for me to hold constant power under duress.

All my actual hard work is in races.

svtmike

Trainerroad Traditional Base, Low Volume.

I'm doing that to start as I come back from a broken back and torn up knee.

RChung

That surprises me, too. Can you give an example of what a gear ratio based workout looks like?

Carbonfiberboy 

I'm done with periodization and training plans:
https://www.bikeforums.net/training-n...hile-back.html

So far, so good.

bortola

1 min intervals at
53 x 12 @ 50 - 60rpm
39 x 12 @ 90 rpm
53 x 14 @ 50 - 60rpm
39 x 14 @ 90 rpm

for me that doesn't tell me what kind of effort I should put on the pedal . For example I can apply 505 N (effective pedaling force) @ 110rpm and have 360W of power output and I can apply the same 505N @ 70ish rpm and have 225W of power output. The only difference is the duration of the applied force (hence power). So these whole gear ratio cadence stuff is confusing when you leave the power out

bortola

Carbonfiberboy, I can't wait to watch this lecture. thanks a lot

RChung

I agree. That's ... odd. And useless.

valygrl

I'm curious, are all the workouts like that? Because that looks to me like a workout that might be prescribed during an early part of the season where you are working on leg strength on the bike - low cadence, high effort intervals.

It might make sense in a bigger context.

Or not. Just wondering.

RChung

When and if you hear back, please let us know what they say. In general I'm not a huge fan of cadence-specific workouts unless they have a specific context and specific goal. They can, occasionally, be a reasonable way to relieve boredom but prescriptions like these seem ... odd.

bortola

will do!

Voodoo76

This was a fascinating listen. I took about 15 years off, still rode but didn't really train. Just finished 6 months straight for the first time in forever. Back in the early 90's exactly what this lecture proposes was cutting edge in HR based training. As Rip VanWinkle waking up I've been struggling with one facet of most Power based training. All of my old, effective, documented plans avoided Z3 like the plague. That was drilled into me, nothing good came out of time spent there. An old program would have me at around 75% Z2 and 25% at Z4+ Inervals, training races, hard group, now it's almost that in Z3.

I think in particular for riders who are recovery limited what he is calling the Polarized Model may be more effective than training models based around 2x20's. I know when I was training that way burnout was never an issue. The challenge is sticking to Z2.