Training on IDT

[Stifler]

Hi, I have been doing lots of hours on the IDT the past few months, and when doing long sessions like 2+ hours on the IDT I find it extremely boring. I tend to grab a magazine/book and end up sitting up and cycle - this is quite a change to my body position when cycling on the road. I was wondering if the sitting up is possibly not that great or if it works other muscles in your legs etc? any help will be appreciated.

[JA-Q001]

Sitting up you will use less of your ass muscles. Try using the resistance to simulate climbing and so on. What I do is use one gear that you kan keep a speed of around 30km/h on your preferred cadance. Then start on resistance low for 10min, 1 for 5min, 2 for 5min, 3 for 5min, 4 for 5min, 5 for 5min, high for 5min, then again 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 each for 5 min. Trying to keep your cadance constant. Sit in a normal cycling position. If you do it for shorter intervals, then try doing the pyramid three times.

 

Another nice session is, again, one gear, resistance low for 10min, then 2 for 10min on 90rpm, then 3 for 10min on 100rpm and again level 2 for 10min on 90rpm. repeating to fill your 2 hours

 

You will notice that the time goes a lot faster and you keep occupied by trying to concentrate on cadance and time of intervals.

[Mr SingleTrack]

Get a roller - much better than an A-frame as it is not so boring. Get one with resistence settings so that you can do hill training as well.

 

I usually watch movies or series while I ride (yes, on the roller). A movie is usually about 2 hours or a couple of episodes of the latest series that I am watching does the trick fine. I turn the TV off when I do lactate intervals as I am then keeping an eagle eye on the clock! Either way, time seems to fly past much faster than sitting in an A-frame being bored as hell.

 

And yes, sitting up will change the muscles used (or the extent to which they are used)

[Bianchisti]

What is it that you’re trying to achieve by doing IDT work for 2 hours +? Is there ever a good reason to spend 2 hours+ on IDT? I’d say optimum/maximum time would be around 80-90 minutes. You can do plenty of QUALITY work in that. Even if you spinning at low resistance, you’re better off doing it at a very high, fast cadence which will be a better workout then sitting there spinning easy.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Watching movies while riding, with the headphones on. Works wonders for the boredom! My dog doesn't like the sound though, so he p1sses off upstairs to look for a place to sleep. Works wonders for the Little Mayhem's sleeping though!

[Stifler]

HI Thanks for the advice from everyone - I train for Triathlons, I do the sprints, but mostly for Ironman, jailbreak etc. I have a coach and sometimes I have just an easy ride on the weekend 2,5hour to 3hours and cant get out, also have 2 small kids, so sometimes to make time I have to do it late night, early am or lunchtime while my wife is out and kids are sleeping, so I have to be around or when ever - I guess circumstances sometimes prohibits me from going out. I find my interval sessions goes quickly and I tend to find them ok - its just the longer ones where I cant get out. i am looking at getting rollers, thanks for the advice and for the nice interval sessions, much appreciated. I am mostly worried that I work different/wrong muscles by sitting up.

[pastapouch]

Indoor training...SUCKS!!!

[Oltremo]

Hi,

2+ hours on an IDT is long, and I like most others would definately get bored, and most likely miss a few sessions. Movies etc. is a welcome alternative. I have a few sufferfest dvd's, all interval stuff, about 1 hr long. I have btw found that on the idt I push less Watts than on the road. So the idt is not the ideal.

 

Carmichael's book, Time Crunched Cyclist, does promote short high intensity workouts as a good alternative to longer rides. I would use this philosophy for those few occasions, when there are constraints to me getting onto the road for long endurance rides.

[JGR]

Looking at the comment its seems session longer than 2hrs are wasteful? But how do you get around not being able to train in the this darn CPT weekend weather?

[Mr SingleTrack]

Hi,

2+ hours on an IDT is long, and I like most others would definately get bored, and most likely miss a few sessions. Movies etc. is a welcome alternative. I have a few sufferfest dvd's, all interval stuff, about 1 hr long. I have btw found that on the idt I push less Watts than on the road. So the idt is not the ideal.

 

Carmichael's book, Time Crunched Cyclist, does promote short high intensity workouts as a good alternative to longer rides. I would use this philosophy for those few occasions, when there are constraints to me getting onto the road for long endurance rides.

I train according to HR so that I ensure my work out on the roller is sufficient. I glance down every few minutes to look at my HR to ensure I don't just peddle without cause... BTW, I have to work much harder on the roller to get my HR up as when compared to road/MTB rides so my legs work harder.... Edited August 29, 2012 by Mr SingleTrack

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Looking at the comment its seems session longer than 2hrs are wasteful? But how do you get around not being able to train in the this darn CPT weekend weather?

 

Dude, it's far from wasteful. Peeps just get bored, and that leads to lack of motivation / effort etc etc. As long as you're training, it doesn't matter.

 

And heck yeah - sometimes it's all you can do is train indoors!

[Mr SingleTrack]

Looking at the comment its seems session longer than 2hrs are wasteful? But how do you get around not being able to train in the this darn CPT weekend weather?

I don’t think long rides on the idt are wasteful. My training program contains lactate intervals, stamina intervals and base rides. Base rides are longer at an easy pace. I prefer to do them outside but if i can’t do it outside i will do it on the idt. i cant swap them with short rides of greater intensity as my training plan calls for LSD...

[SwissVan]

Hi, I have been doing lots of hours on the IDT the past few months, and when doing long sessions like 2+ hours on the IDT I find it extremely boring. I tend to grab a magazine/book and end up sitting up and cycle - this is quite a change to my body position when cycling on the road. I was wondering if the sitting up is possibly not that great or if it works other muscles in your legs etc? any help will be appreciated.

 

First off well done on your dedication to your training plan.

 

Years ago I bought a portable DVD player specifically for using with my IDT, I have it set up on a board that extends off a table next to my bike so it is just in front of my handle bars. It’s the only way to help pass time when doing long easy rides indoors, 2 winters ago I was spending up to 7hrs a weekend and 1 – 3 hrs per night during the week on the IDT doing LSD base type training….

 

WRT your question about sitting up – imo it does make a difference because you use different / more muscles to support yourself when sitting up holding a magazine / book. I would not do it for long periods of time as it’s not your natural riding position and seems to put more pressure on the sit bone area.

 

I did find that by riding short periods of time in a typical riding position but with hands held just off the bars or standing up and holding on only with one hand at a time gave quite a good on the bike workout for the core muscles and also the legs. Wheither this was of any benefit I cannot say but it definetly felt like it was working something at the time and also provided mental relief by simply doing something different...

 

Enjoy

[JGR]

Dude, it's far from wasteful. Peeps just get bored, and that leads to lack of motivation / effort etc etc. As long as you're training, it doesn't matter.

 

And heck yeah - sometimes it's all you can do is train indoors!

Yeah man - arrive at work in the dark - leave in the dark and weekends just rain .... doing K2K in 3 weeks and need some longer rides

[JGR]

Been doing a couple of 2hrs+ session but also every 30 mins or so get off and do some weighted squats or lunges, helps beat the bordom as well. (im also hoping it will help build stronger legs)

[Stifler]

thanks again all - when going for my lactate tests they use one of those fancy Tacx with the computer etc. - the ones that adjusts gradient etc by itself when simmulating a specific cycling course etc. - guess one of those will make a bit of a difference, but the cheap IDT's is defenitely boredom to the max! for Interval and HR interval sessions an IDT is ideal - cant really do them on the road due to robots, traffic etc. so there is a place for it I guess. I agree with SwissVan - it does feel like it works different muscles, so to long sitting up I think is a bit of a waste. will just have to watch more movies/series and keep my hands on the bar.