Power Training vs. Heart Rate training

[PokerFace]

Power training seems to be very popular, but also very expensive. Are the advantages really that much better than training by HR? What are the advantages? Do I need to spend R10,000.00 to make it worth it, or would cheaper power meters also do the trick?

The power meter or HR monitor are still only tools. What is the best way of using it? Would a book tell me everything I need to know or is specialized, personalized training the way to go?

[Groot Lem]

power training is free..just put it into big blade up the hill and stay seated.

[PokerFace]

power training is free..just put it into big blade up the hill and stay seated.

Thanks! What about training with a power metre?

[Witrot]

The experts here can give there comments on power training as they know more of it.....

 

But i'm on a student budget and can't afford power training equipement....i use HR monitor with cadence and with that can i train just as well. Works for me as i understand what i must know and look at to gain fitness for the bit i train. I'm on the same fitness level if you look at all the aspects on riding, lactate threshold, etc with the same amount of training as those with power training.

I think it also depends how serious you are......i'm riding for fun and race when i can and competitive as i can. But i'm light years away from pro, for that its not worth it for me.

[Azonic]

Who needs the gimicks?

 

This morning I dropped my training bunch just before the foot of the climb in the route and made sure I got to the top first. Nearly puked 3 times due to the effort, but no-on can argue that it was good training.

 

Groot Lem, I agree.

 

 

[The Hawk CT]

very interesting topic. reasearch done at The Sport Science Institute by Dr Jeroen Swart revealed that well trained Athletes doing High Intensity Training (intervals) with a HR  monitor yield great results in increase power and Vo2 max  than those training with a power meter by more than 4% on a 3 week trial. Contact him for more details info. There is nothing wrong with a power meter. It is a great tool to see axactly where you are in training and where you need to be. When training HR it becomes more difficult to achieve the desired HR meaning you push harder to get the HR up over a 3 week period if you use the 4 week as a recovery week. With power it is more consistant but you never get to push out of teh zone in the 3 weeks. less effort is require to push the same power if you get more fit. If HR it becomes more harder... 

[THE BODY CENTRE]

Pokerface - have a read here: http://midweekclub.ca/powerFAQ.htm

 

[PokerFace]

I start to see the advantages of using a power metre. So what should I do if a big chunk of my time on a bike is commuting on an old crappy bike (to save my racing bike) and over weekends I race or train on my road bike and in winter I ride on my nice MTB? I can't really afford 1 power metre as is. HR monitors are easy enough to move between bikes. Power meters seems less flexible.

[SwissVan]

 

Marketing

Follow your instincts...

I'm in the same boat as you are Pokerface, 2 x mtb's and 2 x roadbikes and 1 x HRM.

QED

 

[boeing]

There is nothing wrong with just training with a HRM. The big advantages of working with a power meter are evident when you get into the faster bunches and small differences give you that advantage. Personally, the more training info you can get your hands on, the better.

 

Knowledge is Power. I guess that's why Eskom fails to deliver

 

[gianni]

very interesting topic. reasearch done at The Sport Science Institute by Dr Jeroen Swart revealed that well trained Athletes doing High Intensity Training (intervals) with a HR  monitor yield great results in increase power and Vo2 max  than those training with a power meter by more than 4% on a 3 week trial. Contact him for more details info. There is nothing wrong with a power meter. It is a great tool to see axactly where you are in training and where you need to be. When training HR it becomes more difficult to achieve the desired HR meaning you push harder to get the HR up over a 3 week period if you use the 4 week as a recovery week. With power it is more consistant but you never get to push out of teh zone in the 3 weeks. less effort is require to push the same power if you get more fit. If HR it becomes more harder... 

 

Isn't that the point...to get fitter so you can "push" the same power with less effort ?

 

 This means you're training correctly and can therefore increase the FTP at which your training is based on and therefore "get fitter" etc etc

 

With Power you have zones just as in HR so I'm not sure what you mean  you never "push out of the zones"........if you need to do Tempo you do Tempo, if you need to do VO2 you do that.

gianni2008-01-28 15:25:55

[PokerFace]

Would it defeat the object if i train and ride with a Power metre over weekends, but only ride with a HRM during the week when I commute.

[EugeneP]

yes. If you train with power you need to do it consistently

[Man with no name]

Exactly that EugeneP. I started training on power again this week and

especially your intervals are much harder. Its a more efficient way to

train, but as Hunter Allen says - Power meters dont train, YOU train.

Training is testing and testing is training. A systematic approach to

continious improvement

[Guest Big H]

You lot think think you know all the answers..... wait untill Ursus Maximus (Peter the Great) and the smoke belching Diesel gets hold of you...... they are going to skin you lot of beeping HR monitor wearing characters alive...... yoohoo!!!!!!!! another multi page posting coming!!!!!!!!!

[fandacious]

bla bla bla.. get on your bike and ride till you feel like puking. rest for 3 mins. repeat 8 times.

 

do this 3 times a week and you'll be strong.