Training with a power meter: the ins and outs

[SciencetoSport]

When you go hard, go absolutely hard

When you want a coffee ride, really keep it in Z1

 

 

What you have described above is the basis of the polarized training model, which is a method of distributing your training intensity.

 

80 % of your training should be easy (Zones 1 and 2) and 15 - 20 % should be high-intensity (above threshold).

 

Research supports this as the best practice for endurance training.

[Pure Savage]

If you know what to look for yes, but for the average cyclist without a coach it is like a bragging tool to say you smash 400watt up Llandudno all the way to the top.

 

 

 

Also firmly in the recreational cyclist position, its a toss up between deep sections or a power meter Gotta look cool smashing Llandudno...

[Pure Savage]

I like the adage

 

When you go hard, go absolutely hard

When you want a coffee ride, really keep it in Z1

 

 

Junk miles are also made up of soft pedaling or freewheeling after cresting a hill or rolling effortless with a tailwind

And the power meter says 0 watts, no effort, no force

Really keeps me honest

 

I have 5 mates that keep me honest and don't allow any slacking  

[SciencetoSport]

Dr Swart, would you please be able to release a typical intensity session you suggest to a XCO pro cyclist during peak season?

 

I would love to see a workout for Phil Buys in his final preperation week before Rio.

 

20 min warmup @ 250 W?

3 x 5 min interval @ 400 W?

20 min cooldown @ 150 W?

Hi Jan,

 

For a discipline which is as short, intermittent and high intensity, the workouts in peak season consist of very high intensity interval sessions. These will be scheduled 1-2 times each week depending on racing commitments.

 

Typical examples are:

 

6-8 repeats of 4min at 90% of HRR (heart rate reserve) with 2.5 minutes rest

 

40:20 intervals - 40s maximal sprints with 20s rest period x 6 sprint x 3 sets. 10min recovery between sets.

 

8 x 30s maximal effort sprints with 5min recovery 

 

1min maximal efforts with 2min recovery x 10 repeats x 2 sets with 10min recovery between sets.

['Dale]

Word of the day: Maximal

 

Maximus

Maximum

Max

 

Also known as 'full gas'

Eina, eina    

[madbradd]

What are the cost for an entry level power meter model.....if there is such a thing!!?? :-)

 

This seems to be the cheapest (new) powermeter I could find that I'd actually consider:

 

http://www.praxiscycles.com/product/zayante-4iiii-power/

 

Not sure what local support is like though.

['Dale]

This seems to be the cheapest (new) powermeter I could find that I'd actually consider:

 

http://www.praxiscycles.com/product/zayante-4iiii-power/

 

Not sure what local support is like though.

Haven't heard of any distribution points as yet

[Kona Kula]

Haven't heard of any distribution points as yet

http://www.praxiscycles.com/wp-content/uploads/south_africa.pngSOUTH AFRICA

Rush Sports HQ

21 Oldfield Park

Haworth Road

Mkondeni, 3201

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Tel: 27 87 230 0110 or 27 33 346 2300

Fax: 27 86 210 7174

sales@rushsports.co.za

www.rushsports.co.za

http://www.praxiscycles.com/wp-content/uploads/singapore_flag.pngSINGAPORE

ELITE CUSTOM PTE. Ltd.

Blk 2 Thomson Road

Balestier Hill Shopping Center, #01-649

Singapore 320002

Tel: 65-6256 2028

www.elitecustom.sg

Elite Custom Facebook

 

 

 

[madbradd]

 

http://www.praxiscycles.com/wp-content/uploads/south_africa.pngSOUTH AFRICA

Rush Sports HQ

21 Oldfield Park

Haworth Road

Mkondeni, 3201

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Tel: 27 87 230 0110 or 27 33 346 2300

Fax: 27 86 210 7174

sales@rushsports.co.za

www.rushsports.co.za

http://www.praxiscycles.com/wp-content/uploads/singapore_flag.pngSINGAPORE

ELITE CUSTOM PTE. Ltd.

Blk 2 Thomson Road

Balestier Hill Shopping Center, #01-649

Singapore 320002

Tel: 65-6256 2028

www.elitecustom.sg

Elite Custom Facebook

 

 

Same guys that do Enduro, but I'm not sure if they'll do the support for 4iii who do the PM part of that crank.

 

I think the next cheapest (new) option would be single sided Vectors obviously supported by Garmin.

['Dale]

Aah, cool

Let's see what DC Rainmaker says about it

[Veebee]

This seems to be the cheapest (new) powermeter I could find that I'd actually consider:

 

http://www.praxiscycles.com/product/zayante-4iiii-power/

 

Not sure what local support is like though.

 

nothing cheap about R22k...

[Eon du Plessis]

nothing cheap about R22k...

Crikey, is that what they retail for locally?

[Mopkop]

In my opinion, P2M for the win!!!

[Veebee]

Crikey, is that what they retail for locally?

My bad, that was the Verve that was posted in the news. Just saw the praxis chain rings and tied the 2 together.

 

I see this is like $500, I would say about 9-10k local price.

[_im_from_earth]

This seems to be the cheapest (new) powermeter I could find that I'd actually consider:

 

http://www.praxiscycles.com/product/zayante-4iiii-power/

 

Not sure what local support is like though.

 

As some of you guys guessed, this isn't a "Praxis" product, and as such isn't something that we are able to offer in the local market. We can certainly sort you out with chainrings

[JanJan]

Hi Jan,

 

For a discipline which is as short, intermittent and high intensity, the workouts in peak season consist of very high intensity interval sessions. These will be scheduled 1-2 times each week depending on racing commitments.

 

Typical examples are:

 

6-8 repeats of 4min at 90% of HRR (heart rate reserve) with 2.5 minutes rest

 

40:20 intervals - 40s maximal sprints with 20s rest period x 6 sprint x 3 sets. 10min recovery between sets.

 

8 x 30s maximal effort sprints with 5min recovery

 

1min maximal efforts with 2min recovery x 10 repeats x 2 sets with 10min recovery between sets.

Thank you Dr., but that session is still completely HR based. Are there any power related goals that a cyclist should be able to obtain within those intervals to be competitive?

 

Example: A world tour sprinter should be able to develop 1200 watts for 10 seconds, a climber should be able to generate 350 watts for 20 minutes.

 

Power unlike HR does not have a threshold, which can be used to compare different athletes and their forms and fitness.