Hello I first heard about interval training last year when I did an annual century ride with some friends and one of them improved their time by an hour from the previous year. He told me later about the intervals he does so I decided to do some research. After watching your video, it all became clearer and I decided to start with 3 x 3 min intervals with 90 sec slow between each. After 2 weeks, increased to 5 x 3 mins. then gradually increased the power average. Best tip is to make sure you can finish the last interval at same power level. They are hard but a VG workout and satisfying when completed I did this on my road bike setup on an indoor trainer which has a power mode. I'm not sure how accurate the power reading is but it's a consistent reading so you can match your effort to a power level. I started at 250 watt avg and got up to 275 watt avg. after 6 weeks doing 1 session a week. The improvement on the road was significant both in endurance and where multiple short hard efforts are required.
Guess it depends on where that 25W increase is. If it is ONLY in VO2 (his 3' efforts) and nowhere else, they you're right. But if he saw an equal bump in FTP (say 10% from 180 to 198W, basing this on his VO2 of 275W), that is enough to go from 15mph average to 17mph average in Z2/3. I wish I could bump my FTP or VO2 by 25 watts!
Thank you for your response and great advice. A power meter is deffinately on my list, but money is an issue at the moment. I have been attacking hills on my rides with more and more vigor, and have become pretty impressed with my recent gains in cardio and endurance. Searching for routs with hills in them that I can loop on, to implement into a HIIT training workout. Thanks for the tip, and great channel!!! Keep up the good work!!
It’s a bit obvious but I find doing a couple training rides with intervals every week on a track bike really helpful. It makes the down time between more challenging as well. When you don’t have the option of stopping or changing gears it forces your body to adapt for the better. Then when jumping back on your road bike, you’ll feel like a machine and can power thru the pedals so easily despite max efforts.
Quick question, just got power metre and started doing these intervals (definitely brutal!). Got my FTP. Is there a recommended percentage of your FTP for doing these intervals? 120%, 140% of FTP or something like that? Thanks
Well I appreciate it man, I am consumer of youtube as well as a creator and I am very picky with who I subscribe too. So I am pumped you deemed my content worthy enough to sub.
The Vegan Cyclist I'm quite picky aswell. I've been cycling for a about 2 months now and I can't stop thinking about getting back out on the road haha. Haven't watched all your videos yet but I've e learned a lot thus far and I can't wait to test all the different methods. :)
I think consistent slow rides definitely improve your ability to go faster. Compare nonriders with consistent slow riders, they're definitely faster if they were to race!
Hey there. Really enjoy these...I'm a big guy and I tend to really suck on longer ascents that are 3-4% grade over a length of 1/4 mile or more. My thinking then, is that doing intervals on similar terrain would be a big benefit for me...your thoughts?
dumb question: what are your zones that you talk about? I have a garmin device and it has adjusted my HR zones into 5 zones based on my peak hr of 172. once i got a power meter, i see 7 zones for power after a ride in garmin connect. So when you talk about efforts iin certain zones, is that 5 zones in HR or is it 7 in power or is it other?
Hey Tyler, just wanted to drop ya a quick comment. I tried to do what you outlined in the 2min, 1min, 30sec interval outline training. Thank you for sharing that, and I just wanted to mainly say thanks. I'm not exactly sure what my watts were, as it was a little hard me to glance down for long on the road I was on. I guess I'll have to try and find some less busier roads. Do you find that hard to do to, or not really? :) If you're sitting down and hitting those 30sec numbers you listed... whew. That's an inspiration to me, no doubt there. Even to hold the 400ish watts for 2min. I'm not there yet, but please keep sharing tips and what you find helpful. In the meantime, I'm going to follow what you outlined here and keep at it.
+j bee that workout is one of the hardest for me. I have NEVER succeeded in hitting my numbers all the way through. This is what it looks like often for me. (I am 160ish) , and dont worry about my numbers vs yours, its all about zones. anyway... PLANNED - 2min @ 415 x 3 REALITY { 417 - 414 - 402 } PLANNED - 1min @ 460 x 3 REALITY { 460 - 453 - 421 } PLANNED - 30s @ 600 x 3 REALITY { 603 - 600 - 375 } Now I try like hell to hit my numbers, but sometimes I will do great on the 2min, then suck on the 1min, but then crush the 30s. Other times its all good till the last 2 sets of 30s and i just crack like an iphone screen. Also, on the 30s, its a full gas sprint, usually 10-15s standing then followed by the rest sitting just trying to hold it above 500 watts.
Appreciate the dialogue man, great stuff. Let me ask you this... Admittedly a newbie question probably, oh well. When you talk about hitting the numbers. How do you actually know? I find it hard to even look down for any length of time at the garmin while giving it some gas. I mean, I can glance down during the 2 or 1 min, sure. But to know whether or not I'm say, near 400 for the whole time. Hmm. Just wondering on how u do that and know. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. I was just finding some stretch of road, going for 2 min, looking down maybe a few times... Back off and repeat. That sort of thing. I kind of thought... Well, if when I glance it's around there then cool. Make sense what I'm saying or no?
So I have a avg power LAP section on the garmin. I will watch my live power but I hit the lap before the effort and then lap it when its done. So I just need a quick glance here an there to know if I am on target.
I've never done intervals on the road before.. don't see how it could work with the number of junctions in my area. I know some people in one of my cycling clubs do intervals as a group in Richmond Park - I understand that even less because surely everyone's zones are different. And what about all the corners?
Hey VeganCyclist! Love you videos - super helpful. Would you say this method of interval training would be beneficial for training on a fixed gear as well? Because I ride fixed and since I don’t have the option of choosing a smaller gear for the off intervals, I’m wondering if training intervals like this would be helpful.
heey I found your channel and fell in love with it , your content is awesome. I want to know if I could do my intervals on my spinner at home as well and if it would help with my fitness?
+Mo Shaaqir Karriem It will, but nothing can replicate the road. So a trainer is better then nothing, but man, for me, I can barely do 30 mins indoors. There is just something about the actual road that makes a big difference. Thanks for the awesome comment bro!
cHalaRm You have 6 zones, Zone 1 is recovery, (able to hold a full conversation, very easy, basically just spinning) - Zone 2 is endurance ( slightly heavy breathing, still able to talk, able to hold for more than an hour) - Zone 3 is tempo - (getting pretty hard, heavy breathing, can't really hold a conversation very well) - Zone 4 is threashold - (very hard, can only hold for 20min - 60min, barely able to speak) Zone 5 - vo2 - ( close to max effort, limited efforts here, hurts like hell) - Zone 6 - max (full gas, sprinting, feels like vomiting) Hope that helped LOL
Great vid. You didn't really distinguish (and maybe it doesn't really matter!) but I thought that if the "off" was half the "on" interval then this is an FTP workout, but for a better VO2max workout, the rest should be the same length or longer, so you can push a little harder anaerobically. No? Care??
Well, I have some workouts like that, but for the most part hitting big numbers fresh doesn't seem to translate into racing. As in a race you need to be able to push watts with massive fatigue. For example, my max 5 min effort is around 400 watts, but in a race where I need to do 5 min efforts over and over again with little rest, I need my body to be able to buffer the lactic acid quickly.
Yeah i get that but always wonder if by getting the extra rest you're also pushing the peak power for that time which enables ot to be higher even when much less rested.
how much time should you spend on a weekly basis in each of the zones ? e.g. if you rode 10 hours a week you should be doing 50 mins in zone 5, 90mins in zone 4 etc. how do you get the balance right ?
COC Vegan Riot The stationary bikes are ok, the position you are in when putting down power on a stationary VS when your on the road is pretty different. So the gym will work well to keep you putting out consistent power but the numbers it is telling you may not be totally correct. My local gym has one and 200 watts on that thing feels more like 300 on my bike. So if i tried to hold zone 3 on a stationary bike at the gym I would be blowing up in 5 mins. Thank you so much for the comment bro!
Firstly, thanks so much for info, its so helpful. Im new to cycling this year and im trying to increase my average speed. not to a competitive level but just keep improving. Is interval training the best way to achieve greater overall speed over say 30-50miles?
High intensity workouts will help with every part of your form. Intervals our the best bang for your buck in terms of time invested and the gains you will see. Overall speed though can also be improved by other factors outside of fitness. Like efficient pedaling, areo posiationing, and proper pacing. Keep at it bruh, and crush some intervals!
I liked pole intervals to increase overall average speed when I first started. I'd go for three poles all out then rest for about 10 and repeat till I wanted to go back home
Just getting back into cycling, and am familiar with HIIT, but how should a beginner find their on/off intervals when first starting out. 5 on and 2:50 off is too much for a beginner! Like finding your max weight in weight lifting and building you workout around it, how do you build your intervals from a max/out of the saddle explosion to customize a beginners HIIT?
Darin Wilson well if you are going "FULL GAS" for 5 min then a beginner might not have the fitness for that. But you could certainly do a 5 on 2:30 off in "YOUR" zone 4. I would say for sure to get a power meter and then all the guess work is gone. I do everything from 30s intervals at 600+ watts to 20 min intervals at 300 watts. You just need to tailor the effort to the time but make sure you are not cheating yourself on the rest time. THANKS A MILLION FOR VIEW bud.
Jack Harley "race prep" Warm-up 30 min, check out course (if possible) especially important for TT; test equipment, attack 2-3 x for 40 sec, up to max effort, otherwise easy. But basically I just spin around and do a few snap efforts.
Usually just the day before the race, the goal would be to not build any fatigue in the legs the day before, so nothing to big but the short hard efforts keep the legs open and ready for pain.
I am not sure if i have seen if you use beetroot juice. I used it and found a small percentage gain. The taste is quite strong though. Another way it helped me was I have always pushed along at a pace that i could keep going a long time. So to get past this pace, drinking some of the juice helped me push past the pain memory. I wonder if you have used it? re the power meter. I want to buy one and am restricted as i have campagnolo veloce kit on a steel frame bike. Could you do a power meter video. I would be up to help you
I found that b12/iron/testosterone injections combined with pre training salbutamal gave me a fairly decent increase over a 12 week period. I also use cjc-1295 and GHRP-6 for post workout recovery. Race day i use hemosist or hemopure combined with a low dose of EPO and clenbutarol or concerta.
lol Whats up with your right leg on the elevation (about ~12 oclock)? You kind of kick the top tube with your knee. Anyway thanks for the tips. Any advice to those who want improve the sprinting?
Rafael M Amarins Yea, I have this swival action in my right leg. I have knee injury so maybe thats what causes it, I really have to think about it a lot to make sure it tracks straight. As for sprinting, one good way to sprint better is actually getting more areo in your sprint. Learn to get low and stream lined while putting out big power, it will feel uncomfortable at first, but at 30mph + a little less air resistance will go a long way. Thanks a million for view!
+Stuart Russell it's better on the road because of HR drift, usually the trainer makes for less power then road. But a workout vs no workout is always better.
No, not at all. Interval training can be across all aspects of your power curve. It's not just about going as hard as you can more about staying within a certain power Zone, recovering and doing it again
Hi VC - I have just found your channel and was looking into training plans, I am wondering if you would recommend doing interval training on a indoor trainer so that in theory you are on the flat or can you do interval training on the road? Also what is the best method for recording this information if your using a garmin? do you use lap ever time you go into your 5 mins interval?
+Kevin Alexander my understanding is that on a trainer you can get heart rate drift, which means you may not be able to hold as much power in doors as you could on the Road. And since intervals are all about going hard, it might be better to do most of your intervals out on the real Road. But intervals on a trainer is better than no intervals because you don't make it out on the road. Check out my recent video on power meters Kama I explain how I use mine for intervals
Many thanks for your reply, I have wondered about the indoor trainer stats as I find it hard to keep the same power as I do on the road but always put it down to doing it without a fan which will soon be purchased. I will check out your video that you have suggested and hopefully that will help. My plan is to try and do 300w for 5 mins and then up to 100w for 2 and a half mins and do that 4 times, then 5 and then 6 and then after a few weeks going back and trying to do 350w for 5 mins, up to 100 for 2 1/2 for 4 reps, then 5, then 6
Hi VC, First thank you for all of the hard work great content!!! Second, I did your 4x6 workout (excellent) outdoor and indoor and after looking at Trainingpeaks the indoor one was much more consistent the the outdoor. My stages PM is all over the place when I ride outdoor and I tried everything. maybe you can show what can be done to smooth out your PM reading when riding outdoor. Again thanks for motivation
+David Bloem I try to do intervals 2-3 times a week during my build up to peak fitness. With racing in a month for me, I am doing intervals M-W-F with recovery T-TH and a group ride on SAT. As for the time of day, I have heard that your testosterone levels are lowest in the afternoon, so take that for what it is. But I try to ride and train during the same time I would race. Which is later in the day.
I want to be a stronger climber, I came from a triathlon back round of seventeen years, I just cycle know due to injuries I feel i'm a good time trial guy, but need work on my climbing I do a lot of hill repeats is this what I want to do to be a better climber, my goal is to kick ass on my group rides, I don't like getting dropped when the hills come, can you help me, at this time i'm doing a sugar carbohydrate clense for two to three weeks, I feel good when my weight is around 155 i'm now 165.
You can find used ones on ebay, but they are pretty expensive. Your gonna spend $500 + , but bro, they are worth every penny. I would rather have a shitty bike with PM over a baller bike and NO PM.
golferchin76 Now is the time to be smart about your intervals, because you'll be tempted to go even harder , comparing yourself to others, but you need to allow your body to adapt, rest and full recovery, by listening to your body and watching your watts. Their are various performance plateaus where your body hits limits of development, proper rest allows your body to recover to higher limits. But as Vegan said, if you just keep pushing without good rest and nutrition, you'll stagnate or even go backwards.
+s9523pink Thanks for your post, as it came at a right time. For three months I was riding harder than coached for 2 weeks and then gave up 2 weeks because of physical and mental exhaustion. This type of self inflicted on and off training did not help with progress at all. Ok I gained 10watts but I felt exhausted, depressed most of the time. I just realized it does not have to be this way. I was googling about overtraining and came across Joe Friel's "The Cyclist's Training Bible". Just the beginning section of his training philosophy was awakening. Train moderately...finish workouts feeling like you could have done more... Too many cyclists push too hard too much all the time and they have quit the sport too soon... I have been riding leisurely since 2008. Just started structured training 6 months ago (trainerroad 3m, coach 3m). I tried to push myself to meet coach's workouts but I also put in extra effort to create new personal record. For example a 2x10 at 120% FTP, I would fit in it 130%, 140%, even try to set new 2sec, 5sec, 10sec, 12sec, 1min-5min power record, attempt over 1000w for 2 sec all in the same workout. Of course after the workout totally overused. Next day is a 60min mid-tempo but I crank it up to 90% of FTP for 1.5hr. In the same week the next 2x10 120% felt like a major effort, and 2 days later I tried to ride a 60min FTP instead of mid-tempo and failed mid way. Then two days later I set a new 60min outdoor FTP but it took so much out of me. Everyday I felt miserable, unmotivated, it was a big task just to get myself out of the door to ride. I was thinking about quitting, and this book just told me the root causes. This week my coach gave me only recovery rides. I need a reset of my mindset about training.
Is this to much.. i was spining 49 13 with like 70-90 cadence for like 30 mins daily.. thats like 1 push. On mountainbike. :D Im a noob and i dont have power meter :( Does someone have spare power meter? And i just got road bike :) Finaly.
Yes. Power meters are extremely expensive. My bike costs as much as a decent power meter (1,500$$$$$$$) too much. Guesstimate meters like Strava and similar fitness apps especially Garmin can give you an idea of power at different speeds. and you can go to a gym to get real data for your effort for a deeper understanding. If you buy one, make sure it goes up to 2,000 watts.
If you're doing 5 sets of something, and you're getting the same amount of reps in set 5 as you were in set 1, then you weren't putting much effort in the first couple of sets.
Interval training is as much about learning to control your power and not burning too many matches so you can't recover as it is about putting out max effort
Thanks for the video content! Sorry for the intrusion, I am interested in your initial thoughts. Have you thought about - Dinanlinson Crazy Tactic Approach (google it)? It is an awesome exclusive product for discovering how to use short burst interval training to get that beach body without the hard work. Ive heard some interesting things about it and my mate got great success with it.
Intervals only help intervals, they do not increase endurance, and yes endurance training doesn't help intervals. Training intervals will not help you ride faster for longer, only faster for the short period of time you do them.
Not exactly, High intensity intervals can increase your FTP which will help you ride longer, faster. Intervals will help any type of cyclist become more fit. Plus they have the ability to force you to overreach witch will cause you adapt and therefore help you all around. I am able to hold Z3 for almost 3 1/2 hours and I very rarely train endurance.
But then you bonk out. That's the problem I had with intervals, since I wasn't training dedicated endurance I couldn't do serious 5h+++++ rides without running out of energy. 31/3 hours is good for some shorter races, but endurance gets real at about 5 hours, exactly where I've seen most people who neglect endurance hit walls. So if your target is road racing endurance hiit should be limited to once per week and maybe a second day, but within high mileage, not less than 1/4th of the weeks mileage.
