Interval Progression: Add More Watts or More Time?

[@jk2302]

These are some of the best training discussion I've ever heard. They are so well framed and well informed, i really appreciate the humanizing of them, I recommend them to all my cycling friends.

[@EVOQBIKE]

so glad they are resonating with you, and thanks A TON for sharing them!! Much appreciated JK!

[@edwardlocke874]

It’s awesome when you hear real life knowledge from someone who has spent his entire life doing his sport.

[@EVOQBIKE]

Thanks for your kind words!

[@luciouspontorro3741]

Exciting yet scary to hear you're not an experienced trained cyclist after 3 years. I've just started (5 months) into actually training with power and an indoor trainer. I plan to ride for the rest of my life, for fun and to improve my fitness, and it's great to hear I can improve for years to come of I continue to put the work in. I don't have any crazy power goals or anything. My current FTP is only 211 (no laughing!!) and I'd be incredibly happy if I can get to like 275 someday. Anything above that would just be awesome but not really needed for me personally

[@vietle8157]

My story is exactly like yours. I find that setting a fitness goal, say 5w/kg, helps mentally to complete hard intervals

[@EVOQBIKE]

it's not scary, it's awesome! there's so much room to grow!! just go one day at a time!

[@EVOQBIKE]

i like this idea!! just keep chipping away, and remind yourself that it's not always linearly up up up...sometimes it's idle for a bit, then a step up!

[@jameskim3]

Thanks for sharing some great thoughts about training. Always good to hear a perspective from someone with a lot of experience. 👍. Congratulations on 3k subs!

[@EVOQBIKE]

thanks James! good luck with your training!

[@AdelaandJude]

Well Presented! As a (former) USA Cycling coach & Trainer - I'm getting back to competitive riding after a decade or so break (I'll be 65 in the spring) - I've been recreationally riding and want better at hills. ( I was always a crit guy). - You have giving me some food for thought as I craft my training plan for the 2023 season.

[@EVOQBIKE]

awesome! good luck next season!

[@doubledark2]

Any chance you could share your training plan? Cheers (soon to be 66yr old, very part time cyclist) cheers from down under

[@bicycletheberkshires5176]

@@doubledark2 Hi - Since I'm retired I train about 10-14 hours per week. I'm just finishing a base period and started adding Zwift criterium races into my plan. As a senior - I follow a plan of two, zone 1/2 heart rate days of about 90 to 120 minutes, followed by 1 very hard -zone 4-5 day ( zwift crits - as I find it easier to get the VO2 max workouts by racing - it pushes me whereas if I was just following a planned ride, I don't think I could hurt as much 🙂.... I plan weight training about 3-4 times a week - 2 days upper body - push/pull, 1-day muscular endurance for legs - and one day-core. Sometimes I vary that - but I generally try to stick to that plan. I believe very strongly in periodization - and where I live it's cold and dark in the winter - so indoor training - my criterium season begins in March - with some very cold races while there is still snow on the ground ! One thing I believe is paramount and it's VO2 max training - we HAVE to do it as we get older. I use a program called Intervals.icu - it's very good and only about 4 dollars a month. Lots of great data/workouts and support. I highly recommend it. So, in summary; I follow a plan that isn't a weekly plan - I follow a plan that allows me two days of recovery following a very hard day. (Not by the days of the week) - and VO2 max intervals - And finally - periodization - both on the bike training and weight training phases. Good Luck my friend!

[@bicycletheberkshires5176]

@@EVOQBIKE thank you, got my legs ripped off ina zwift crit today but hung on for 8th place! Keep up the great content!

[@mish3all]

Alot of beneficial information. THANK U SO MUCH.

[@EVOQBIKE]

You are most welcome! thank you!

[@billszymanski4844]

as always, great information, well delivered with a practical angle on it.

[@EVOQBIKE]

Glad you liked it! thanks Bill!

[@thecyclinggreek274]

Very valuable information. Thank you!

[@EVOQBIKE]

Glad it was helpful!

[@edgibbs3229]

Fabulous video packed with great advice!

[@EVOQBIKE]

Glad it was helpful Ed!

[@herbsmith21]

Congrats on the 3k!

[@EVOQBIKE]

Thank you!!

[@mattsmallshot]

fresh and just back on the saddle since last year, bought a tacx smart trainer recently and wondering how to use it effectively and your explanation helped clear some questions i have in mind! thanks!

[@MrHardcoreBS]

First race for me is uphill 14km - 7% avg in May,i will try these tips,working on volume z2 right now, 6week before event i will use these tips structure intervals,and uphills pacing in trashold too.💪 Keep working and infrmning us,realy usefull chanel. Thank you.

[@EVOQBIKE]

awesome, good luck Sema!!

[@gerrysecure5874]

Best stimulus is polarized not LSD only. You can and should add some intensity sessions to your z2 all year long. Maybe one vo2 session per week only, but do it. Later you can do 2 and towards main event do some event specific work to get used to the workload, physically and mentally.

[@Martinik10]

What about 90 minute steady Z2 ride than add 30-45minute threshold intervals in same ride?

[@JoshuaTootell]

Good talk

[@EVOQBIKE]

thanks Joshua!

[@zaahierstanley955]

Thanx... valuable incite

[@EVOQBIKE]

Welcome!

[@Phil-dx8rw]

When you talk about training at threshold, do you consider threshold a specific number or do you look at it as a bit of a range ?

[@EVOQBIKE]

most would call it 98-105%...I try to have people ride at least at 100% depending on the workout

[@Phil-dx8rw]

@@EVOQBIKE thanks, I really appreciate it because when I am on the road doing threshold work there is always fluctuations and I don't want to stress of those fluctuations

[@EVOQBIKE]

don't be a robot, those are natural, and you'll get better and better at minimizing them over time. high tempo is ok and get back into zone as fast as you can; if you're falling to endurance, we've got some work to do on shifting and learning to really USE the bike and the gears over undulating terrain; it can be done tho for sure!

[@gerrysecure5874]

To progress does not mean to progress each training. Let that sink in. A traning is s stimulus. You need only pop up the volume when you don't improve anymore.

[@EVOQBIKE]

I've actually talked about that in many other videos, but not possible to mention everything about training in every video. this is a question often asked to us. cheers! good luck with your training.

[@gerrysecure5874]

​​@@EVOQBIKE I didn't mean to oppose what you said, but to emphasize. Having clarified that I go with Seiler. 90% vo2 max is enough intensity to provide vo2max stimulus, but time at intensity counts. Repeatability is decisive. But then, people respond differently

[@iancarson8614]

progress is a slippery, devious target. fatigue covers it up and freshness flatters it 🤦‍♂

[@depro13]

And what would you prescribe if you have 2 hours the day after a VO2max training? (Rest aint an option, since that is for the day after)

[@EVOQBIKE]

for this Q I would most likely do endurance

[@depro13]

Yeah, its not optimal but 2 hours is more than nothing

[@EVOQBIKE]

@@depro13 im confused, 2h is great for endurance ride

[@depro13]

Hmm, in your 3rd and 4th hour you will see more gains..

[@EVOQBIKE]

@@depro13 surely, but you said you have 2h!

[@laingy2009]

Is 6 hours a week training enough to up your ftp. I've had very little improvement from the start but I know that's mostly down to lack of structure

[@EVOQBIKE]

I think you answered your Q right there. More volume would definitely help, even just 8-9h per week, but structure and the right workouts are key. Don't just do Sweet spot and threshold; it stops working after a bit! Over unders, vo2max, etc

[@luciouspontorro3741]

Hi Ryan. I started in Oct of 2023 with FTP of 149. Did about 4.5 hours of riding a week mainly zone 2 for about 2 months at the start just to get used to riding consistently. I then continued zone 2 rides and a few random interval rides for about a month. I did one 8 week FTP builder course (still only riding between 4-5 hrs weekly) and my FTP went up to 211. So not terrible improvement over 5 months. I'm not bumping up my time on the bike to about 8.5 hours a week.

[@laingy2009]

@Lucious Pontorro I hover around 240-250 mark and I think my best 20 minute effort is 268 which isn't horrendous for someone weighing 74kg and only training 6hours a week but would love to bring it up to around the 300 mark eventually

[@depro13]

Do you ever prescribe fatmax intervals?

[@EVOQBIKE]

fatmax is not always called the same things amongst people i've realized, so what do you deem fatmax? and then i'll answer! thanks for the Q!

[@depro13]

The intensity at which in absolute sense most fats are burned. Roughly high Z2/low Z3. Individual values can be measured in the lab of course.

[@EVOQBIKE]

@@depro13 exactly! I don't call it fatmax, but lots of endurance and tempo for sure. fatmax is usually coupled with low carb replenishment on the ride, which i do NOT recommend; fuel the ride

[@oioioioioioioioi-k3w]

did you hurt your finger?

[@EVOQBIKE]

slammed in a door over a month ago and waiting for the blood to grow through the nail! haha

[@bmp713]

There are a few concepts with power and heart rate I still do not understand. You can reach an identical HR and power with radically different cadence and gear, but people only ever talk about power and not cadence. For example I can reach an identical 150HR and 300 watts with 50 cadence and high gear, 70 cadence and medium gear, or 90 cadence and low gear. When doing Threshold intervals what cadence do you think would most increase heart size and stroke volume? How do the heart and stroke volume adaptations differ even if power and heart rates are identical?

[@EVOQBIKE]

was chatting with Landry and he said heart adaptations would be the same at the same power and heart rate, no effect from cadence. -Brendan

[@bmp713]

@@EVOQBIKE Thank you. When doing Threshold intervals what cadence do you think would most increase heart size, stroke volume, and venous return? At the same power Is it better to do longer intervals with higher cadence or shorter intervals with lower cadence? I am training for health and not for racing, so I am most interested in improving heart and cardiovascular health.

[@EVOQBIKE]

pedal at your natural cadence from what we've gathered; wont make a difference from cadence stand point