Joe Friel On: Favourite Workout For Cyclists, Pedalling Efficiency And Calibrating Your Power Meter

Today in Watts Up training legend and co-founder of TrainingPeaks Joe Friel answers your questions on the favourite workout he likes to prescribe to his athletes, whether it’s important to calibrate your power meter and how to improve your peddling efficiency on the bike for more power.
0:00 Introduction
0:10 Joe's favourite workout for cyclists
2:52 How to pedal the bike smoothly
7:29 Is it important to calibrate your power meter?
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Want to ask the world’s leading pioneer of power-based training how to get the most out of your ASSIOMA power meter? Welcome to: ‘Watts Up: Your Training Questions Answered’, with Joe Friel to give you expert tips on all aspects of power-based performance cycling.
A coach for over 40 years, author of several books including the ‘The Cyclist’s Training Bible’ and co-founder of TrainingPeaks, Joe is one of the industry’s leading authorities on power training. He’s also a long-running ASSIOMA ambassador and user of our pedals.
Every week we invite you to submit your questions about any aspects of cycling training, with Joe answering a selection of these in a weekly video posted here and across our social channels.
Follow Joe on Twitter: / jfriel
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About Favero Electronics
We make ASSIOMA. The lightest, most accurate pedal-based power meter ever made. Unleash your power.
Find out more: cycling.favero.com/

[@Benjaber74]

Totally agree

[@kumarshanSK]

thank you for sharing Sir. Great video! thank you again!

[@DaGodfaddah]

these tips have def helped me improve my riding so much along w/ my assiomas! thanks for doing them w/ joe friel. love my favero assioma duos!

[@Favero_cycling]

Glad that they have been helpful! Anna

[@edsassler]

It is always possible to observe an experiment but draw the wrong conclusions… There are a lot of claims that low intensity work has some kind of fitness adaptation. My conclusions are that low intensity work improves the skill set used. We now have the diagnostic tools to test this. Cycling lacks failure states - the rider can’t make the pedal go around in anything other than the circle dictated by the crank and bottom bracket. High intensity work tends to be less efficient because the intensity masks the errors (pushing down at the bottom of the pedal stroke would be the obvious example). Low intensity work allows riders to better form muscle firing sequences and timing. This is easy enough to test as many power meters now show force vectors.

[@pitekxpan5845]

Hr for Zane 2 , power for z3 And z 2 on erg on trainer !!

[@franciscodominguez5864]

Do I need 2 cadence sensors on the crankarm and hub plus the dou Favero?

[@franciscodominguez5864]

Why is my duo Favero reading 10 points difference left higher than my right leg?

[@jeffdavis5841]

So how long of rides should the Zone 1 & 2 rides be?

[@franciscodominguez5864]

How many hours on Zone 1-2 for endurance and fitness?

[@DavidSaundersPosts]

Joe Friel is the god of bike training. I’ve worn out his bible.

[@davelawson7285]

Stupid question, I take it zone 1 and 2 relates to power not HR

[@richardmiddleton7770]

You can use either but power is far more accurate. The zone number depends on the scale (3 zone model or 5+ zone model). For the 3 zone model most of your rides should be in z1 with your harder rides in z3. In a 5+ zone model most of your rides should be in z2 because z1 becomes your recovery ride zone which isn't really necessary for most of us and your harder rides in z4 or above. A good rule of thumb for z2 heart rate training is 180 minus your age +/- 5bpm.

[@joerenner8334]

The opposite is true. HR for Z1 and 2. Power for the higher zones.

[@roadracer1584]

This is all BS. Cycling ability is hereditary. You either have it or you don't. Choose your parents wisely and you'll be a cycling superstar.

[@DavidSaundersPosts]

So my vo2max is 78. You’re saying I can stop training? Sweet, you should be a coach.

[@roadracer1584]

@@DavidSaundersPosts You're LT and W/kg are also important but, yes, genes matter the most. Training won't turn you into a TdF GC contender absent genetics. As I said, choose your parents wisely. Friel and others like him play on your vanity and ego by convincing you if you pay him $$$ and follow his training plan you'll be a cycling champion.