Training discussion Archives - Page 23 of 26

Coaching: Finding Your Lactate Threshold

[dc]Y[dc]ou've all heard about anaerobic threshold, lactate threshold, threshold, red line, Zone 4, “the burn” and plenty of other terms that relate to the upper limits of your aerobic engine. But what a lot of people don't seem to understand is how to find that magical number, and what to do with it.

In this article, we'll examine the physiology behind anaerobic threshold and then you'll learn how to figure out what it is. I'll also discuss (very briefly) how you can use it to train towards becoming a stronger cyclist.

So without further ado….

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Tags: physiology, power, training|

Beginner’s Guide to Training With Power (part 2)
Beginner’s Guide to Training With Power (part 2)

Coaching discussion, Power training and discussion, Training discussion

Beginner’s Guide to Training With Power (part 2)

If you missed the first part of the Beginner's Guide to Training With Power series of articles, it would be a good idea to go back and read it. Go ahead, I'll wait…

Done reading? Good. You should have a good idea about FTP, W/Kg, Training Levels/zones and more. Now, let's take a look at some more power-based metrics, specifically power training zones. You may recall the definition from my last article:

Power Training Levels/Zones: Along with FTP, these dictate (roughly) the energy systems used at certain power levels and allow a rider to train specific systems to get specific gains. These may be described as “zones” or “levels” interchangeably.

We'll discuss what each zone is, what energy systems it uses and how long it is sustainable below:

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Tags: Coaching, power, training|

Beginner’s Guide to Training With Power (part 1)
Beginner’s Guide to Training With Power (part 1)

Coaching discussion, Power training and discussion, Training discussion

Beginner’s Guide to Training With Power (part 1)

Training with power is consistently hailed as the next step for any cyclist who is looking to improve their fitness. While that's true, most cyclists who are in the market for a power meter are hesitant to purchase one. The biggest reason I've run into is hesitation on how to actually utilize such an instrument.

But why?

A power meter is wonderful and spits out bucket loads of data, but the one thing that it won't do is make you faster. It will, with some practice and some simple analysis allow you to train to become faster. In this series of articles, we'll look at a few of the basics that beginning power meter users need in order to train smarter.

Click through for some definitions you'll need to know when you start training with power:

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Tags: Coaching, power, training|

Coaching: Sweet Spot Training
Coaching: Sweet Spot Training

Coaching discussion, Power training and discussion, Training discussion

Coaching: Sweet Spot Training

Since most of us are in the build phases of our training plans, anticipating early season racing and getting psyched up for our early season goals, you may be wanting to boost your fitness a little more. If you're finding that you're just a little behind the curve, it may be time to consider adding a little “Sweet Spot Training (SST)” in your routine to prod your body up to the next level. But what is SST? How do you do it? How much is too much? How does it actually make you stronger and faster? I'll explain what it is and how you do it after the jump.

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Tags: Coaching, physiology, Recovery, training|

Breathing Techniques – Part 2

If you missed part 1 of this article, which details some simplified physiology of breathing and exercise, I suggest you take a few minutes to get familiar with it now, as it will help you put into practice what will be discussed below. Ready? Cool, let's rock.

BREATHING TECHNIQUE

Now that we understand the fundamental differences between deep belly (diaphragmatic) breathing and chest (thoracic) breathing, we can begin to work technique into the mix.

First off, we need to consider that our work load is largely going to determine our breathing and pick our battles appropriately. If we're in an all out anaerobic sprint, there's little you can do to relax and breathe properly. If you're slogging up a long climb, you may be able to eke out a few extra watts or keep your heart rate a few BPM lower with good technique. The same could hold true for taking pulls on the front of a paceline during a fast group ride; proper breathing will keep you out of the red and pulling longer.

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Tags: Coaching, cycling, physiology, road bike, training|