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High Intensity Interval Training Part 2 – Programming Workouts

Last time on the Tailwind Coaching Podcast, I talked about the science behind high intensity interval training.  In the end of that podcast, I said that I'd be back to talk about how to program high intensity interval training into your schedule and avoid some of the pitfalls that typically plague the HIT protocol.  I also said I'd give you a few different kinds of workouts to try adding to your training sessions.  You'll find those at the end of these show notes; all you have to do is share this podcast with your friends or get yourself signed on to the Tailwind Coaching Newsletter to download them.

So listen to the podcast, check out the show notes below, share with your friends and learn how to put more HIT into your riding!

As a reminder, the sponsor for this episode of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast is Stages Cycling.  Check out their power meters and help support the show!

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Custom Workouts In Zwift

Zwift has taken the indoor training world by storm, offering massive potential for riding with people across the globe, training through built-in workouts and Fartlek training.  The ability to build custom workouts in Zwift has been teased since the platform launched a few months ago.  In the interim, the lack of ability to build and program your own custom workouts has been a major downside of the platform (at least for many cyclists looking for a training solution on the virtual platform.)

Until now.

The programmers behind the popular online social training platform have introduced the ability to build custom workouts in Zwift.  You don't even need to exit the application in order to design any workout you can imagine.  This short how-to video will give you the basics on how to build custom workouts in Zwift and what they look like when you ride them.

Click through for the video, and don't forget to share with your friends!

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Fartlek Training With Zwift

Zwift is the new kid on the block in the realm of socially driven cycling programs.  It allows you to ride your trainer with anyone around the world.  You can feasibly be sitting in your living room in Newfoundland, spinning away and you'll be able to pass someone from Australia doing exactly the same thing.  Some cyclists have embraced it wholeheartedly and some have scoffed at it.  A lot of cyclists have asked how they can do some kind of training with Zwift, and to this point, there have been few answers.

Sure, there are some workouts built into Zwift and you can always do any regular training plan workout while Zwifting (is that a word now?)  But doesn't that take the fun out of training with Zwift?  Isn't the point of a platform like Zwift to create the sense of actually racing through the streets, ascending climbs and bombing descents?  How can you combine training and fun in one simple package?

In the following video, I'm going to show you how to get some in some training with Zwift: Fartlek training.

What is Fartlek training?  How can it be done with Zwift?  Watch the video and check out the info below to find out.

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High Intensity Interval Training Part 1 – The Science

For a long time it's been said that the ticket to aerobic fitness is lots of riding at moderate paces. High intensity interval training was only for racers or competitive cyclists preparing for a hard event.  The problem with that concept is that most cyclists have jobs, families and other commitments that prevent them from spending 25 hours per week training.  They want to be fast, but they don't have the time to train to be fast.  There has to be some way to boost fitness in less time.

High intensity interval training is the answer to that question.

What exactly is high intensity interval training?  Why does it work so well?  How does it help to build fitness so quickly?  In this episode of the Tailwind Coaching podcast I'll cover the science behind high intensity interval training and explain how it can help you boost your fitness in a fraction of the time you might usually spend.

Click through for the podcast show notes and more:

This podcast is brought to you by Stages Cycling, creators of the Stages Power Meter.  Check them out and help support the show!

 

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Ride Stronger: VO2 Max Workouts

Among the many weapons in the armament of the cyclist who wants to ride stronger, one of the least practiced and most important is VO2 max repeatability.  The ability to accelerate and push your body to the limits, recover at threshold and repeat that process over and over is one of the most versatile and important skills for a cyclist to possess.  It's also the one that's almost always lacking in the cyclists that I consult with or coach, and it's one I drill home in my training plans.

The real question most people follow up with is “why?”

Before I answer, first let's delve into VO2 max a little bit.  For our purposes, a VO2 max level effort (or a Zone 5/Z5 effort) is a suprathreshold effort that is sustainable for around 3-8 minutes (depending on the intensity of the effort.)  It is a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic energy production and is most often used in pursuits, attacks, bridging small gaps and short climbs.  By the numbers, it's an 8 to an 8.5/10 on an RPE scale, 105%-120% of Functional Threshold Power and >105% Lactate Threshold Heart Rate.

After the jump, I'll give you some more detailed information and a couple workouts to help you build your Zone 5 Repeatability (Z5R).

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