That being said, click through the break to find out what kind of training I recommend on the new volcano expansion.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"Training](\"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/zwiftislandvolcanoexpansion4-300x164.jpg\")
<\/a>The Zwift Island volcano expansion at a glance<\/h2>\nThe new volcano expansion adds about another 3 miles to Zwift island. \u00a0The loop itself, either clockwise or counterclockwise, is about 2.6 miles in length. \u00a0Elevation gain is around 45 feet per lap. \u00a0The connecting roads add another .2 miles each to the overall total. \u00a0The overall flat nature and the circular loop means you can adapt the new volcano route to any number of different training methods.<\/p>\n
One lap of the loop should take you between 5 1\/2 and 7 1\/2 minutes, depending on your speed. \u00a0If you come at the expansion from the clockwise Watopia loop, you'll turn left before the sprint in the village. \u00a0You'll descend a series of switchbacks and roll onto the volcano. \u00a0Stay straight to head up a couple more switchbacks and a short rise. \u00a0You'll enter the volcano then ride back out. \u00a0Pass by the tunnel leading back to Watopia and climb onto the final rise before the start\/finish of the volcano loop. \u00a0Continue through the start\/finish and drop back out of the volcano towards the start.<\/p>\n
Training on the Zwift island volcano expansion loop<\/h3>\n
Because of the relatively flat\u00a0nature of the loop, it's perfect for doing steady state work. \u00a0Time trialists, this loop is a great place to complete your threshold intervals. \u00a0The rolling nature of the loop (remember, there is still around 45 feet of elevation gain) mimics what you would find in a real world “flat” time trial. \u00a04 laps at threshold should be about what you will find in the cat 5, cat 4, and sometimes cat 3 racing levels. \u00a0Do 4 laps, take 10 minutes rest and then do it again.<\/p>\n
You can very easily adapt the loop to over\/under work as well. \u00a0The idea of over\/under work is to train your body to repeatedly work above your functional threshold power level<\/a>, then recover below. \u00a0The typical over\/under interval is around 10 minutes in length, alternating 1 minute over, 1 minute under. \u00a0Typical intensities are sweetspot for the under part of the interval and VO2 max for the over part. \u00a0The volcano expansion is great for doing over\/under work, both scripted and organically. \u00a0The “organic” way involves attacking the short ascents on the loop while riding the rest of the loop just under FTP. \u00a0On the volcano loop, the gradients aren't that steep and the rises are relatively short so you'll be set for some good training.<\/p>\nBecause the loop is relatively flat, it's one of the best places on Zwift island to do neuromuscular work. \u00a0Superspin work and spinups are easily accomplished on this flat terrain. \u00a0You can even do single leg drills, which can be difficult at best elsewhere on the island. \u00a0For superspin work, the flat and downhill portions of the loop are prime real estate. \u00a0Use the flattest parts for spinups and single leg drills. \u00a0You can also use the volcano expansion loop to do a variety of singlespeed workouts<\/a>. \u00a0Just complete the loop in a single gear, then change gears and repeat the loop. \u00a0You can get a ton of different cadence ranges by doing this kind of workout.<\/p>\nWith the 2.6-mile loop taking between 5.5 and 7.5 minutes, it's also the perfect VO2 max interval. \u00a0Doing the entire loop is perfect for a “long” VO2 interval. \u00a0This type of interval is generally performed on the lower end of the VO2 max scale, around 105%-110% of functional threshold power. \u00a0Alternatively, you can split the volcano expansion into two parts and do shorter VO2 intervals. \u00a0Ride the loop either clockwise or counter-clockwise starting from the start\/finish banner. \u00a0Ride the first half of the loop at around 120% of functional threshold power, then ride the second half at recovery pace. \u00a0It should take around 3 minutes to get through the first half, give or take. \u00a0The recovery half should be around the same time. \u00a0Repeat up to 9 times for a super hard workout.<\/p>\n
![\"Training](\"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/zwiftislandvolcanoexpansion3-300x164.jpg\")
<\/a>Incorporating sprints into the volcano loop<\/h3>\nBy chaining together a clockwise loop from the Italian village, through the volcano start\/finish and right back towards the Italian village you sprint repeatedly. \u00a0From the start, turn around to do the typical Zwift island loop counter-clockwise. \u00a0Ride through the esses and into the village, sprinting as you go through. \u00a0Turn right onto the volcano expansion, then make the first right to ride towards the volcano start\/finish. \u00a0Sprint up the incline to the start\/finish banner and roll down the other side. \u00a0Take the right through the tunnel and back to Watopia, then make the right to do the loop again. \u00a0You'll get two sprint points in each loop with around 5 minutes in between each. \u00a0The 5-minute recovery should ensure you are completely recovered between sprints. \u00a0Sometimes incomplete recovery can be beneficial<\/a>, but with sprint training like this, full recovery is appropriate.<\/p>\nTraining variance is the key to continued improvements<\/h3>\n
I've given you about five different ways to utilize the new Zwift island volcano expansion. \u00a0Zwift is pushing the boundaries of training by giving us more virtual training options, and more options means more varied training. \u00a0That is exactly what your body needs to keep improving. \u00a0Doing the same thing day in and day out will make your body stale and your fitness will plateau. \u00a0By incorporating these different training techniques into your weekly training program, you'll see your fitness start to climb and you'll be a more rounded cyclist.<\/p>\n
If you don't want to build your own training program or you're not sure how to do it effectively, I've got you covered. \u00a0Just check out my downloadable training plans<\/a>, especially my full season training solution<\/a> and advanced full season training solution<\/a>. \u00a0I incorporate these concepts and a ton of others into my training programs, guiding you to the biggest possible fitness gains in the shortest time. \u00a0If you<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The new volcano expansion has given Zwift Island a new playground! I’ll go over the basics of how to use the new expansion with your smart trainer, how to get the most out of Zwift island and a few techniques to improve your training outcomes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,120,38,203],"tags":[175,137,68,204],"yst_prominent_words":[949,944,215,4265,4263,4275,4270,950,1399,927,268,4249,4261,4282,4277,4255,4264,4262,4260,4259],"wppr_data":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/zwiftislandvolcanoexpansiontraining.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11286"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11363,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286\/revisions\/11363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11286"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=11286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Because the loop is relatively flat, it's one of the best places on Zwift island to do neuromuscular work. \u00a0Superspin work and spinups are easily accomplished on this flat terrain. \u00a0You can even do single leg drills, which can be difficult at best elsewhere on the island. \u00a0For superspin work, the flat and downhill portions of the loop are prime real estate. \u00a0Use the flattest parts for spinups and single leg drills. \u00a0You can also use the volcano expansion loop to do a variety of singlespeed workouts<\/a>. \u00a0Just complete the loop in a single gear, then change gears and repeat the loop. \u00a0You can get a ton of different cadence ranges by doing this kind of workout.<\/p>\n With the 2.6-mile loop taking between 5.5 and 7.5 minutes, it's also the perfect VO2 max interval. \u00a0Doing the entire loop is perfect for a “long” VO2 interval. \u00a0This type of interval is generally performed on the lower end of the VO2 max scale, around 105%-110% of functional threshold power. \u00a0Alternatively, you can split the volcano expansion into two parts and do shorter VO2 intervals. \u00a0Ride the loop either clockwise or counter-clockwise starting from the start\/finish banner. \u00a0Ride the first half of the loop at around 120% of functional threshold power, then ride the second half at recovery pace. \u00a0It should take around 3 minutes to get through the first half, give or take. \u00a0The recovery half should be around the same time. \u00a0Repeat up to 9 times for a super hard workout.<\/p>\n By chaining together a clockwise loop from the Italian village, through the volcano start\/finish and right back towards the Italian village you sprint repeatedly. \u00a0From the start, turn around to do the typical Zwift island loop counter-clockwise. \u00a0Ride through the esses and into the village, sprinting as you go through. \u00a0Turn right onto the volcano expansion, then make the first right to ride towards the volcano start\/finish. \u00a0Sprint up the incline to the start\/finish banner and roll down the other side. \u00a0Take the right through the tunnel and back to Watopia, then make the right to do the loop again. \u00a0You'll get two sprint points in each loop with around 5 minutes in between each. \u00a0The 5-minute recovery should ensure you are completely recovered between sprints. \u00a0Sometimes incomplete recovery can be beneficial<\/a>, but with sprint training like this, full recovery is appropriate.<\/p>\n I've given you about five different ways to utilize the new Zwift island volcano expansion. \u00a0Zwift is pushing the boundaries of training by giving us more virtual training options, and more options means more varied training. \u00a0That is exactly what your body needs to keep improving. \u00a0Doing the same thing day in and day out will make your body stale and your fitness will plateau. \u00a0By incorporating these different training techniques into your weekly training program, you'll see your fitness start to climb and you'll be a more rounded cyclist.<\/p>\n If you don't want to build your own training program or you're not sure how to do it effectively, I've got you covered. \u00a0Just check out my downloadable training plans<\/a>, especially my full season training solution<\/a> and advanced full season training solution<\/a>. \u00a0I incorporate these concepts and a ton of others into my training programs, guiding you to the biggest possible fitness gains in the shortest time. \u00a0If you<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The new volcano expansion has given Zwift Island a new playground! I’ll go over the basics of how to use the new expansion with your smart trainer, how to get the most out of Zwift island and a few techniques to improve your training outcomes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,120,38,203],"tags":[175,137,68,204],"yst_prominent_words":[949,944,215,4265,4263,4275,4270,950,1399,927,268,4249,4261,4282,4277,4255,4264,4262,4260,4259],"wppr_data":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/zwiftislandvolcanoexpansiontraining.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11286"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11363,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11286\/revisions\/11363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11286"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tailwind-coaching.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=11286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a>Incorporating sprints into the volcano loop<\/h3>\nTraining variance is the key to continued improvements<\/h3>\n