On a basic Kurt Kinetic Trainer (without power meters, computrainers, etc.)
I want to make the most of my indoor sessions. I’m looking to improve my overall strength and speed for the upcoming IM season.
Thanks in advance for your help.
every trainer is a power meter.
In other words, there is a power curve for each trainer, expressed in MPH.
If you set up your bike with the same PSI, same turns on the knob of the resistance unit, same temperature with a fan blowing on the resistance unit, etc. then you can track data from workout to workout through MPH.
So, figure out what your threshold is in MPH and then train at 85-105% of that doing various intervals.
The power curves in MPH are all over the place, i would not train based off of those…might as well just look at HR the entire time. I used to have a jet fluid pro trainer (now i have a computrainer!!) and would use a powertap, i would try and get the resistance similar from workout to workout but even with similar power outputs the speeds were still all over the place from workout to workout.
Best workout:
Go to thesufferfest.com, download, and destroy yourself. Repeat next day.
The power curves in MPH are all over the place, i would not train based off of those…might as well just look at HR the entire time. I used to have a jet fluid pro trainer (now i have a computrainer!!) and would use a powertap, i would try and get the resistance similar from workout to workout but even with similar power outputs the speeds were still all over the place from workout to workout.
Best workout:
Go to thesufferfest.com, download, and destroy yourself. Repeat next day.
For the KK, at least, this is not my experience. And many other reports here and elsewhere suggest that others experience the same. I do not have a powermeter to confirm the consistency of the resistance from one workout to the next, but I have some measure of consistent resistance by recording coast-down times from 20 mph. I find that a given speed requires very similar effort from one workout to the next (to within 0.2 mph or so).
A big reason to track MPH rather than HR is that MPH will allow you to track your progress. HR will not. Seeing the small but definite improvements from one week to the next is a big part of what helps me to stay motivated on hard trainer workouts. If I was merely busting my ass without any indication of progress I think I would have given up a long time ago.
an hour as hard as you can. repeat until you can’t, then do it some more.
if you’re gonna skullf*** yourself by riding on a trainer, might as well make it worth it.
I have bike computers on my road and tri bikes that have a rear while speed pickup. I also have access to power curves for my trainer. This allows me to measure some degree of relative power for my workouts.
One of my favorite quick workouts is to warm up, then 8x10-15 seconds max power at high cadence every 2 minutes, then 15seconds on, 15 seconds off at moderately high force and cadence over 100 for 10 minutes. (I have to work up to this over a few weeks). If I have time, I do 10 minutes of varying lower cadences, high force, sitting and standing. All told, I’m done in 30-45 minutes. On Tuesdays that is all the time I have. And, I have no time on Mondays and Wednesdays. So, this works for me to get me through to Thursday, when I have more time for a longer ride or trainer workout.
What’s the best cycling workout you can do on a bike trainer?
Um, it kinda depends on your goals are for that day, based on your training plan.
Um, it kinda depends on your goals are for that day, based on your training plan.
^^^ This.
I generally ride outside for building endurance and on the trainer for threshold and VO2 max stuff. I cannot do more than an hour on the trainer before I am about to go postal, so that also self-selects the workouts I do on it.
I like the SST, 2x20s and ZeCanon FTP workouts in Build phase (is it ok to post links to articles on another forum here? If so, I’ll put up the link) and VO2 max workouts during Peak - these are typically one of the CTS videos.
I have a couple of Sufferfest videos and have had them for 7-8 months, but havent gotten around to watching them yet - they seem to be a bit too much of everything. I’ll probably put them on in January/early Feb, just before my March peak.
I hate doing long sessions on the trainer so always try to keep it short but hard.
Tabata sets are probably the most time efficient and brutal
warm up well for 10-15 min then do 8x20 as hard as you can passive rest 10 second between. if you do it correctly you should have trouble walking afterwards.
the other one is from the book training and racing with PM
warmup 10 min then do 5 min flatout at 100% FTP. then easy 5 min then mainset:
6x3min at 120% with 3 min rest intervals, then 4x2 min at 120% with 2 min rests.
I am still to manage the whole thing usually cannot do more than the 6 and 2 2 mins and am shot!
an hour as hard as you can. repeat until you can’t, then do it some more.
if you’re gonna skullf*** yourself by riding on a trainer, might as well make it worth it.
Assume thats with no music or TV and the timer round the wrong way so you don’t know how long is left to go in the hour 
I’m gonna sound like I’m paid by TrainerRoad, but I’m not - I’ve just recently discovered it and I love it. I think I’m getting out of it what you might be looking for.
Basically, you’ll need to add some sort of ANT+ stuff, like the Garmin Speed/Cadence Sensor, their ANT+ USB stick, and optionally, the heart strap to get the data you need. Your computer now acts like your Garmin head unit, and TrainerRoad determines your virtual power. You can do an 8-minute or 20-minute FTP test to get a baseline, and then the workouts are tailored to you (the default is an FTP of 200). It’s Beta right now, and I am not sure what the monthly cost will be when it is no longer beta (I thought I heard $10 a month?), but it is worth a look.
I hate doing long sessions on the trainer so always try to keep it short but hard.
warmup 10 min then do 5 min flatout at 100% FTP. then easy 5 min then mainset:
6x3min at 120% with 3 min rest intervals, then 4x2 min at 120% with 2 min rests.
I am still to manage the whole thing usually cannot do more than the 6 and 2 2 mins and am shot!
i’ve been attempting to do his as well. the challenge keeps me coming back, but also dreading it.
I use on of the following when I’m in the later base phases:
10 Minutes @ threshold
5 mins rest
10 Minutes @ 105% FTP threshold standing
5 minutes rest
10 minutes @ 105% FTP threshold seated
if I have anything left I do a 5 minute blow out interval. The next time I crank up the wattage
5x5 Minutes @ 110% FTP with 2 minutes rest in between intervals
15 minutes below threshold
3 minutes rest
15 minutes at threshold
3 minutes rest
15 minutes slightly above threshold
My absolute killer interval is 10, 2 minute all out efforts, 2 minutes rest. Usually I have trouble walking up the stairs after this.
As you see from the variety of responses, there is no one perfect workout. Since you mentioned IM season, longer intervals like 20 minutes may be a goal. Shorter intervals will get you ready for that 2x20 minute session. Yes, a good warm up is critical. Over the many years (30) I have found that variety is a key to your sanity. Train by heart rate on some session, mph on some sessions. Watching trainng videos with a coach giving you workouts helps get you going too.
Finding a way to watch your progress is necessary. Benchmark workouts like seeing your distance or mph for 30 minutes or an hour is great too. I like an hour, but physically and mentally an hour is tough to TT on a trainer.
Just find some workouts that motivate you.
Eddy Merckx had a great quote that went something like this, The one who is willing to suffer the most will win the race. Remeber that on the trainer. Your competitors will.
- 2x20mins @ 100% FTP w/ 5min rest between
- 20mins @ 105% FTP (all out)
- 6x4mins @ 113% FTP (VO2max) w/ 3.5mins rest between
- 2x20mins @ 100% FTP w/ 5min rest between
- 20mins @ 105% FTP (all out)
- 6x4mins @ 113% FTP (VO2max) w/ 3.5mins rest between
I like this - Would you do each of those with a day of easy between (or another sport)? Or do 1-3 in a row, then a day or two of easy and repeat until you hate your existence?
i did
2, 3, 2 for 6 weeks then
1, 2, and 2x30mins @ 95% ftp with 5mins rest for another 6 weeks
saw pretty huge gains from it and ran 40mpw, swam 2 days a week.
i did
2, 3, 2 for 6 weeks then
1, 2, and 2x30mins @ 95% ftp with 5mins rest for another 6 weeks
saw pretty huge gains from it and ran 40mpw, swam 2 days a week.
Thanks - I think I’ll try something like this over the winter.
So, did you put easy days between those workouts? Or did you try to do blocks without recovery days between.
You’ll get all kinds of answers here and various variations on a similar theme.
In broad strokes, the two best types of workouts you can do are:
-
Pretty much all-out very hard intervals in the 3 minute range. Rest and repeat until you . . . . fall off the bike!
-
20 minutes at the absolute best pace that you can maintain for that 20 minutes - this should be just a bit harder than your LT, and should feel “easy” for the first 5 - 10 minutes but towards the end become all out to maintain the effort. This is a great benchmark session on the trainer monitoring, cadence, gear used, power, heart-rate, PE - whatever you like. Obviously as you get fitter, you want to be able to ride the 20 minutes in bigger and bigger gears and thus faster and faster.
10 - 20 minute warm-up and cool down spinning easy with some sprints thrown in the warm-up
Total time about an hour.
I have enough trainer workouts to last you through the winter posted at www.anerobiczone.com.
Dean Wilson
www.anaerobiczone.com
Bicycle Protection Indoors & Out