HillRPete wrote:Tapeworm wrote:For simplicity I prefer either 15 sec on/off or 30sec on/off because it's "neater".
If you could share some more details on how you are doing those 30/30 that would be great. Want to try them this year. Thanks.
Well, as always - it depends.
For working Vo2max range style of efforts its usually two or three blocks of [6 x 30sec On/off. RI = 4 mins.]
For exceptionally intense blocks I drop it down to 4 x 30 and up the RI, ie: [4 x 30sec on/off. RI= 8 mins or longer]
For longer "race specific" blocks I have run a [30 x 30sec on/off protocol]. That one was... mentally challenging. Power average usually ends up being very close to the average power for that duration (or CP30 or whatever metric floats your boat). One day I'll try a full 60mins... if I'm game. I don't prescribe that which I haven't done myself... so no-one has copped that one yet!
And then there's the under/over style where its 30 sec "high", 30 sec "low", around 105-110% FTP (or close to best 5min power) and 90% FTP (close to 60min power) respectively for 5 cycles (ie: 5 mins). 3 mins RI, repeat up to 6 blocks or so.
Recently, especially for those in mtb and crits, I have been favouring the 15sec on/off and ensuring that during the RI no work is done - means that there is an initial neuromuscular power aspect in getting up to speed again and again. Found this to be very especially effective for mtb single speeders, but seems to translate well to any racing discipline that needs a repeated "kick".
As you can see intervals manipulation can yield an almost infinite number of combinations. The questions that need to be asked are:- 1) what is the stimulus provided, 2) what is the relative load that they "cost" and 3) it is specific or "capacity building" to the demands of racing (specificity)?
"Physiology is all just propaganda and lies... all waiting to be disproven by the next study."
"I'm not a real doctor; But I am a real worm; I am an actual worm." - TMBG