FTP Progression 2 in FTP training block

Here is something I have seen in many places (of course they could be copying the same bad study). Reference is at the end of the post. Depending on when you quit smoking, it may not matter any more.

Quitting smoking timeline

  • 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate drops. Cigarettes raise your blood pressure and increase your heart rate. You heart rate will begin to drop to normal levels within 20 minutes of your last cigarette.
  • 8 to 12 hours after quitting, you blood carbon monoxide level drops. Carbon monoxide is the same dangerous fume that comes from car exhaust. It causes your heart rate to increase and causes shortness of breath. Within 8 to 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops, and your blood oxygen increases.
  • 48 hours after quitting, your ability to smell and taste improves. The nerve endings damaged by smoking begin to regrow, improving your sense of smell and taste.
  • 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting, your risk of heart attack drops. Improved circulation, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and better oxygen levels and lung function all reduce your risk of a heart attack.
  • 1 to 9 months after quitting, you’ll feel less short of breath and cough less. Coughing, shortness of breath, and sinus congestion will decrease. You’ll feel more energetic overall.
  • 1 year after quitting, your risk of heart disease will be cut in half. Smoking significantly increases your risk of heart disease.
  • 5 years after quitting, your risk of stroke decreases. Depending on how much and how long you smoked and your overall health, your risk of stroke will be the same as someone who’s never smoked within 5 to 15 years of quitting.
  • 10 years after quitting, your risk of lung cancer drops to that of someone who’s never smoked. Your risk of dying from lung cancer will be that of a person who’s never smoked. Your risk of developing other cancers decreases significantly.
  • 15 years after quitting, you risk of heart disease is the same as someone who’s never smoked. After you quit, you’ll have lower cholesterol, thinner blood (which reduces your risk of blood clots), and lower blood pressure.

I gave up smoking 41 years ago but was on about 40 + a day in the days when you could afford it. I gave up cold turkey when our first son was due and he is 41 now. My MAP is just 118% of my FTP according to my last 4DP test (may have gone up a bit) but was wondering whether smoking has caused any long term effects when it comes to strenuous exercise. It would be interesting what the experts have to day on this

1 Like

If folks have trouble completing 20 mins worth of FTP intervals, a couple things could be happening. The workouts should be hard but completeable (there are folks who work up to 3x20)

  1. FTP is set too high.
  2. Not fresh enough (need more or better recovery)
  3. Poor cooling setup

If you’ve eliminated the above, then it can mean your endurance at FTP is weak relative to your power and you’d likely really benefit from extending those intervals a bit even if it means you need to—you guessed it—drop the power targets a bit

2 Likes

I would liked to see a more progressive approach. So increase the interval length but keep recovery time, or decrease recovery time and keep interval length. Both at the same time is too big of a step in 1 week time IMO.

1 Like

I agree. I enjoy sufferfest a lot. Videos are engaging, workouts are hard, love the 4DP and the integrated strength. But the nature of the workouts/videos makes fewer options to customize. You could always add minutes to the FTP intervals by dragging back the little slider I guess

Without a video there’s no real different to doing this workout in the Systm app or with any other app. In the past I have recreated these progression workouts with the TP workout builder and run them straight from my head unit. That gives you the flexibility to do things like you mention.

3 Likes

Full discosure, i actually just build my FTP workouts in trainingpeaks and export to my head unit. Driving progressive overload couldn’t be easier. E.g., if you did 3x8 mins in week 1, do 3x9 or 3x11 in week 2, etc

2 Likes

Heheh. Nice

1 Like

You are able to change the timing to your desire in the workout player yourself.

I have no problem following the set progressions as they are. I do not think they (the progressions) are too big of a step IMO. Its what I do between sessions that ensures I can (with sweat and tears) complete the workouts as created.

I consider the science to the workouts on offering as thorough and correctly assessed, as such, I have no inclination to requesting they change due to my inability to complete them. If that was the notion to be taken, Nine Hammers wouldn’t be what it still is today.

1 Like

They are doable but are deceptively hard. As there’s no big yellow blocks in the work out profile it makes you falsely think it not as hard as it is. Remember that we can all hold our FTP for different lengths of time, which could be from 40 mins to up to 60 mins. Depending where you are on the spectrum, and how your AC compares to help you recover between blocks, might determine how doable or not you find these sessions. If FTP Prog 2 is too difficult then do #1 instead and consider working on your ability to hold your FTP for a greater length of time, if that fits with your long term goals.

1 Like

You are able to change the timing to your desire in the workout player yourself.

How do you do that?

@leebo You can also send them to RGT - workouts@rgtcycling.com. I am working on a NoVid library there.