Looking for some guidance and understanding. I have done the Half Monty test and have an FTP of 192. I done the All Purpose training plan for four weeks now. Some workouts leave me wanting. G.O.A.T does seem to have the desired effect. I increased the intensity today but still came of the bike feeling like i do after a recovery ride. I never hit the Z4 heart rate and cannot drop down to the low cadences in the workout. On the other hand, Attacker left me drained. I missed the high cadence targets, especially at the end. Not sure at this point in which direction i should take my training. My goal is to be a better all around rider and better health. Not looking to be a racer.
If you did HM several weeks ago and have some training done, itâs time to revisit the Pain Parlour for the Full treatment: e.g. Full Frontal. This will give you the remaining two numbers: AC and NM as well as your rider type.
From there you can figure out what you want to do next. Prepare for your âAâ event or to prepare for an event that you have planned in the months ahead leading up to your âAâ event.
Hey @Jeffrey ,
On GOAT the 2 min high torque, low cadence, high power efforts, you will recruit more muscle fibers and thus the workout becomes more neuromuscular in nature. Your heart rate will not respond as quickly in those type of workouts as they are not stressing the cardiovascular system as much as the muscular system. Think of doing squats on the bike. Your objective in training is to become more efficient on the bike. Both high cadence and low cadence efforts will aide in achieving that goal. Donât worry if you canât hit the exact high cadence numbers. You will get a training effect by simply going 15rpm above your optimal cadence (different for everyone). Have a look at The Knwledge podcasts which interest you. They contain golden nuggets of info you will be able to utilize:
Good question. Maybe it is i am new to training but getting down to 50 rpm felt more like i was stopping. I got down to 55-60. Also, i am an impatient person
Grazie mille! I will take a listen to this. Really enjoying SYSTM and want to get the most out of it. Being new to indoor training, trying to learn as much as possible and be effective while working out.
The slow grind is what this workout is all about, if Iâm not at or below the cadence target the workout isnât imparting enough training stimulus. Itâs a leg killer not a lung burner. HR targets are based off the power targets at a normal cadence they should probably be edited down.
If you have a smart trainer try changing up a gear or 2 to put a bit more inertia in the flywheel for the low cadence efforts, itâs cheating but will help out when you are new to low cadence efforts.
Thanks. I want to simulate the slow grind of going uphill outdoors so was not happy with myself in not reaching the low cadence. I will switch gears so i can attain the lower cadence. I want that leg burn!
Yes, i have been working toward doing the Full Frontal (dreading in anticipation). I can no longer avoid it! I am curious to see what type of rider i am (i suspect a grinder, i am not much for sprinting).
Especially if youâre just starting out, adaptation can occur quickly. Definitely consider at least doing another HM to test your numbers. FF would obv be better, but really does take practice.
@Jeffrey Hitting 55 rpm is fine for now. You will eventually build the adaptations to hit both low and high cadence targets but it just takes some practice and patience. The good news is that you will likely experience more rapid gains in the beginning so your mid plan fitness test will likely show some gains.
Thanks @Heretic. This was very helpful. Unfortunately, now i have a valid excuse for avoiding FF. My TICKR has crapped out. Iâve only had it for maybe two months. Looking online now (should have done before purchasing) it seems they crap out regularly. Very disappointing. It does seem that customer service is good in that they will send out a new one. Of course the money spent on replacing units is probably better spent on resolving whatever issue they have.
Not understanding this thread. If, when, I do FF it will generate a new FTP and the other 4DP metrics (hopefully upward). Wonât SYSTM automatically change my profile? Why would I need to write anything down? Thanks!
