W prime 30/30
Quick Notes:
Keep power off of erg mode
If using a garmin or wahoo make sure to hit the lap button at the beginning of each 30 second effort.
ALSO...Look in your Training Peaks account for links to post-ride stretching routine
Remember your towel, water and fan. This workout requires a lot of energy and keeping cool helps keep things good during the ride.
Today’s ride gives us high intensity, short intervals
Four sets of 8 intervals of 30 seconds hard (110-160%)/30 seconds easy for four minutes straight.
Try to figure out where your percent of power is knowing that there are 8 intervals in each set. There is a big difference in individuals and their max power, so knowing yours is key.
Also, try to pad the percentage in the last interval of each set.
The second set of intervals experiments with getting in and out of the seat during the intervals. Make sure your sound is up so you can hear Robbie the cues throughout the intervals.
There is a ten minute segment in between the 2nd and 3rd intervals. Keep your power under your lactate threshold during this segment. This section pushes your lactate threshold up with very little cost and we get free KG burn during this section.
The third interval set practices hands placement: on the hoods and then on the drops. Remember to keep the elbows bent when in the drops. Awareness is key. Be aware of how changing position changes muscle recruitment.
The fourth interval set is for burning the popcorn. Drain the tank by starting hard and going harder during the first four efforts. Control that power and raise it up! Then during the last four start hard and taper it back.
Why do we do this?
These intervals are sugar burning in nature. These are VO2 workouts which maximize fuel uptake using the glycogen primarily.
If you are using W-Prime, keep an eye on it during this workout.
Building VO2 Max
Two schools of thought on building VO2 Max
2-5 minutes efforts with full recovery-agitate o2 pulldown and VO2
Short enough intervals with short recoveries where you can go higher in each interval
In a recent study (read more here!), they had two groups of riders:
Lactate tolerance
Atainabiilty
The 30 over 15 group out performed the 5 min effort group.
30 over 15 groups could tolerate more of the lactic acid build up.
5 minute effort group only received a 2.5 min recovery.
High-end stress is super important. It is about tickling an energy system with enough time in between to recover.
Attainability belief is so important when doing these intervals. It is easier for us to believe that 30 second intervals are more attainable than longer ones. Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are always right.
Does getting out of the seat help or hurt during VO2 workouts?
VO2 mask tested on athletes. And looked at the cost of getting out of the seat. For efficient athletes there was not a big cost to getting out of the seat. It would be interesting to do a study on the cost of getting out of the seat as it relates to everyday athletes. The more practice we have getting out of the seat the better we become at it’ therefore, creating more efficiency with less cost. Check out more info here.
How do men and women differ? As efforts get longer there is a decreased difference between men and women. Check out some more info here.
Training Peaks- members only…
Training Peaks accounts have all of the links to the VQ rides, strength training and Pilates workouts. If you are a member of VQ and don’t have a TP account, please sign up for a Training Peaks account. (They are free!) Then we send you a FREE plan.