Heart rate has to measure, but as a training method it has many failures.Measuring training with external parameters (speed, rhythm, route hardness) is not bad. But I give you an example: it is not the same to make a 120 km route with 2,000 meters of unevenness in the Pyrenees than to do it elsewhere with the same numbers. You may find much harder ramps, or that the hardness is concentrated in a concrete area of the route, etc ... The potentiometer gives us a superdirect measure of the force we are applying on top of the bike. And against that you cannot compete. With the heart rate, we can do a test and the data can vary randomly in a subsequent test, and not precisely because of the fact of improving performance.
📺 Here are the conversation about watt training that we had with Laura Gallardo, from Laucycle. [embed] https://youtu.be/5rebuk9ut_w[/embed]
What are the training areas, which are also talked about when facing training by power? It is much easier than it seems. It is first about defining the two most important metabolic areas that come into play when training: the aerobic zone (the one in which we move when performing exercises of medium or low intensity and long duration) and the anaerobic zone (in which we We move when performing high intensity exercises and short duration). In the aerobic zone, we find different zones: zone 1 (linked to recovery), zone 2 (more endurance or resistance) and zone 3. From here, we are known as FTP, which would mark the anaerobic threshold. Here all high intensity efforts come into play.
The FTP is a value that marks our anaerobic threshold. From there, all high intensity efforts come into play.Therefore, one of the problems we would have when training by heart rate is that we could not train those areas of maximum effort. Because? Because they are efforts that are measured below minute and a half or two minutes, and the heart rate is not stabilized until that time passes, approximately. Therefore, measuring that part of the training would not be feasible. Interesting. You introduce concepts that sound to us relatives, such as FTP. The FTP is the threshold to where your body works aerobically and overflowing. If you spend, you start working in anaerobic way and energy expenditure is much greater. We are interested in knowing what this threshold is because in carrera, Normally, we spend a lot of time in that area. To do this, we usually do the typical 20 -minute FTP test at maximum intensity, with which we can check what our threshold is. And what are the conditions in which we must perform the FTP test? What should we take into account? The more specific and you adapt it to your cycling modality, much better. If yours is the Grave, for example, the ideal would be to do it on the track or road, in conditions similar to those that you have during your routes or races. If it is not possible, you can look for a port with a slope between 4% and 6%, so that the pedaling is efficient and allows you to make a maximum effort for 20 minutes. Can we perform that FTP on virtual platforms, such as Zwift and the like? The advantage that Zwift has is that you can do it at home at any time and in stable conditions. For someone who starts, it can be a good idea (provided it has 3 or 4 prepared fans). But you have to keep in mind that the conditions Indoor They are different, starting with a greater increase in body temperature. But it may be good to do it. If you have no experience, you can make a Ramp Test, which is a simpler test. It is an FTP test that requires an increase of 20 watts per minute, until you reach the limit of your forces. It passes much faster than a 20 -minute test. Let's keep in mind that throwing you 20 minutes in the roller at maximum power is not easy. Anyway, nothing better than performing these tests abroad. Everything is much more real: you work with the strength of gravity, with your own weight, you work the changes of land, cadence, etc.
Training by power abroad is important to familiarize yourself with the conditions you will find in carrera: You work with your weight, adapt to the ground and watch the cadence.Someone may feel more comfortable in a controlled environment, such as the roller. If we train structured, perfect. But this should not imply the abandonment of training Outdoor. As the performance improves, it is good to get To walk to the potentiometer and thus contrast our numbers in real outputs. It is important to measure on the ground, roll in a group, and even chop from time to time; You reach limits that in the roller it is more complicated to reach. If you had to summarize this whole issue of power training, what would be the fundamental pillars? The most important pillar is that of the specificity. Thanks to the watts, we can analyze your power curve and know your maximum power in all points of time, from beginning to end. It is something that facilitates planning. In this way, we can make adjustments on the march, being able to extend processes until they verify that they work correctly. That flexibility is only given by this type of training by power. Another very important aspect is rhythm control when we are in carrera. Knowing how to regulate well is key. The cyclist, especially amateur, tends to go to gas from the beginning of the tests. If you train by watts and know your specific normal values in each area, it is easy to measure and anticipate the consequences of moving from your numbers many times.
Training by watts allows us to anticipate the consequences that our normal values have for our performance.In ultra -edge tests of several days, for example, it looks very clear. The first day you have to monitor the power because you are fresh and the trend is to roll above the FTP. That generates a demand a muscular and energy level that you end up paying the next day. The potentiometer helps us regulate fatigue. It is clear, therefore, that the pulsometer and heart rate training have been outdated Not so much, it is a matter of interpreting the data. The heart rate can give us clues in specific outputs or can give us signals of overcoming, for example. That said, the perception of effort is also important. If we rely everything on numbers and lose the notion of the intrinsic, the imbalance is evident. Listening to the body is important, and interpreting your signals. Returning to the watts, there are many studies based on power test where cyclists are prevented from consulting the numbers in real time. In fact, it can affect us in our performance, either because we go over our normal values, or because we are underneath. If you are in a carrera And the numbers make you nervous, forget the watts: guide yourself better by sensations and voila.
