Afraid To Suffer, Part Two: Breaking Through
Our story so far:
I met with this individual, after they signed up for Xert. I helped them program the head unit.
I explained the concept of volume, intensity, frequency, Focus, and fitness breakthroughs.
For TEN WEEKS, this individual’s numbers JUST. KEPT. DROPPING.
I couldn’t figure it out. Until Finally, it dawned on me to try ONE MORE THING.
It’s all about the difference between Suffering and Suffering. And here’s how we made it work.
Afraid to Suffer, Part One
“I’m not getting any better!” (You don’t know how to Suffer!) I HATE that statement. “Better” is a completely loaded term. It implies perception over analysis, and it’s my job as a coach to be a shrink, a cheerleader, a gentle critic, a cajoler, and an overall positive influence. But what is NOT my job, […]
MMP (Mean Maximal Power) Breakthroughs Galore in April!
Testing for Mean Max Power (MMP) I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while, so apologies that it’s a few weeks late. However, our training in March and April led to multiple Mean Maximal Power Breakthroughs, and I wanted to write about this. Mean Maximal Power is defined as the “Highest average power” […]
Updating the OLD Xert Garmin Fields With the NEW Xert Garmin Fields – A Video Tutorial.
Unfortunately, I’m posting this a few weeks late. Another update to Xert fields has already rendered this video somewhat obsolete. It’s still a great demonstration of how to get into the old Xert Garmin fields and update them. It also shows what the Garmin Xert Field displays now provide. In Summary: In early March, Xert […]
Why We Still Look at Heart Rate
One of the old standards is Heart Rate. For decades, Heart Rate was a practical way to measure intensity. It could also be used to measure recovery, hydration, and fatigue.
We cannot look at wattage alone. We have to look at wattage as an extrinsic force. When we look at heart rate, this is an intrinsic force. Both bring value.
Here’s an example:
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Looking at Wattage and MPA only, this cyclist did not work too hard.[/caption]
This cyclist was given a workout of 60 minutes. The main set of intervals were 2 minutes long, with one at the end which was very intense and would hopefully yield a breakthrough per Xert.
If we look at the wattage chart alone, it shows a successful workout. MPA dropped, then rose, and the final interval yielded a CLOSE CALL, but not quite a breakthrough. Watts followed the load very closely.
However, when heart rate is revealed, it shows something more.
More Fitness Breakthroughs with W Prime on PerfPro Studio
W Prime Provides a VISUAL approach to Intensity and Fatigue. I posted a few days ago about how my clients were successfully using the W Prime feature on PerfPro Studio, to achieve fitness breakthroughs. Well, it’s happened again. The second day of testing consisted of a 5 minute, 3 minute, and 1 minute test. I […]
Using W Prime in PerfPro Studio To Get the Most Out of Your Body
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What’s that Green Line? That’s Your W Prime Line![/caption]
W Prime is a great way to measure your training load.
Not everyone owns a power meter for their bike. Some people do not want to make the investment in equipment. Some just want a great workout and want to see how hard they can push their bodies. W Prime in PerfPro Studio is a great tool to help athletes measure their effort better.
PerfPro Studio has added features almost weekly now for several years. This is a robust, solid training platform that is my go-to for indoor studios. It is consistent and is easy to operate. PerfPro Studio shows riders what they need to know, both on a dashboard and graphically, so they can achieve their goals.
Since 2015, I have been employing W Prime testing at my studio, Cycling Center Dallas. It’s a great tool, and in this post I show you how to put W Prime to work for you.
Five Stars On Xert: What It Takes To Get to Pro Level, Part One
I’m excited to announce that my coached client, Dr. Kyle Keeter, has gotten to Five Stars Training Status on Xert! A Five Star Training Status is the result of A LOT of work on the bike! This means that his training volume, per his daily and accumulated “XSS” (Xert Strain Scores) values, has […]
Xert In a Crit: Prime Win and Victory!
Travis Pope is a big guy with a big engine. He loves to ride, loves to race, loves Xert, and he loves to train with it. He has been a client for years, but has suffered several crashes that left him on the sidelines. It also affected his training consistency.
But this year has been a different story. Travis has trained consistently. In early June, he bought a Garmin 1000 and began training with Xert Fields.
The Race According to Xert
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Xert Profile of Travis Pope’s Criterium Win. Note the severe drops in MPA in the middle and the end.[/caption]
Last night, it all paid off! Here’s how Travis used Xert training to turn his hard work into success on the podium.
Interval Shapes – Intensity Over Time
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Which Interval Led to the highest average power?[/caption]
Take a look at this graph. Each interval has a different shape. It shows four separate 45-second intervals of maximal effort, on a 4% slope. I used PerfPro Studio to design this workout. Recoveries were three minutes each.
We also need to take into account that these intervals are taken 53 minutes into a 60 minute workout. The rider was fatigued, but the lesson is still relevant.
In this post I’ll show you how to use not just intervals but interval shapes to craft your intensity over time for maximum gains in fitness and available power.