Online Bike Coach

Where Cyclists and Triathletes get Faster/Stronger/Leaner/Sooner

The Road to 300 Watts FTP

Right Now, It's NOT about 300 Watts; It's About Raising LOWER THRESHOLD

The goal of base is to train the body for Economy. Stamina is the fundamental Pillar for Polarized Training. When you train using DFAA-1, you can get a clearer picture of how your body is responding to the training. Wattage and traditional heart rate become
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Xert Breakthrough With Physiological Metrics

Xert Is On Board With Some Serious Physiological Observations

My Client, Dusty, achieved an Xert Breakthrough while I observed his Physiological Metrics. This is Part 2 of what will now be a 3-part series of videos. In Part 1, I described the physiological phenomena behind a good warmup. Today, we’re going to show how Xert MPA metrics correlate with physiological phenomena.

The protocol are my favorite Billat 30-30’s. This means a cyclist pedals for 30 seconds of intensity, followed by 30 seconds of recovery. After five to ten intervals above Threshold Power, the cyclist then begins to pedal at intensities above the 3 Minute Mean Max Power.

THE CLIENT

Dusty came into the office with an Xert Fitness Signature of 306 Watts at Threshold, 21.4 KiloJoules of High Intensity Energy (HIE) available, and a Peak Power of 854 Watts. The goal was to attempt an Xert breakthrough, while using a Moxy Monitor and a Vo2 Master, to observe his physiological markers under intensity. I’ll explain what these numbers mean in Part 3.

Dusty is 44 years old, has been back on the bike for about a year, but has no long-term history of fitness or exercise. The bike was borrowed – he did not have a power meter for a road bike at that time. He has been training via Peloton bike and classes, roughly 5 hours per week. His goal is to be a competent coach to his son and friends in their High School Mountain Bike League. He has a power meter for a mountain bike, and a modern Garmin. At the time of the test, he had been using Xert for about 6 weeks. We had some data, but we needed to get a proper assessment.

XERT BREAKTHROUGH WITH BILLAT 30-30’s

Dr. Veronique Billat remains one of my favorite Exercise Scientists. She is the author of vVo2max exercise studies, and I translated those values over to wattage at Vo2max efforts, beginning in 2001. They are the cornerstone of any Alpine Mountain Bike athlete. While Dr. Billat uses 6MMP values, Xert uses 3MMP values to get cyclists to work harder. This is my own interpretation of “Polarized” training. Work done above 3MMP to 5MMP is highly effective for anaerobic intensity and success, just as work performed BELOW Lower Threshold Power, is also highly effective for aerobic economy.

In Part 3, I’ll perform a review and assessment of the activity, and will reveal Dusty’s new Xert Fitness Signature.

Thanks for reading, thanks for watching, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

Xert FTP Tested

Xert Claims my FTP (Functional Threshold Power) Sits At 265 Watts. Is It Accurate?

I've always wondered if calculated Functional Threshold Power Values are accurate. Since 2017, however, I have relied on the Xert FTP value. For years, we relied on the "20-Minute" Test. Riders would perform a 20-Minute effort, all out, and then subtract 5% from that value. The new number was considered "Threshold". Later, physiologists looked at 90% of a 3-Minute Maximal Effort. There's the 5-1-5 test.... Step Tests (25w steps every 3 minutes)... Ramp tests (15-20w every minute)... The latest 'Testing' asks for a 20-minute, 5-minute, 1-minute, and 5-second effort.
Xert FTP Garmin PerfPro Studio Vo2 Master
Xert Claims that my FTP (Functional Threshold Power) is at 265 watts. Let's find out how accurate that really is.

NO MORE TESTING???.

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Moxy Monitor Warmup Protocol

The Moxy Monitor Warmup Protocol Ensures a Better Ride!

 

The Moxy Monitor gives cyclists a better window into their body, and how the body responds to intervals and recovery. When we use the Moxy for warmup observations, we end up with a higher saturated muscle oxygen (SMo2), and a higher Total Hemoglobin Count (ThB). You want this higher SMO2 and ThB, because it is the electrical equivalent of “Volts”, and “Amps”, on a battery. With Watts, you have a more complete picture!

My wife, Tracy Christenson, was the model for this video, and after the warmup, she performed two 6-minute intervals, just below her predicted Functional Threshold Power. The Moxy Monitor’s SmO2 and ThB information provided there was also very instructional.

Watch the Video to learn more.

 

Using the Moxy Muscle Oxygen Monitor to Affirm LT1

Moxy Muscle Oxygen Monitor Is A Passive Way to Detect Lactate Threshold Deflection Points

I’ve been using the Moxy Muscle Oxygen Monitor since the product first became available in the early 2010’s. I quickly realized that it offered insights into physical fitness unlike any other product. Today’s Online Bike Coach Daily Ditty shows how my Moxy confirmed that 205 watts as my first Lactate Threshold Deflection Point.

By setting my wattage resistance on PerfPro Studio software, I was able to ride consistently for several minutes, and my SmO2 values remained steady. When Saturated Muscle Oxygen is stable, Oxygen is flowing in, Carbon Dioxide is flowing out, and Lactic Acid is being shuttled in the bloodstream. It gets picked up and processed by these things called “MCT”‘s, or, “Monocarboxylate Transporters“. Then it’s turned back into energy. It’s really efficient, and it can be trained. The different levels, or plateaus, tell us just how well our bodies are working at shuttling the waste out, and the nutrients in.

The Moxy shows you just how that’s working. In this case, the information was displayed with a Vo2 Master Gas Exchange Analyser. That way, I can look at the Watts, the Lungs, the Legs, the heart, and the blood. It’s a holistic approach to fitness and aerobic intensity. This information can be viewed on your Garmin head unit, via a custom field. It can also be displayed and recorded on PerfPro Studio. I use the Moxy for every outdoor ride and indoor ride. I believe it can reveal warmup preparation, early indicators of a bonk, and much more.

Here is today’s Video. Tomorrow, I’ll show you how my wife uses the Moxy to ensure that her warmup is adequate and her intervals are at their best.

Thanks for watching, and ENJOY THE RIDE!