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

October 9 2021 Post-Ride Analysis

Bouncing Between DFAA1 0.75 and 1.00 for Optimal Fat Burn and Aerobic Base Improvement

 

Having the FatMaxxer Android software on-screen in realtime has brought a new element to my base training. I use the screen to try and keep my intensity between DFAA 1.00 and 0.75. The advantage to this is that I can trust the fraction, more than I can trust the actual heart rate. Furthermore, looking at my power and Vo2max, I was able to keep the value below 40ml/kg/min, averaging about 35ml/kg/min, and I watched my Tidal Volume from the Vo2master, stay around 4.0 liters/breath.

I’m going to focus on economy and aerobic foundation. This is going to be FASCINATING!

Base Ride Number 2 – Pre-Brief

Ya Gotta SLEEP in order to PERFORM!

Apparently, the winner of this year’s Tour de France, who also won the race LAST YEAR, has a secret. He knows how to SLEEP and RECOVER.

I obviously do not.

I’ve tried everything; blackout curtains, weighted blankets, cold room, no caffeine past 10am, less than two beers a night, no overstimulation for too long…. Nothing really works. I’ve been tracking my Testosterone levels for at least 7 years, to see if that warrants intervention, but honestly, that’s an expensive and invasive step that I’m not willing to take at this time.

But I don’t sleep. And when I don’t sleep, weight management and cycling performance are challenged.

Here’s today’s Pre-Brief that describes the overview of my sleep, my weight gain, and my PREDICTED (not actual), Vo2max via Garmin Connect.

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!

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.

 

Billat 30-30’s with Xert, Vo2Master, and PerfPro

Billat 30-30’s Are a Great Way to Improve Your Ability to Suffer Under Load!

 

Xert has zones that flex with time spent above Threshold. When you bite into HIE, the Xert Dial responds by reducing the band of yellow or orange, and expanding the Purple arc, which is theoretically not possible to surpass. When you do, it’s a BREAKTHROUGH!

But the fascinating thing about this video is that the Vo2 values, during the effort and even into recovery, show how effective this type of workout really is; my Vo2 values stayed ABOVE 80% of Vo2max, for several minutes, and THAT is what improves HIE and “Suffer” ability. Xert properly displays this on the video in the colored arcs. Therefore, you’re looking at the PHYSICS of PHYSIOLOGY!

I use PerfPro on this type of protocol because the graph is easier to read, and it shows me values which I had turned off at the time of recording. The Xert Dial is moved over from the Xert Remote Player, which is a VERY useful tool.

Thanks for watching. Don’t forget to register for the webinar on January 30th at 1200, gmt-8, and we’ll review the 9 weeks of progression, as well as the 5MMP breakthrough effort!

ENJOY THE RIDE!!!