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.
Five Stars On Xert: What It Takes To Get to Pro Level, Part Two
See Part One (Free) for the background on Dr. Keeter’s incredible progress.
BUILDING FITNESS AND CAPACITY TO GET TO FIVE STARS.
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Kyle Keeter Stress Progression Chart 5 Stars[/caption]
Let’s start with the “Stress” Chart in Xert.
Dr. Keeter basically began from scratch, with a low fitness level, and few hours per week in his legs. He was certainly not UNFIT, but he was far from TRULY FIT. Here’s how we got him to Five Star Performance.
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.