Power Education Specialist Benjamin Sharp talks about how to properly perform Hill Intervals using Stages Power. Hill Intervals are four 5-minute efforts done on a hill with a brief rest period between each effort. The goal is to find consistent power during each effort and across all four efforts.
Micro Intervals simulate the demands of racing. In this video Power Education Specialist Benjamin Sharp explains how to athletes preparing for an event, but haven’t the opportunity to ride in a group or to do training races beforehand can get the intensity. Micro intervals are a great way to jump start the system to simulate the demands necessary during a race.
Most often Benjamin Sharp prescribes micro intervals that are 10-15 minutes sets of 15 seconds on and 15 seconds off. The ON portion is VO2 (zone 5) and the OFF portion is a little below your FTP (zone 3). Then you “simply” follow this ON/OFF pattern continuously for the entire 10-15 minutes. Note, that you are never at rest during this 10-15 minutes.
These micro intervals are to be performed on flat to rolling terrain so you can stay in the same gearing/cadence throughout the entire interval. That means you won’t have to shift as you switch from the ON to OFF portions. Rather, during the ON portion you’ll accelerate and increase power and cadence and during the OFF portion you’ll ease up, decreasing force and reducing cadence.
The most important part of these intervals is to make sure you’re hitting the zones during each portion. This means not over powering the ON portions to the point at which you’re having to reduce your power below Zone 3 during the OFF portions.
Here's the week 1 profile for the month of March 2016.
3, 2, 1 Blast off!!!! As the intervals get shorter the intensity gets HOTTER and more POWERFUL!!!!
Below is a recording of me teaching this profile:
Right Click to download a recording of me teaching this profile with a Stages SC3 Bike
Below, Premium Members can read a detailed description of this Class Profile, download a printable Class Profile that can be used in class, read a detailed description of the Power Based Training Zones and download a printable Power Postcard.
[wlm_private ‘PRO-Platinum|PRO-Monthly|PRO-Gratis|PRO-Seasonal|Platinum-trial|Monthly-trial|PRO-Military|30-Days-of-PRO|90 Day PRO|Stages-Instructor|Schwinn-Instructor|Instructor-Bonus|28 Day Challenge']
Right Click to download a 60 minute music track that can be used with this profile
Click here for a great article explaining the different zones.
Click here to Downloadable Power Postcard to Print
Click here to Downloadable Zone Chart that includes StagesIQ Colors
[/wlm_private]
To download any of the above media on a Mac:
To download any of the above media on a PC:
Click here to watch a video on how to download media files from ICI/Pro.
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You don't find opportunities to ride and learn from the experts everyday, let alone for FREE!
Join Stages Indoor Cycling, Director of Education, Cameron Chinatti and Master Educator, Dennis Mellon and learn…
PhD student Carla Alexandra Ramos
I've been in my share of Indoor Cycling studios where, by the end of class, the air is so thick with humidity that you can no longer see yourself in the mirrors. The room stinks and every breath feels like you're riding at 10,000 feet – your lungs starving for oxygen.
Are your experiences similar to mine?
I'm discovering that there's a very simple cause for poor/bad indoor air quality; insufficient ventilation that is the result of a HVAC (Heating,Ventilation & Air Conditioning) system that wasn't designed for the occupancy and activity levels of the rooms inhabitants.
Typically new small/boutique fitness studios are opening in retail spaces with HVAC designed for sedentary office workers – not 30 athletes riding below/@/above threshold for 60 minutes 🙁
Surprisingly, there isn't much actually research on air quality in fitness studios. However I was able to find a published study out of Lisbon, Portugal; Exposure to indoor air pollutants during physical activity in fitness centers of 11 fitness studios.
The lead author of the study is PhD student Carla Alexandra Ramos from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. Carla agreed to join me to discuss her findings and offer suggestions to improving the quality indoor air in your club or studio on this addition of the Podcast.
Carla has published a number of research papers on indoor air polution that you can find them here at researchgate.net
Are you committed to the health & wellness of your participants?
Then shouldn't we all be doing something to improve the air we're breathing in class?
A good start would be completing this short survey on the quality of the air in your club or studio.
Create your own user feedback survey
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The guys at BikeFit.com do a great job using infographics to communicate the process of proper bicycle fit. Today they sent out these images and I wanted to share them with you. Each details the multiple points of adjustment that can be used to ensure a comfortable setup.
If you really want to become a bike fit expert, check out everything you can do with this iPad app.
Adjustable points of contact on a bicycle.
5 points of cleat adjustments
3 points of saddle adjustments
Handlebar adjustments
Having been through a three hour, professional fitting like what BikeFit.com offers – I have experienced how many of these adjustments are effected by others… i.e. saddle fore/aft affects height and reach to the bars, cleat position can require a change in saddle position, etc…
A comprehensive fitting is really important for someone who is riding thousands of miles a year and/or is super concerned about efficiency = getting the maximum amount of power to the road.
So how detailed should you be with a new participant? After setting up people for over 15 years, it's my view that you just need to get them close and feeling comfortable. You obviously don't have 3 hours and with the exception of the Keiser M3, the adjustments on Indoor Cycles are too coarse to really fine tune a person anyway.
