As you and your class transition into February 2017, it's often beneficial to begin adding some additional time in the saddle. Longer classes should (and often need to) be at a lower intensity.
So while a longer, endurance focused class has value, getting members to accept longer, steady state classes can be a challenge.
This week we'll be focused on the concept of “selling endurance” to your class participants.
Master Instructor Tom Scotto offered his thoughts in a previous podcast from 2012. If you haven't heard it, it will be time well spent.
The debate over cardio vs. high-intensity interval training (HIIT) usually assumes that the issue is an either/or choice. In that debate, HIIT is usually compared to absurdly low levels of cardio exercise — not to the kinds of classes ICI-PRO instructors probably teach.
This post explores the evolutionary value of combining cardio and HIIT.
In his book Born To Run, Christopher McDougall reveals the blend of morphology, paleontology, anthropology, physics, and math that led to understanding how humans became the greatest distance runners in the animal kingdom.
There’s no way this short article could do justice to McDougall’s fascinating and detailed description of the emergence of homo sapiens over Neanderthals (they were parallel species), and the evolution of humans as supreme hunters — hundreds of thousands of years before the creation of the tools we associate with hunting (spearheads, bows and arrows).
A few of the evolutionary changes include:
– upright posture to allow deeper breathing and limit retention of sun heat
– the ability to release body heat through sweat, rather than panting like other mammals until they must rest or die of hyperthermia
– the ability to accelerate when the pursued animal has been run to exhaustion.
So human “persistence hunting” combined endurance running primarily, with some sprints. Humans evolved to run in conditions that no other animals can match, and it’s easier for us.
Good At Endurance, and For a Long Time
Endurance athletes can typically continue into what would be considered old age in other sports. In many cases, such as distance running, they can still out-perform teenagers or 20-year-olds until their mid-60s.
At his first double-marathon, the most notable thing my then-35-year-old coach, Jim Karanas, saw was the age of most of the runners, who were 45 to 55. He said it told him immediately that the ultra-run was more of a mental than a physical challenge.
When workouts are always high-intensity, over-training is likely. So are failure to recover fully and a high incidence of injury.
It’s also likely that someone will burn out after constant high-intensity work, making it feel like drudgery, instead of something to look forward to each day. Why not work out in a way that you’d enjoy making part of your schedule long-term? Why not create classes like that to bring your participants back over and over again?
Matt Fitzgerald, noted marathon runner and author, suggests endurance training primarily with 2 to 3 high-intensity trainings per week.
McDougall quotes researcher Dr. Dennis Bramble, who said, “If you don’t think you were born to run, you’re not only denying history. You’re denying who you are.”
But let’s not limit this to running. Endurance athletes of other types display similar results. Countless stories describe master’s cyclists in their 50s and up outperforming younger cyclists.
In his 50s, my coach raced against the cyclists in the 30-year-old category — because he found he could perform better against them than against the experienced racers his own age! Those guys kicked his butt when he was first starting to race.
He was also one of the few (and the oldest that weekend) to ride the notorious Furnace Creek 508 fast enough to qualify for RAAM.
So the choice isn’t really between short, intense intervals and long, slow cardio with a magazine. The right kind of training is not either/or, but both.
(The cardio, of course, should be hard enough to cause a training effect, not help you catch up on your reading.)
This perfect combination is effective, enjoyable, sustainable over the long haul, and entirely in sync with our evolutionary nature.
I became a huge fan of New Leaf Fitness Metabolic Testing a few years ago after I had my first Metabolic Assessment. Before that I was convinced that my AT (Anaerobic Threshold) was 155 BPM, only to learn it was actually 162 BPM.
If you can stand the poor audio quality of one my earlier Podcasts I have a very informative discussion with Jessica Christiansen, the Education and Training Manager for New Leaf Fitness.
Pro Cycling Team Garmin Transitions has just announced that they are using New Leaf Metabolic Testing as a part of their training.
Better late than never they say. It certainly applies to this season's Performance Cycle classes – now we're in full swing after some initial confusion that came from a sudden change on GFDH's.
We kicked off this past Sunday with an assessment to find the wattage numbers we will be using going forward. I like to use very simple terminology that minimises any mathematical computations.
… Instead I base my Life Time Performance Cycle classes on two numbers; PTP (Personal Threshold Power) and JRAP (Just Riding Along Power — AKA > Base Watts > VT1 / First Ventilatory Threshold Power). From these two rider identified threshold wattages, we can construct three meaningful power Zones;
Recover zone — watts below JRAP
Perform zone — watts between JRAP and PTP
Improve zone — watts above PTP
Today we added one more wattage number – their 20 minute FTP watts. As you can guess, riders should have a lower 20 min average than a 3-4 minute PTP / Best Effort and be above JRAP / Base Watts.
Wait John, you just said you only use the two thresholds in class.
What's the point of adding a third number?
Adding the third point of reference helps you draw a straighter line. At least that's what my high school drafting teacher taught me. It's much easier to draw between two distant points, if you add one in the middle = it helps you understand if you're on the right path between the two known points!
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The process of sustaining a 20 minute effort is helpful to many riders – it validates and reinforces the two threshold numbers and confirms that people are understanding my cuing.
Before/during and after these twenty minute efforts I tell everyone; this effort should fall between the two thresholds. Which you would think I shouldn't even have to mention… until you hear the confusion I heard after the effort was completed:
I really surprised myself – my 20 min watts was the same as my 3 minute level!
There must be something wrong with me – I couldn't sustain my base watts for the whole ride 🙁
Teachable moments here
In the first example; my 20 min watts was the same as my 3 minute level! I was able to ask him; “what does that say about your 3 minute effort?” He understood before I completed my sentence; “I'm not working hard enough!”
The women who told me I couldn't sustain my base watts for the whole ride also had a revelation and asked me; “Do you think I'm working too hard at my base level?” I didn't even need to answer her.
Do you now see the value of adding that third number?
A continuous state of observation
I asked my class on Sunday; how many of you are on a specific training plan? None. Not a single hand went up. This is very typical for my very diverse group of middle age men and women. Yes most ride outside – but their objectives aren't structured beyond not rolling over and hitting the snooze button. They come to my Performance Cycle class to get a nice combination of intensity and endurance work, in a fun group.
My object in this class is that everyone learn from observing their performance, make adjustments and observe again. Over time they learn exactly where they need be. When it's time to work hard – they WORK HARD and when they should work easy – it really is easy.
Make sense?
Here's my playlist –
I'll get the rest of the profile up later in the week if you want to try this in your class.
Instructor Chris Nielsen was one of our Ultimate Instructor Class Profile winners with her Going the Distance profile!
Training Type: Endurance
HR Zones: 3-4
Effort: moderate to hard
Class length: 60 minutes, includes ~9 minutes for cool down and stretch
This profile was developed as part of a series to show that endurance classes can be as engaging and informative as rides with higher intensity. This class gives the instructor an opportunity to simultaneously address effort management, pedaling mechanics and related form issues, universal mental challenges and also introduce some outdoor bike safety topics. The intent in mixing all of these facets into one class is to help people understand that there is much more to an endurance ride than just mindless pedaling.
