by Gino | Mar 26, 2021 | Training With Power
Indoor Cycling 2.0 is about POWER
It’s Official.
With CEU credits being given, and accomplished indoor instructors being challenged, educated and motivated to train with power… I can confidently say we have the real deal. We spent 6 hours off the bike exploring the foundation, science and practical tools of Power Training, and 2 hrs on the bike putting theory into practice. Those that are fortunate enough to have power bikes to go back to, have not merely a few more arrows in their quiver, they have a whole new quiver. The others will have to do the work of change agents, and try to motivate their clubs to action, or find other places to train and/or teach.
With this post, I will begin a weekly posting of the bulk of what I covered in one intense day (as well as embellishments along the way). If you follow along, you’ll get “powerized” over time. As a member of ICI/PRO you will also be permitted to download a host of tools week to week, that I charge for on my Cycling Fusion site. This is part of the ICI/PRO pledge to provide value for your membership. As we move into the Winter months, we will switch to more Heart Zones training, but power will never be far behind.
Let’s start with the basics: What is Power, and Why Should I Care?
What is Power?
In cycling, (indoors or out) it is simply the product or combination of the torque applied to the crank arm, and the RPM or cadence of rotation; think resistance and cadence combined. It is measured in Watts, as the product is indeed energy, and it is manifested as speed — the more power you apply, the faster you will make the bike go. ICI/PRO Members continue reading here.
Originally posted 2009-11-10 13:06:54.
by Gino | Mar 26, 2021 | Training With Power
As is customary, I’ve opened my big mouth and am faced with the proverbial “put up or shut up”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to trash talk and overstate my abilities. However, I am one that is always challenging others to accomplish things they think are bigger than themselves; to push past their own perceived limits and discover things about themselves they never knew. Sounds all good so far, but I have a basic life philosophy that tends to get me in trouble. To wit, I believe that whatever you teach, you should experience first. Consequently, all my challenges to others end up first putting me to the test.
Way back in January when our annual Winter Training Program kicked off, each participant was required to have a goal to train for. Goals ranged from doing a 50 mile charity ride to having 2 separate peaks during the race season. For me however, having just finished filming the Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen as a charity project for Livestrong, and watching some of the strongest riders I know struggle just to finish, that event seemed to be the logical choice. So I said it, I would train to complete – NOT COMPETE – in the Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen Race.
Starting this weekend, I will have exactly 12 weeks to prepare for The Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen. I’m going to post my training plan (both Heart Zones® as well as Power Training), and pre-ride schedule on this blog for others in the Pittsburgh area who would like to train along with me. The training plan will provide some structure to follow even though we will train in different areas. Every 2 weeks I will take on at least 2 (or more) of the 13 climbs as part of the overall training plan as well. Exact times and dates will also be posted here so riders who want to share the pain can join me if they like.
Point of fact is: this IS a race. Point of reality is: only about 10 to 15 of the 180 riders that rode last year were strong enough to garner any points at all. The format of this “race” is that the entire field is together at the bottom of every hill, and then the organizer, Danny Chew blows the whistle (by the way, someone needs to buy him a new whistle this year, it was sketchy at best last year), and the first 5 riders to the top get points.
While a few supermen and wonder women surge to the top like they have hidden motors in their bikes, the rest of the field climb at varying speeds, with an inevitable group on every hill pushing their way if they can’t maintain at least 4 to 5 mph. In surveying the group last year, it was clear that a lot of the field were experienced amateur racers, and that this was not bringing out the average casual rider. So when I say people were pushing, and there are always people pushing, it does not mean they were weak or inexperienced riders.
The graphic above is from the training DVD we created (Global Ride Productions) from last year’s race. It is slated to be released in 2 to 3 weeks, just in time to mix up some great indoor cycling with the outdoor application. Stay tuned, as I will endeavor to keep this updated once per week as we head towards this epic event.
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Originally posted 2017-10-10 09:00:23.
by Gino | Mar 4, 2019 | Training With Power
What's Your Experiences With Power?
In a previous post we talked specifically about the reasons why “non-outdoor riders” would want to train with power. There needs to be incentive for all populations, and thus our focus on those that don’t ride outside was appropriate as a starting point. However, we can’t forget about how powerful (pun intended) this training is for those of us who do ride outside.
Whether it is mountain biking, road cycling, or even touring, power can be the gateway to a new experience on two wheels. You’ll be able to “hang with the faster group”, climb the hills you used to walk, or climb with speed where you used to get dropped, or just feel fresh throughout a touring ride while your companions are “suffering”.
Let’s define power just a little more precisely. It is not simply the amount of “work” you are doing. That is a different measurement. Sure many people say “I worked hard today in class”. You are also admonished by instructors to “Work it!”. In fact, the entire industry uses the term “work out” to refer to exercise. However, when it comes to Power, in terms of work, it is the RATE of performing that work; how fast you do it.
The easiest example is walking up a set of steps. If you walk up the steps, or run up the steps, it’s the same amount of work. However, running will require a different amount of power. To perform the same work faster, requires more Power. Hence, to make a bike go faster, you need more power. The same concept applies to climbing. The same hill will require the same “work” for a given individual, but if they climb it faster, it will require more power.
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by Gino | Nov 20, 2018 | Training With Power
Watt Is Power? Or rather what is power?
With a title like that, we could be here for days. Perhaps a better title would have been: What Is Power As It Relates To Cycling or even more to the point would be: Training on Indoor Cycling or Spinning® Bikes With Power. But as you see, that would have been quite a long and clunky title. So I spared you. Naturally, we will be confining our discussion to how the dynamics and science of Power has been applied to the sport of cycling. More specifically how it relates to the world of Indoor Cycling or Spinning® and the equipment used for this in most fitness facilities; stationary bikes. While most of our work was done on the Keiser M3 indoor bike, we are currently in the process of acquiring other power bikes for continued independent research.
Definition
Power is the product of strength and speed or put in terms of indoor cycling, the resistance applied to the fly wheel, and the RPM or cadence of pedaling. That seems pretty easy to understand right. The equation that comes to mind is:
Power = Resistance X Cadence
Oh if it were only this simple. Well, for the purposes of Indoor Cycling or Spinning®, this is all we need to know, and thuse, we have made it that simple. However, if you ride outside, you need to know that there are quite a few factors that also impact power as it relates to cycling. While we enjoy the perfection of a controlled environment for training, riding outside is anything but a perfect and consistent. Consequently, there are lots of factors that can affect one’s power. A bunch of very smart people from Penn State put together a nifty Power Calculator for those of you who are even bigger data geeks than myself. You can find it at: http://www.me.psu.edu/lamancusa/ProdDiss/Bicycle/bikecalc1.htm
Here is a sneak peak at all the factors that go into calculating power when we move outside:
As you can see form the screen shot above, at least 65 thousand other people have a similar curiosity about power. You can also find a kazillion references to power as it relates to cycling on the internet, but our discussions will be squarely focused on how power is measured and used for Indoor Cycling or Spinning®.
This does not mean that the power generated indoors is not the same as the power generated outdoors. Essentially they are the same. It simply means there are different methods used to measure that power due to differences in equipment, environment and cost. Yes, there will be differences in the Watts you generate indoors, and what your power meter measures outdoors. Even cyclists who use the exact same bike, with the exact same power meters indoors and out will experience differences. Shocking as it may seem, the most expensive equipment available will still produce variations due to the enormous influence environment has on the rider and the equipment.
Nevertheless, this does not take away the value of training with power. Power meters still represents one of the best tools for improving your general fitness and/or performance on a bike that has hit the Indoor Cycling or Spinning® market in a very long time. The differences between indoors and out will not negate these positive effects. At the end of the day, it’s the results we are looking for, and training with power will surely deliver!
Read more of Gino's Training with Power Articles – Here
by Gino | Nov 30, 2017 | Training With Power
No, MSP doesn’t stand for “My Secret Pal”, nor does it stand for “Mom’s Special Potion”, and I’ll stop right there before this gets really silly. MSP stands for Maximum Sustainable Power. It is the level of power once can sustain for a specific time interval. When you are referencing an hour interval (measured and estimated with 20 minute tests), most elite cyclists who train with power refer to this as FTP or Functional Threshold Power.
I prefer to reserve the term “Threshold” for that unique metabolic event that takes place with respect to the production of energy; the “cross-over” process between the aerobic and non-aerobic energy production systems. In my opinion, this term should be reserved for cardiovascular training (it has been used and researched with this term as the agreed upon nomenclature for years before power meters even existed). Therefore, to avoid confusing heart rate and power training terms, I do not refer to threshold with respect to power, but instead reserve its use solely to reference ones heart rate when this metabolic event occurs.
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