I'm presenting a series of workshops this month for our "Club Athletes".
Here are the workshop descriptions
Training With Power 101 - Learning the Language of Power Workshop
Now that we're riding Indoor Cycles with computers/monitors, you've got questions and we want to provide the answers. Participants will learn the language of power and how it will explain:
- How do I work this computer?
- What's all this information mean to me?
- Why does it say; "USB" when I first turn it on?
- Will it show my Heart Rate & how does HR compare to power/watts?
- How many watts should I be making?
- Will I see how many actual calories I'm burning in class?
- I want to maintain my body weight and/or lose weight... how hard should I be working?
- Can I compare my watts to my friend or the person riding next to me?
Training With Power 101 is a 30 endurance ride-workshop where we'll answer all these questions and more. Our goal for the workshop is to help everyone understand the basics of power and establish their personal baseline wattage that you can use as a guide for your future class workouts.
Prerequisites - none, other than a desire to improve your fitness.
Training With Power - FTP Assessment Class Workshop
Endurance athletes wanting to get fitter/stronger and faster are now training with power - a direct indication of the actual work they're creating and a fabulous indicator of changes to your fitness. Similar to training with Heart Rate, training with power is most effective using training zones based on a personal metric - a threshold wattage that's unique to each of us.
In the language of power, that threshold is called FTP or Functional Threshold Power. To accurately assess FTP, you'll need to complete an all-out 20 minute effort. We'll use the bike's computer to record your average wattage over the effort and then use that wattage to design your power training zones.Our goal for this workshop is to help everyone understand the basics of training with power and establish their FTP (Functional Threshold Power) that you'll use as a guide for your future class workouts + track changes to gauge fitness improvements over the winter.
Prerequisites: Strong desire to improve your training efficiency = the 20 minute FTP effort will be very challenging - this is your all-out effort!
We suggest that for best results, you have one of more rest days before attempting this assessment.
Participants should bring their Heart Rate Monitor and a USB memory stick to record their effort for future comparison.
As I'm researching my presentation it occurred to me that you may be in a similar situation. So I thought it might be helpful to share my source material:
Joe Friel's The Power Meter Handbook A User's Guide for Cyclists and Triathletes
ICI Podcast 239 — Schwinn Master Training Jay Blahnik on introducing Power into your classes Part 1
ICI Podcast 216 Learn the Language of Power from Cameron Chinatti and Doug Rusho
ICI/PRO Podcast #207 — Understanding FTP Functional Threshold Power with Cameron Chinatti
I'll be finishing up my presentation slides tomorrow, on the plane to the ECA Thrive fitness convention in Fort Lauderdale FL. Good thing I'm bugging out, we're supposed to experience our first snow of the year tonight - 3-5 inches. I might just stay there. Either way I'll be sharing what I put together this weekend.
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
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Thanks for your hard work.
I would love to take this workshop as I’m sure would some of my colleagues in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia area. I have purchased and am enjoying the Power Meter Handbook and experimenting on layering in the concepts to indoor cycling classes to both performance and fitness oriented riders.
Our Fitness Center has recently migrated to console bikes and are working through a transition. Please consider a workshop in the Washington DC area, perhaps at a future DCAC conference.
Thanks
I’m making a few changes based on feedback and hope to have the slides done by later this week.
Awesome! I would love this education also!! Joe Friel is the master!
Can’t wait to see these slides!! Thank you!!