Ever wanted to climb the hills faster? I bet you have. Just like any other rider, you can see the clear benefit of riding faster uphill.

 This post is the first in my series:

How to Become a Better Climber

Know what you are preparing for

When I make an individual training program I always take the race profile into my considerations. What are the decisive points in the race you prepare for? Is it a short, steep 500m hill or is it a long, steady 4km climb? It’s important to keep in mind what kind of hill you want to ride faster because there are some differences in the physiological requirements that will affect your training.

Some hills require focus on threshold power, others on VO2 max, anaerobic or sprinting power. Body weight and bike weight should always be a part of your planning, but I have to emphasize that it’s not just a question of Watts per Kilogram. I will come back to that later.

If you expect a specific a certain hill to be the decisive moment in a cycling race you prepare for, you must optimize your training for it.

Describe the hill as detailed as possible:

• Finishing time (length)
• Steepness
• Standing /seated pedalling
• Gear choice
• Drafting opportunities (tactics)

When you’ve made a detailed description of the hill, it’s easier for you to plan your training. Stay tuned for my next post in this series!

Image by LATriBri.

At the moment I receive lots of emails from people around the world. It’s great to read emails from riders at levels ranging from true beginners to Olympic cyclists. Last week I got a couple of interesting ideas for upcoming posts e.g. how to become a better climber and how to benefit from training camps. I will try to cover these topics in March here on Training4cyclists.com.

If you have any suggestions for topics you would like me to cover in the future, you are always welcome to send me an email.

The best way to understand people is to listen to them, so now I will give you the chance to tell me what you think Training4cyclists.com should look like in the future:

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Enter  the Survey now  (it takes less than 5min to answer these questions.)

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Ok, my last post about threshold power was a bit long (>2000 words)… I hope you enjoyed it, because it took some time to put all the different pieces of threshold power training together in an easy understandable post.

Here is the link again: How to Increase Your Threshold Power

I would like to share some great posts that I’ve found on other blog and websites about cycling training. These posts are certainly great reading:

• All cyclists are liars posted on Cycling Maven. Funny post about what happens when we enter the cycling world.
• Lose the pounds to gain speed and power on BikeRadar.com. Excellent article about how you can use sensible nutrition principles to reach your optimal body weight. There are so many bad advices around on the internet, but this one is certainly one of the better.
• Comparing Files with Multi-File/Range Analysis posted on TrainingPeaks blog. There is a new feature in the new software from TrainingPeaks that makes it possible to compare different rides. I haven’t tried it, but it seems helpful for analysis.

The essential physiological skill in most cycling events is threshold power. If you are capable of generating many Watts at your threshold power, you are very likely to be a successful rider. Sprinters, climbers and time trialists all need a great threshold power. A good performance at threshold power is mandatory to win a cycling race.

Even if you have a have a highly trained aerobic system, you can not be sure to win. Tactics, technical skills, VO2 max and sprinting power also matter, but having a high threshold power makes it very unlikely that you’ll get dropped before the finish line.

There are numerous terms describing threshold power: Critical power, functional threshold power, anaerobic threshold, lactate threshold etc. Most of these terms describe the well known situation: When you ride at a certain speed you can continue for maybe an hour, but if you ride just a little bit faster, your legs will burn up within minutes.

I think it is only of academic interest to decide which of these is the right term. Instead I will take you on a guided tour around the concept of threshold power training including some practical examples you can use in your daily training – hang on!

What do we actually know about Threshold Power Training?

It is well established knowledge that training with high intensity improves your ability to continue exercise without accumulating lactic acid. This physiological skill is often the most determinant factor in endurance sports and that is probably why you are reading this article: You want to learn how to increase your threshold power because that will make you a better endurance athlete.

The Myth about Lactic Acid

Lactic acid is often referred to as the main reason to fatigue. That is probably not the correct explanation. Lactic acid is more likely to be a symptom of fatigue than the cause itself. Some scientific studies even indicate that lactic acid might protect your muscles against fatigue. So maybe you should be a little more grateful the next time your legs are filled with lactic acid?

What is the right intensity for Threshold Power Training?

Many coaches develop training sessions targeted for improvements of your threshold power. Intervals with an intensity around your threshold power are the most common, and they are very time effective, too. However, there are also other ways to train, which will improve your aerobic engine.

Most of my cycling training programs are built in a way which increases threshold power using a combination of

• VO2 max intervals.
• Threshold power intervals,.
• Sub-threshold power intervals.
• Endurance rides.

Even though these training intensities are quite different, they all to some degree improve peripheral adaptations like increased capillary density, more myoglobin, more mitochondrias, better use of free fatty acids as fuel, larger glycogen stores etc.

Is interval training necessary?

There are many concepts and ideas about how to build threshold power optimally. Most cycling coaches have their own, unique strategy. My training principles focus on the high intensity training methods, VO2max and interval training.

This differ a bit from other successful cycling coaches, but generally most of us achieve magnificent results using a combination of the above mentioned training intensities. Very often coaches have a preference for one of these intensities – or maybe they use another term for almost similar intensities.

If an athlete with the right talent (right parents) starts to train using any of the four above training principles and for the required duration of each training session, he will be able to become professional.

It might sound controversy, but road cycling is not as scientific as many cycling coaches would like to see it. Talented riders who train hard, will always be able to ride faster than you.

That is why some athletes become very strong and maybe even make a professional career without ever using a cycling coach. They train hard, they eat right and they rest – and are talented. Their training principles probably include more LSD training (Long Slow Distance Training) than my training programs advice, but I have to admit that these riders become extremely strong (or at least some of them do.)

I am not sure these riders will ever reach their physiological potential, but they might hit 98% of their optimal performance and that is more than enough to make talented and determinant riders professional.

Thus, it is not only a question about threshold intervals, because there are many training intensities that will increase your threshold power.

What is the real secret of successful threshold power training?

The secret, which may make you a great endurance athlete, is consistency. You have to work hard, focused and consistently. Not just for a week, a month or a year. You need consistent work over years to build the necessary endurance to reach your full potential as endurance athlete.

Most professional athletes have a background with more than 10 years of serious endurance training. This is just said to illustrate that one of the important reasons why professionals are better than you, is consistent training for several years.

Practical Examples on How to Increase your Threshold Power

Many riders are searching the internet to get a quick fix that will help them get closer to their goals. However, at present there are no legal steps letting you reach your full potential in record time. Please remember that the below mentioned training methods can increase your threshold power, but they all require consistent work for a long period before you will gain significant results.

I strongly recommend power meters and heart rate monitors as a part of serious cycling training. It is possible, though, to use all of my cycling training programs and principles without a power meter or even without a heart rate monitor. If you do not have a power meter, please consider to use a good ergometer bike at least for preliminary testing purposes.

If the concept of power meter training is completely new to you, here is an introduction to power meter training.

The higher intensity you train, the more benefit you will get from using a power meter. It is extremely difficult to make a proper pacing at intensities above your threshold power, this is where a power meter is an appreciated training partner. If you prefer to use mainly LSD principles, it is less important to use a power meter. A heart rate monitor would often be just as fine.

VO2 Max Intervals

Intervals close to VO2 max is a really potent stimulus for your aerobic system. VO2 max intervals not only improve your VO2 max power, they also provide a great lift to your threshold power. I normally use VO2max intervals most of the season because I work with elite riders who need training close to maximum oxygen consumption to achieve further progress.

Even though VO2 max is not the single most important power output, it is still very attractive to train this skill because the physiological adaptations to VO2 max training are the same as the ones you achieve with training at lower intensities e.g. threshold power training. The biggest difference is the time needed to train to achieve the same progress.

Remember that threshold power is only a percentage of your VO2 max. The physiological skills you train with threshold power intervals are also stimulated at VO2 max intensity. If you decide to train at lower intensity than VO2 max, you have decided to train your aerobic system less effectively.

Example: 3 x (3+3min) at VO2max / recovery. If you use a heart rate monitor your heart rate should be above 95% of maximum in the end of these intervals. If you use a power meter your target power could be in the area of 120% of your functional threshold power or even better based on your 5min maximum power.

If you want more inspiration for VO2 max training, have a look at my VO2 Max Booster Program.

Threshold Power Intervals

Threshold power interval training is probably the most common way to increase threshold power. The principle is to know your power output and/or heart rate at threshold power and use these values to pace yourself throughout intervals at the same intensity. Thus you have to do a test or a time trial as reference.

The most difficult part of such an interval is to stay at the right intensity throughout the interval. Going just slightly too fast in the beginning makes it impossible to maintain the right intensity to the end. If you go too slowly, you will not get the adaptations you are training for.

Threshold power intervals are hard, but very effective in building a solid aerobic engine. Threshold power intervals are also good to become better at pacing for triathlons, time trials or breakaways.

Example: 3 x (12+ 6min) at threshold power / recovery. Target heart rate should be in the range 88-92%, but depends on how you have performed at previous tests or races with a duration of app. 1hr. Some riders are able to ride with a higher percentage and others are not able to make this range.

The best method to find out is to ride 40km time trial or participate in a criterium. If you use a power meter you can use your functional threshold power from one of the above mentioned events to calculate your functional threshold power.

Sub-Threshold Power Intervals

VO2 Max intervals and threshold power intervals are the two most time effective ways to increase performance. There is one major problem though: High intensity intervals only work when you finish them (surprise!).

If you don’t manage to maintain the correct intensity throughout the interval session, the effectiveness decreases and you would get a better training if you chose an intensity with a higher success rate.

It’s my experience that the success rate of high intensity intervals is lower than sub-maximal intensity intervals. Still, sub-threshold power intervals can make significant improvements when made in appropriate doses.

Also there have been some arguing that there is a physiological sweet spot because you can train at quite high oxygen consumption without going anaerobic. Thus, you will give a great lift to your aerobic system (and almost nothing to your anaerobic performance).

Example: 4 x 15min slightly below threshold power. If you use a heart rate monitor, try to stay 5-10 beats below your threshold heart rate. If you use a power meter, these intervals could be done with a power output at 90-95% of your functional threshold power.

Endurance Training

Just like sub-threshold power intervals can improve your aerobic system, endurance training with lower intensity can make improvements too. You just have to work for much longer time to achieve the desired progress.

I know many of you will consider this impossible, but please keep in mind that real LSD training for many years have proven to make great athletes.

Example: 4 to 8hours at moderate or lower part of sub-threshold intensity. Power meters and heart rate monitors can be used for pacing, but often it is more a feeling of comfortable pacing throughout the distance.

What is the best way to increase threshold power?

It is a difficult question and I think there is no answer that fits all. My personal belief is that a combination of VO2 max and threshold power intervals are necessary for highly trained riders (professionals/elite) to make them reach their physiological potential. Even though I give these two methods a little plus, I admit that your success rate when you try these intervals is crucial. If you miss the intervals too often, it would be better going with either sub-threshold power intervals or endurance rides.

I think that for most riders, the most secure way to build threshold power over time is to use a combination of all 4 training methods with sub-threshold power intervals as the most frequent interval training session.

Ok, you have managed to read this far and I guess you are now very inspired to design some great workouts that will help you to increase your threshold power.

If you like this article, I will appreciate if you share this link with your friends at StumbleUpon, Twitter, Facebook, E-mails etc.:
http://www.training4cyclists.com/threshold-power/

Image by Luca Pedroni

An individual time trial is a straight-forward discipline that is used as introduction to cycling races in many countries. After a short introduction to the simple rules beginners are able to ride a fair time trial.

Nevertheless, time trials are difficult to master and even professionals can improve their time trialing significantly. It’s hard to understand that one rider is much better at the major events like the prologues of the Tour de France and World Championships than his opponents.

How can we explain the superiority of Fabian Cancellara?

1. Optimal Anatomy. Big riders perform better on flat time trials. More than 90% of power output is used to break the wind. Wind resistance is enemy number one in time trials. Nevertheless, obesity will always be punished so time trialists should be slim and fit like all other cyclists. Weighing around 80kg seems optimal for flat time trials, but lighter athletes can ride really great time trials.

2. Extraordinary Physiology. Like all other professional cyclists Cancellara must have an extraordinary physiology. One specific skill that must be superior is the threshold power. He is able to generate many Watts at his threshold power.

3. Perfect Body Position. An optimal body position minimizes the aerodynamic drag, thus, requiring less Watts to ride fast. Actually, body position is where you can make the biggest improvements on your overall aerodynamics. So, if you don’t have the budget to buy an expensive aerodynamic bike, please remember that a good body position is much more important than e.g. disc wheel etc.

4. Aerodynamic Equipment. Optimized aerodynamics includes proper materials that are optimized for body size, riding style and aerodynamics. I’m not sure whether Cancellara’s materials are any better than other professional riders but one thing that surely matters is that he continually optimizes his aerodynamic equipment. Visiting a wind tunnel is the best and most scientifically way to find the right combination of bike setup.

5. Mental Power. Racing against the clock is a special dispipline that some riders love and others hate. Being good at pacing yourself throughout a time trial is a skill that should be trained and mastered to become a world class time trialist.

6. Specific Time Trial Training. Cancellara trains specifically for time trials and the training is optimized towards improving his threshold power. It requires a great training amount and high quality training principles over years to develop a large aerobic engine.

7. Tapering for Major Competitions. Instead of focusing on great performance in races every single week, it’s important to give the highest priority to very few events throughout the season and make a proper tapering protocol for these events. That increases performance and the likeliness of success.

8. X-factor. History shows that some riders just ride much faster than everyone else and we will never be able answer why. I know what many people think about professional cyclists and I have the same thoughts regularly.

Though, we have to remember that one athlete always will be the fastest. That’s the game.

Thus, there might be other reasons than doping that will explain why riders like Fabian Cancellara is so much better than everyone else at time trials. If you have any suggestions, please share your thoughts in the comments section.