Here is a list of 20 ways to increase your training intensity. Some tips are serious and others are included just for fun. There might be other ways to increase to intensity and if you feel that one of your favourite tips is not on the list and would like to inform us about it, please leave a comment. There is an ultra short description following each tip, but if you want to understand the full reasons behind you have to spend some more time here on Training4cyclists.com.

These tips can be useful when you train on your own, but they can also be useful when you train with a group where you are (a lot) stronger than the other riders. Intensity is an important parameter for you overall training load which makes these tips worth to consider.

1. Intervals
This is the best known and commonly used way to intensify training. There are many kinds of intervals such as sprint intervals, anaerobic endurance intervals, maximum oxygen consumption intervals (VO2 max intervals) and aerobic endurance intervals.
2. Racing
Races are an easy way to get several intervals with a very high and race specific intervals. It is very motivation to compete in races and is also a very common way to prepare for races among professionals.
3. Use an old bike
Your old bike is harder to ride and requires more watts to maintain the same speed. When you return to your favourite bike, you will experience that you feel light and your legs are doing extremely well.
4. Use heavy wheels
Additional weight also requires more watts, especially in a hilly terrain. Wheels are the most sensitive place for additional weight.
5. Low pressure in tyres
Low pressure makes your bike slower and makes you work harder to keep up with the pack.
6. Train on your own
You can´t hide yourself behind the wind breakers.
7. Be in front of group rides
It is harder to stay in front because of the winds. Don´t sit behind your friends just because it is more comfortable.
8. Wear loose clothes
Poor aerodynamics makes the trip harder for you.
9. Sit in upright position
Body position is the most important factor considering aerodynamics. Sit in a confortable position and try to brake the wind with your chest.
10. Climb mountains
Well, this is an obvious way to increase intensity. If you only got small hills then do them over and over again.
11. Train with stronger riders
Just like in races you are forced to work harder to stay in the group.
12. Train on windy days
Windy days are harder days, simple as that.
13. Train behind a scooter
The feeling of going fast motivates you to ride with a high intensity.
14. Even better: Train in front of scooter
Well, you can at least try to jump for a few hundred metres?
15. Go for a mtb ride
Riding cross country is fun and very intense.
16. Improve your personal best time
This is an old idea that I used a lot when I was a runner. Focusing on making personal bests is very intensifying way to train.
17. Improve your maximum velocity
I liked that challenge as a kid and it still is a challenge. Not only downhill, but also how fast can you go uphill?
18. Improve your maximum peak power output
If you are the lucky owner of a power meter, you can make a list with personal bests to improve. What is your highest power output ever?
19. Hit your maximum heart rate
Heart rate monitors are getting very cheap but they offer an easy way to measure training intensity. What is your highest maximum heart rate?
20. Avoid red lights when cycling in a city
If you train in the city, try to catch the green wave (and be aware of the traffic..!)
21. Join Power Meter Project 2008
Increase your threshold power in 31 days.

Training and Racing with a Power Meter is written by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan as an introduction to power meter training and analyzing. It is easy-to-read language throughout the book and if you already know a thing or two about using a power meter, you will finish this book fast.

There is a detailed description on the different power meters on the market helping you decide which power meter is the right for you. I think this presentation is objective and quite useful for beginners. Thus, there are some pages you might skip if you already own a power meter. There is also a short intro to the main advantages by using a power meter. I agree with most of the words in these chapters.

There are some examples of workouts you can do with a power meter. The testing procedure to make a power profile and training programs are different from the ones I prefer, but it would be boring if all coaches ended up with the same training programs. There are some good basic principles in these programs and just like all other programs they should be modified individually. The major advantage is that it clearly shows beginners how to train with a power meter and also underlines the importance of post-training and post–races analysis.

The authors work closely together with TrainingPeaks which means that most analyzing refers to features in this software. This is logic but sometimes the book looks more like an extra manual to the software. When you look beside this, there is a great description of the features that TrainingPeaks offers.

Conclusion
This is a great introductory book about training and racing with a power meter for beginners. It is also a nice book for coaches who haven’t yet had the pleasure to work with athletes using SRM Cranks or PowerTaps, but want to know what power meter training is all about. This book shows you why power meters are getting so popular and gives you the initial tools to getting started racing and training with a power meter.

I guess all of you have tried this kind of activity on your bike. We are talking about biking at intensities that can only be maintained for a very few minutes or maybe just seconds. These jumps require anaerobic power which can be trained separately in your training program. There are made several tests to measure maximum oxygen uptake in the lab, but unfortunately there are no similar possibility to measure anaerobic power. Thus, we have to develop indirect methods to evaluate anaerobic power. I think that testing with a power meter will be the best evaluation of anaerobic power for most riders. Find your average power output in a 60sec. all-out test.

Lactate is not responsible for fatigue
One of the biggest myths about anaerobic power is that lactate is responsible for the fatigue. Lactate is just a piece of sliced sugar and a couple of studies have shown that lactate itself is not produce fatigue, in fact one of the studies I will present in the future claims that lactate actually protects the muscles from fatigue. There are probably many reasons why we determine exercise at severe intensity.

Read the rest of ‘How to train for anaerobic endurance’ here.