Now you have completed the first three stages, and as you probably already have discovered, there are many intensive rides. As a result, you will meet high-intensity intervals more frequently than usual.
As a rule of thumb, you should train hard every second day to become stronger. If you do it more often, you will overtrain.
“Here is a reminder of what impacts your overall training load: frequency, duration and intensity.”
If you train more frequently, ride with a higher intensity (more races, more intervals), or train more, you will force your body to adapt to these challenges. This way, you can reach a higher level of fitness, but your body will not allow you to increase the total workload too fast. Good cyclists use these buttons to turn the workload up and down all the time.
“Remember that it is the consistency that makes you a strong cyclist, not just one hard week of biking. Using small adjustments over time, you can configure a more challenging training program that will make you a better cyclist.”
In the VO2 Max Booster program, we decrease the duration of each ride, which means your body needs less recovery time before the next hard training session. When you do frequent intervals (but not too many of them), it is possible to tackle high-intensity intervals every single day.
You could train twice every day if you did some proper planning. It is clear that the risk of overtraining gets more prominent if you ride that often, but this example is to show you that the classic two-interval days and one race day per week are standard but not the only way to achieve great results.
Keep up the good work, and enjoy your extra free time!
Day 4
Total time: 1hr training
20min incremental warm-up
6 x (40+20sec) 95% / 50% of your VO2 Max test result
4min easy rolling
6 x (40+20sec) 95% / 50% of your VO2 Max test result
4min
6 x (40+20sec) 95% / 50% of your VO2 Max test result
14min easy rolling
Keep up the excellent work, and enjoy your extra free time!
Next step: Day 5 – Intervals as Active Recovery (Did you miss Day 3?)
Thanks for the workouts, I usually hate riding the trainer because I am usually just doing steady state endurance rides. I like getting on the trainer and having a workout – makes the time fly by.
Good day, Jesper!
I have a question.
I’m a cross-country racer and when I do intervals I do it in uphill.
Is it right?
And if its right – in what kind of uphill its better to do workouts?
Steep or gentle?
PS. As I feel its a different work. May be in steep hill its more power work, in gentle hill its more speed work. Which is correct for your intervals?
Thanks in advance.
xcrider>
In this case, a power meter mounted on your MTB would probably give you the answer. Also, you would notice how difficult it is to maintain wattage in the target zone.
If you don’t have a power meter, I would recommend you to do the intervals on slightly uphills with not-so-technical tracks.
Still, it is possible (and a good choice once in a while) to perform the intervals in the environment you compete in.
Jesper
Just wanted to get a better understanding of how the 14 day V02 max increase booster program works. When I read it, it says for example on day four what does tghe 6 x (40+20 sec) 95% of your VO2 max actually mean what are these numbers could you pleae break it down a step futher. thank you very much.
All interval intensities refer to your VO2 max test on Day 1. Thus, if you performed 350W on average during the 5min test, then
100% = 350W
80% = 280W
50% = 175W
etc.
Read more about intervals here:
https://www.training4cyclists.com/what-does-3×3-minutes-vo2-max-mean/
I think they were asking about how you translate this: “6 x (40+20sec) 95% / 50% of your VO2 Max test result”
Is that 6 sets of 40seconds @ 95% Vo2, with 20seconds @ 50% Vo2?