Winter Trainer Rides - What's your go to workout?

[EPIC! Stratton]

So I'm trying to do some more trainer rides this winter as I'm no longer commuting by bike and need to keep in shape. I'm using a fluid trainer with speed/cadence and heart rate sensors and a Garmin 520.

What's your favorite work out for the trainer?

[MattTuck]

2x20

[bikerider888]

5x8:00 @ 105% FTP
2-3x20 at 95% FTP
1x60 at 92 to 95% FTP

[r_serati]

ctxc cycling videos

It takes a while to get used to cycling on the wrong side of the road though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[batman1425]

Slow endurance only on the trainer for me. Doing intensity work this time of the year is detrimental to my overall goals. When it's below 35 outside, base miles are the name of the game. I break it up with the Erg, lifting and core work.

Intensity on the bike starts building in late feb-march - and by that time, I'm starting to do it outside.

[MattTuck]

Originally Posted by batman1425

Slow endurance only on the trainer for me. Doing intensity work this time of the year is detrimental to my overall goals. When it's below 35 outside, base miles are the name of the game. I break it up with the Erg, lifting and core work.

Intensity on the bike starts building in late feb-march - and by that time, I'm starting to do it outside.

I thought that this idea was debunked. Not that basemiles aren't important, but that doing intensity during the winter was some how bad. I'll see if I can find the discussion we had.

[guido]

I try to get one long endurance ride, one sweetspot/subthreshold interval ride, one VO2Max interval ride and one or two endurance base/recovery rides. And i get the the gym for maintenance...

[kramnnim]

Trying to hang on to people way faster than me in the various Zwift races.

[jmoore]

Intervals. Lots of intervals. Varying length and intensity. Max ride time = 75 min. Get on, warmup, do intervals, cool down, finish.


I am training for a PR in The Hour this summer, so I just do what my coach tells me. But it's always intervals of some sort.

[batman1425]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

I thought that this idea was debunked. Not that basemiles aren't important, but that doing intensity during the winter was some how bad. I'll see if I can find the discussion we had.

It's not that it is bad, it just that I'm not looking to peak in april or may, so I focus on lower intensity work during the winter months. I've seen people do it both ways with equal success, just depends on what works for you. I can say that if I don't get enough base in, 2-3hr races later in the year are MUCH harder than when I take the time to develop good aerobic fitness. Grip it and rip it crit/cross racing is less affected by that, IME.

Also, a lot of folks (myself included) detrain a fair bit during oct-nov-holiday period and jumping back in with a lot of intensity can -and has in the past for me- lead to injury. For me, its build slowly.

[sparky33]

Kinomaps virtual rides on a Wahoo Kickr.

Not really a structured workout, but I've been doing the videos from Italy lately and there are plenty of hills for a good session.
I'm enjoying indoor riding for the first time ever.

[makoti]

Originally Posted by bikerider888

5x8:00 @ 105% FTP
2-3x20 at 95% FTP
1x60 at 92 to 95% FTP

I really hope these are on different days, or I've really got work to do...

[shovelhd]

Zwift rides and racing.

[Ti Designs]

Pedal stroke work, lots of it.

I've started what I call the advanced pedal stroke class, and before I can teach anything I kinda have to learn how to do it myself. The basic pedal stroke class is about learning how to isolate the two large muscle groups and only fire them when they're pushing in the direction the pedal is moving, so quads fire from 11:00 to 2:00 and glutes work from 1:00 to 4:00. The advanced class is about making both of those more effective. Timing is the trick with the glutes. In the basic class I teach people to fall into the pedals - that's my way of tricking the body into using the right muscle group, but it's not as effective as it could be. The real trick is to throw the body weight at the pedal, getting the peak force at or before 3:00 - it's a moving target so it's not as simple as it seems. With the quads the idea is to not use the rectus femoris - the hip flexor that shuts down the vastus lateralis. That one is a bit harder to explain.

It's January, I'm not at all fit - I always think I've gone too far in losing fitness in December. Just working on pedal stroke I'm seeing my power going up, at times to points that make me think I may be fast again some day.

[spartanKid]

Do 2-3 10 minute rounds of 40/20s, 30/30s, or 20/40s. That's :40, :30, or :20 seconds all out, followed by :20, :30, or :40 seconds easy, for 10 mins.

Takes 5ish minutes really easy in between, and repeat.


5 x 5:00 @ 110% FTP is another stand-by. take 3-5 mins EZ in between.