Turbo Sessions for the Winter

Through the winter it can be difficult to do every bike session out on the roads, so I have decided to share some of the sessions I do at Loughborough with the Triathlon Performance Squad so that you can improve your critical power and muscular endurance throughout the winter months.

Key: 

LT1: LT1 is the point where you start producing lactate, also known as aerobic threshold. So most people will be around 150HR. Mine is high at 168. It is good to train under this threshold as lactate causes fatigue.

LT2: The second threshold is when you are producing significant lactate and is called your anaerobic threshold. At this intensity you can last for around 45 minutes.

Session 1

75 Minute Session Critical Power:

The aim of this turbo session is for you to work at your max and produce as much sustainable power for the chosen time of the repetition. At the end of the last rep you should be going as hard as possible and reaching a high heart rate. Make sure you don’t start the first 6 minutes too hard, think of it as a 25 minute time trial effort. This session is great to help improve you maximum power output.

Warm Up: 30 Minutes

• 10min spin
• 5min LT1
• 1min recovery
• 3min LT2
•  2x8 second sprint 1min
• 3min LT2
• 2x8 second sprint 1min
• 4min spin

Main Session: 28 Minute Session

• 
  
• 6min hard
• 3min easy
• 5min hard
• 2.5min easy
• 4min hard
• 2min easy
• 3min hard
• 1.30min easy
• 2min hard
• 1min easy
• 1min hard

Cool down: 15-20min easy spin

Session 2

This is my second critical power session to improve your maximum output power.

Warm Up

• 10min spin
• 5min aerobic – perhaps this need an explanation?
• 2min easy
• (3min at 40km race pace - 10s sprint-50s recovery x2) x2
•  2min easy

Main Session

• 3x 1,2,3 minutes as:
• 1min hard - 45s recovery
• 2min hard - 1min recovery
• 3min hard - 4min recovery

Cool Down: 15-20min spin

Session 3

90min Session Endurance

This session is to help your muscular endurance, making sure over the winter you are getting your legs used toa range of paces. Please use the key above if you don’t use or know what LT1 and LT2 are.

Warm Up

• 10-20min spin
• (4x30sec single leg into 2min race gear 2min spin) x3
• 4x30sec build - 30sec easy

Main Session

• 4x10min: After each set 2min HARD (VO2) into 2min spin
• 1.5min just UNDER LT1/3min just OVER
• 2.4min just UNDER LT2/4min just OVER LT2
• 3.3min just UNDER LT1/5min just OVER LT1
• 4min as per set 2

Cool Down:10-20min spin

Have a go at these sessions and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy them.

Thanks

Megan McDonald