Cool. Still need to find time to listen to it, but thanks for pulling out the high cadence suggestion! (And recommendation that it’s worth listening to).
The way I do VO2max workouts is on resistance (turning off erg mode) and go as hard as I can for the set duration. It takes a few workout to fine to what is a repeatable all out effort for 1. 2, 3 or 5 minutes. But doesn’t take long.
That solves the problem for people on both sides (too easy or too hard). And you don’t have to change the workout. Or fiddle with anything except turning off erg. And if you aren’t foaming, drooling or slobbering you didn’t go hard enough!
I think this is a mentality that holds many athletes back. If you bury yourself performing your workouts it will extend your recovery and impair future training. It is always wise save a little in the bank for the next workout.
I don’t think having the work intervals above VO2 max is an issue, in fact it’s expected. With short/shorts the work intervals are often above the VO2 max zone (Gendarme -1 that I did recently has the intervals in the anaerobic power zone, for example). The point of short/shorts is to get you to a state of maximum oxygen uptake and keep you there as long as possible - the exact power level of the work intervals is not super important so long as it achieves that aim.
There’s the long term approach and personal care, and then there’s not getting the right stimulus.
I generally agree that people often go to hard in workouts, especially endurance Z2. And you shouldn’t be drooling for threshold. But VO2max are all out efforts. And usually done 1x a week with a rest day the next day. You should be able to recover from that. Just my $0.02
I disagree. The aim is to accumulate work at VO2max, preferably as much TIZ as possible. Zone in this case being 90-95% of max HR. Look into the work of Helgerud and Hoff. I could also point you in the direction of Mr. Seiler who compared 4min, 8min and 16min intervals in a well known study.
The all out approach you are advocating is to improve anaerobic capacity of the muscles.
When I say all out it is relative to the time of the interval. So all out for a 3 x 4 min is very different from 3x 16 min. I’m not sure any effort over 6 min is VO2max.
And if you can’t finish the number of intervals at the prescribed time, you’ve gone to hard. So maybe our definition of “all out” is crossing the signals. If you go all out such that you can’t finish the workout, that’s too hard. It’s as hard as you can while still being being able to finish the workout.
So my guess is we aren’t that far apart. Cheers!