Something I never pay any attention to ( highest I train seems to be VO2 preferably 4min to 8 min) but after doing some reading it seems you can’t smash these sorts of full on 1 to 2 min intervals too hard and too regularly. Seeing suggestions of twice a week for just 4 to 5 weeks.
Say you didn’t really want to hit your peak 1 to 2 min performance but just wanted to get and maintain something relatively close to ‘your best’ (aware that would vary). How would you go about adding some anaerobic work in so it wasn’t hampering other training and was actually making you better. Can it be done without an actual targeted anaerobic workout, like adding in a few 1 or 2 min efforts at the end of a long endurance ride once a week?
Thinking more long term than needing that power within the next month or two…
I personally do 1 anaerobic workout once every month and sometimes I do a block of 3 weeks (once each week). I do it in place of a different kind of workout rather than in addition too. If you were going to add it to your long ride, I’d do it at the beginning rather than end. Anaerobic work is quality over quantity. Also, your efforts should be well paced, rather than “fly and die” pacing. Choose some wattage that you know you could do and hold it steady. I like doing 0:30 to 2:00 min intervals with 1:3 work:recovery. Works well for me
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Fresh off an anaerobic workout after six weeks off them - my 0.02 - I think the approach of a block with one workout a week is a good one…I’m still playing around with where in my plans to fit these - I think there’s probably quite a bit of benefit in getting something in early on in the piece.
It’s definitely something you use or lose. My blocks typically start at 4 full gas efforts up a short local wall, that normally run to 1.40 or so. Just now - on the verge of spewing after 3, cut it short there. I know from experience that next week I’ll do 5, and feel like there’s more in the tank. The power gains are one thing - definitely longer term, strength training etc - but the biggest benefits for me in this type of workout is increasing the number of matches I have to burn, and the wins are pretty quick.
For context, those 1.40 efforts typically work out around 180-190% of ftp. They’re brutal.
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the biggest question is, do you need it? If you’re already covering moves, able to break away, and seal the deal on short, punchy stuff, I wouldn’t dedicate a specific session to it at all.
if its a weak point, yeah I think you’re in the right mindset of maintaining close to your max, and I’d just swap one workout in every other week for your VO2 or whatever the hard session would be.
more anaerobic is not always better so just make that assessment first.
good luck!