Zone 2 and the then VO2 Max intervals?

Training
1

Based on the current narrative of the 80/20 approach to training my 5 hours per week should be split as follows.

4 hours Zone 2 and 1 hour of VO2 Max. It has also been stated that zone 2 efforts should be > than 45 mins and always proceed high intensity efforts. So based on that thought process, should we all simply perform zone 2 rides on the trainer and then VO2 Max efforts at the end of the session.

I’m very curious as to what the result would be if you ditched sweetspot / tempo and threshold altogether.

TR workouts don’t seem to follow this principle, and the VO2 Max efforts are spaced throughout the workout.

Keen to get some insight or experience from anyone who has tried this methodology.

2

I’m a bit confused on how many rides a week you do? Besides that, with 5 hours and this idea I would do one high quality one hour vo2max session (15-20mins tiz) and do the zone 2 rides how you like during the rest of the week.

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3

I wouldn’t follow the 80/20 principal if you are only training 5 hours per week. Not sure how you are splitting those 5 hours up, but I would be doing at least 2 hard workouts per week.

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4

Are you doing any other exercise or just riding? How many rides are you doing?

5

I think it’d help to know what the goal of your training is.

Doing VO2 at the end of a workout is generally done for specificity only. If you’re training for a weekly or target ride that really kicks off in the final kilometres, then getting used to intensity at the end can be a mental gain. Physiologically, though, I’ve only heard of doing VO2 either early on long rides or throughout on shorter rides, so the rider is as fresh as possible for the intervals, can push more power, and get more out of them.

I’ve done 5 hours a week with 3 VO2 sessions amounting to 1 hour of time in zone. It’s OK. It may burn you out. I did better (for spicy group rides) when I did more sweet spot on such limited time, as long as I did get some sprints in so I didn’t become a dull boy.

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6

My main aim is cycle touring, so long days of 7hrs and also long climbs on a fully loaded bike which requires me to hold power near my FTP (238 watts)

In the past, I have had good results with sweet spot and doing 20 minute blocks of over unders … my previous VO2 Max sessions would be 4 * 5 min at 280/300 watts. That was when my FTP was 268 watts.

I cannot devote hours and hours of cycling long distance at cycle touring pace, so just need a plan that would give me the best bang for my buck.

I also do 1-2 days a week of barbell strength training. I’m 52 and do have to be mindful that whilst my brain and body can do punishing sessions on the turbo, I don’t recover that well and can very quickly run myself into the ground.

That being said, I’m not looking to do my 2 week tour until May and am happy to work up to weekend 3hr back to back rides at a pace above cycle touring pace.

7

No.

80/20 is sessions not time.

Anyone, can disagree if they want but my comment is based on the original study.

Btw, Nothing magic about 80/20, doesn’t make any sense for many training loads and time training / sessions per week.

80/20 is the myth that refuses to die.

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8

If you can only do 3 cardio workouts a week and you already know what your body responds well to, I would go with that.

I would not switch to Polarized training on 3 days a week. I would definitely work up to some long weekend rides too.

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9

The result would be the “racer’s profile”, i.e., relatively high 5 s and 5 min power, but relatively lower 1 min and FTP power.

At least, that’s the power profile seen in most competitive cyclists who don’t regularly do any training aimed at improving their power at the latter durations, but just spend their time doing group rides and races.

Specificity, specificity, specificity, specificity, specificity.

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