If you are interested in the same testing and training schedule as I did, go check out the package that Robic has to offer here 👉 robic-cycling.com/performance-package
Boom! But that was only 1 week. The other weeks where far less. Pros do 25 week after week so I think there is a big difference. For me 17 was a lot too!
A few quick notes. (Please correct me if I am misinterpreting) You are a gifted cyclist who has previously been fitter. You trained wisely for six weeks and closed the gap between baseline (untrained) and previous peak fitness at a rather expected amount. You didn't change VLaMax at all. Your riding will improve because your threshold increased. Did I leave anything out? My question would then be why all the hubbub about "trying to lower" VLaMax?
Sounds like a similar plan to what I am currently doing. Great to hear that the results should be very positive. We are similar in build. I'm 85KG and I would bet my VlaMax is similar as I've played high intensity sports all my life, I'm just a little older (43). Thanks for the great content. My testing is next week, although not as detailed as yours was, I'm interested to see my numbers.
You would use this as part of a bigger overall training plan (after a base block and before working on specific abilities for your event). FTP gains always help but doesn't replace specific training, e.g. the ability to repeat hard efforts in a crit - the higher FTP just elevates them to a higher level. Same way that a bigger base would elevate the effectiveness of this particular block in the video (I'm guessing long-term aerobic base for this guy is already big, based on his starting point). This training block is definitely effective, but I would keep the bigger picture in mind and cycle through it at the right time, its not something to repeat over and over in perpetuity.
I get it slowly is better than fast my cycling is some thing like this in the fall with a little bit of Mountain biking to great Video and thanks again Mate.😎🚴
Glad to have anew video from you Jasper! Love your content, and it gets me inspired to go do a nice hard day tomorrow. Side note, how do you like that blue Castelli convertible jacket you were wearing? I was thinking of picking one up for Southern California. Do you know what size you are?
Jasper, based on your high intensity racing it will be v slow to lower your vlamax. 0.71 just shows that your fast twitch fibres are v strong. My suggestion is to do sessions at tempo efforts with around 60rpm. Research this in more detail. Lookout for podcasts by sebastian Weber who is the founder of inscyd. Your vo2max is quite good at 72.
I need bigger gears! I was doing 70rpm intervals (as I talk about in the video) with 53-11. any slower and I need a different bike with bigger front ring hahaha (i dont have climbs remember)
@@jasperverkuijl I suggest you do these sessions on zwift using erg mode. At 60rpm you are training muscle groups that are asleep without a lot of oxygen intake.
Hey Jesper, a very good video! Thank you! I'm very keen on that INSYCD protocol and been studying around it, very valuable and resource light test for any athlete who wants to specify the training for individual... Is there possibility to input lood lactate profile too after the test intervals? I've seen this been done too when doing those tests and the golden standard is still the step test with BLa and with gas exchange mask.. Would it improve the accuracy, does the INSYCD allow this even? (I've BLa meter) My anecdotal input to the polarized training model is that as it doesn't stimulate turbulences on ANS/CNS and endocrine(hormones) systems as most of the training is done lower than aerobic threshold (where things start to drift off from homeostasis), it allows athletes to have more volume to boost adaptations towards mitochondrial volume with better recovery, when the race season comes km sure most of top level cyclists / athletes drifts more towards pyramidal model to improve energy system efficiency in race situations. This is more taxing on the overall system though for the reasons I mentioned above and in long term is not suitable for high volume or with working / family-man athletes like you and I.. This will result in decreased immune system functionality among other health issues. I was also amazed the vlamax didn't shift, might be your natural DNA coding and sport history AND the fact you did alot of high tempo.. Next block I would try to staymaybe closer to LT1 with more low cadence torque work if the aim is still to lower VLaMax 🤔😊 Good advances in base metrics anyway mate! My fatmax on bike rose from 210w to 240w, in 8wk (lab tested with gas and lactate) during highly polarized block with highly monitored (daily Hrv and fasted blood glucose) "cold keto" for 3wk at the end of block which I then continued with low carb "sweetspot"... Respectively my vo2max -got bumbed from 66->69ml/kg and I were on about 10hr/wk (tri training) volume, my week CONSISTED 2 × short Interval HIIT, everything else was Z2 and my ftp was way lower than yours 😇 (ironman focused training).. But this goes to show there is gains to be made with strategic dietary/nutrition execution, its worth while to find out the best individual plan training and nutrient wise for health and life performance including sport 😊💪👌
They can do a test with lactate as well. but I think that even that this test is more accurate than the actual lactate tests strange enough. (read their info about it) I know that my coach also offers testing with lactate in the lab or out on the road. Maybe ask him what he thinks. thanks for your comment
@@jasperverkuijl Yeah, basic step tests with 3min steps are not accurate enough, atleast the leading scienteists in the field suggests over 5 minutes to really gather in he precise lactate build up on the desired workload... Inigo San Milan descripes 10 minute steps... I've gotten familiar with the inscyd protocol and they have tested and been put under scrutiny even in here finland by the olympic center labratory and the results are very accurate indeed... even without lactte or gas measurements
It's been only 6 weeks. To achieve further aerobic power increases he would need to sacrifice some of his anaerobic power (VLamax - which didn't seem to drop throughout mentioned period at all). And it takes much more time because it requires some long term adaptations (changes in muscle typology, mitochondrial biogenesis etc.).
I'm just seeing this video. Wish I had seen it before I took my second FTP test. My training program is crap. I feel like I want to start over with ROBIC. Just might.
Great results and power numbers were awsome,question is if you just enjoy riding and training and don't race you hit your peak in 6 weeks how do you keep it for the rest of year? Here in the uk winters are cold and slippery and your not going to be inclined to smash hills etc in the black ice,do you think moderate amounts of tempo would keep most of the gains until spring/summer were you could repeat something similar. Cheers
To increase fitness will take lots of effort but You can keep the form with a far less amount of training actually. Best advice would come from leon though 😃
Jasper, for the six week structured program, did you do tempo once a week increasing the intensity/duration on the succeeding weeks? If you don’t mind can you lay out the intervals and type (I.e. tempo sweet spot, etc) for each week?
mostly tempo intervals, all the green ''days'' are tempo or low sweet spot (the names will vary on what zone system you use anyway so dont give it too much importance) mainly increasing time in zone over the 6 weeks time. because my power increased i could also push more power in the succeeding weeks but still remain in the tempo zone.
Since no decrease in VLamax occurred, do you think your bump in Vo2max and threshold were only down to the increased volume of training (not the type of training) ?
mmmm, difficult to ever find out. yes there was an increased volume, but not by a very big amount. so I do believe that the specific schedule we did was the biggest factor. Put in extra hours without thought won't get you the same results as a detailed plan imo. (Y)
@@jasperverkuijl I totally agree it was a well thought specific plan for you. Exactly what you needed. Just trying to explain the maintenance of your VLamax as it's surprising. Do you think your short efforts were executed any better during the retest compared to the first test ? Perhaps that your VLamax was underreported from your initial assessment ??
I think Sebastian Weber said in one podcast that to work on Vlamax you need significantly more time than Vo2max, i.e. months instead of weeks. So kinda expected that it didn't drop so quickly. However another thing from your numbers is that you have alot of potential to increase your FTP further as the vlamax is so high.
Hey I'm curious on wether you managed to lower your VLaMax eventually following the same low intensity, low cadence, etc. training? Or did you drop this type of training later on and try different approaches? You also mentioned you stopped going into the gym, was this also on the account of lowering VLaMax? As far as I see by your latest videos you increased your AT quite signifficantly since these tests, so something must've changed since these tests. :)
We haven’t tested with this system anymore recently. I did some beginning last year and vla was still high but I think it may decreased slightly. Stopping gym training was a while ago and it was to manage fatigue and priority of aerobic development over pure strength
VO2Max is the maximum amount of oxygen absorbed by the body per time. Did I say it was a power? Usually there is a powernumber connected to ones VO2Max Intensity
I've seen those child carriages before but never thought about training in one. Baby holding on for dear life as dad is doing sprints 😂 Hope they come with roof handles like in cars. KOM coming up HOLDON!
Hi Jasper. I went down a rabbit hole of your videos. Incredivle stuff! I can see that you are not including recovery weeks n your training or following the regular 3 weeks on, 1 week off pattern. Any reason for this? Thanks.
I should say, that you do have a recovery week, but the usual recovery weeks I see prescribed by say Hunter Allen or Coogan is a day of rest, three one hour recovery rides and another day off. Yoir volume is way higher.
Hey Ben, main reason is that i don't have a standard workweek or standard training week ever. (Full time job = airline pilot) So I've been training when i could and resting when I couldn't train basically. In this video I have a period of time where I hardly worked (c*vid crisis) so it was slightly different. There was that one week with lower volume that was sort of enough. There is no such thing as a standard recovery week and it can be different for every athlete. In this case my coach made this training plan. I'd have to check with him to get a more detailed answer but it's a while ago so not sure if he will know it precise... I must say I used to make my own schedule in a conservative way with your suggestion of 3 weeks /1 week training recovery ratio or 2week/1week in peak periods. That worked well too.
You said at about minute 17:05 that you increased your tempo intervalls from 260 watts in week 2 to 320 watts in week 6. But how can you measure that new number without doing tests in the meanwhile? It was just measured by "feeling"?
Yep,it's a combination of 2 things. One is that the power in second workout is higher in the specific zone. So same zone but higher watts. Second, the power went up because of Aerobic improvement. (We started on the lower end of the specific zone, and ended at the higher end to ease i to the program and have a progressive overload)
1:55 NO ! The most important is just what you said there: "I got back..." if that is true then you just got back where you were before, you did not really gain 25W. Now that you are there, now gain 25 more watts and then make this video again. Gain is area where you were not before, and returning where you have been is just that returning or regain if you will. If you have something, then you lose it, then you find it again you did not get anything new, you have just found stuff you already had it is not the same as finding new stuff.
Although I get what you mean, I don’t fully agree. The drop down from high fitness wil always be way faster than the way back up. So even tough you have been at a higher level before, it’s still hard (or sometimes impossible) to get back to that level and will take long sometimes. That said, I’m currently at about 400wFTP with similar training. Is that ok for you to consider it a gain?😉.
@@jasperverkuijl I am dreaming about 400 that is enough of an answer :) Still say you let it fall to 350 it is easier to go back to 400 than it is to go now to 450 that is all I am saying and we do agree at least partially :)
Yeah, but it's important to note that over a longer duration of time, this may not be an ideal approach. A guy I know basically used something like this approach, and he got SUPER strong and lost a bunch of weight in 3-4 years (went from being overweight/out of shape to Cat 1 power/fitness), but now he's been mostly off the bike with heart problems for months now and can't really train. The easier endurance rides are important not just from a performance standpoint, but from a physical one as well.
@@drouleau hi Dana, that's unfortunate to hear. Hope he will get better soon. Nevertheless I think this might be just a bad coincidence or specific case. I wouldn't say that "this approach" would cause heart problems in the long run. Besides that, training will vary throughout the year and from person to person. My training varies and I'm doing lots of easy rides too💪
@@jasperverkuijl That's cool - this dude's other issue is he did a LOT of intensity work/efforts as well throughout the week (he basically trained like an idiot). But, it seems heart issues aren't really that uncommon with athletes who push themselves hard and often - that's why you'll hear from time to time about runners who drop dead that were seemingly very fit, ate well and had no health issues. Runners also seem to push themselves harder (heart rate wise) on a more routine basis than a lot of cyclists, even though the duration is a lot less with running.
Well some of te old criticism about training plans like TR, which were heavily biased to sweetspot (not so much today), is that they deliver results but burn you out. You did only 6 weeks and were suffering at the end of that 5th week. So this might be good for a 6 week period for someone with an great base like you, however pretty bad for those training for longer periods. In my opinion that's the beauty of polarized -less burn out.
I can try. That 5th week was a 17hour week. I think that's the reason I felt tired. And hey, feeling tired and than recovering is the whole point right? So yes, what you're saying could be true but i don't know
At 16:54 you said you were doing tempo at 260w in week 2, and 320w in week 6. How did you know in week 6 what your tempo zone was? Did you just go on feel?
answer from + creative below indeed (heart rate). it was partly because I started at the very low end of the zone and was progressively able to go a little bit higher over the weeks, and because I increased fitness so was able to push higher power numbers. Heartrate was a factor to check during these internals and gives a good indication together with power on how you are developing. My coach gave me specific power goals for every training (so all customized and not just a % from ''ftp'' but a specific number that was derived from test results)
Please explain what "low intensity", "tempo", and "sweet spot" mean in terms of heart rate zones. I'm retired and cycle every day followed by a run. Cycling I do Z4 and Z5. Running I do Z4. Z5 beats my legs up too much. Thanks!
I suggest changing things up a bit. Do more specific low endurance rides and some specific high intensity rides. I don’t know what zone model you use so without that its worthless talking about certain zones. Sweet spot is about 10 beats below LT2 / anaerobic threshold, Tempo is upper edge of endurance zone (LT1 or aerobic threshold). Riding and running every day could be a bit stressful. If split it up and be more specific.
@@jasperverkuijl Hi! Thanks for the excellent reply. In response, I did a HR Z3 extended run yesterday. Felt great! I'm also going to start building in some recovery time. I'm not preparing for racing, but for health and longevity. Thanks again. I've enjoyed your channel for a LONG time! 🙂
You mention you've been at 375W in the past. Now you're up to 358W but how does your weight compare? Are you lighter now and therefore about the same in terms of W/kg or do you still have work to do to get back to the glory days?
Well, 375 was ftp, this is threshold. So my ftp at the time of this test would probably be about 375. When I did the 14' at 420, I had the strong hunch I could've done 400 for 20' Wich would have been an all time power PR for me. (Previous was 395 for 20'.... And yes i didn't actually do it but I felt pretty confident I could've) Also I was probably about 1kg lighter at the 2nd test and maybe 1,5-2kg lighter than when I did that "375" ftp. So w/kg was probably best I've ever been. (I was about 81kg at this test, I have not been that light since I was 15yo!!!!!)
@@jasperverkuijl awesome. Thanks for taking the time to reply. You're about the same size/weight as me and we seem to have a similar FTP. Makes your content very relatable for me.
All right cool! We might both have very different vo2max and vlamax and get to the same FTP, that's what's so Interesting about this test and knowledge gained from it.
Ok but your very young and it's easy for you to increase everything You have a avg speed of 38km/h. Try to do this at 50yo. It's impossible to train like that. At that age we need 2-3 days between each ride.
Sure age is a factor. But it will mainly be trainability which is developed over years. A 20 year old beginner would not be able to do this either, even tough he is young. Yet there will be plenty of 50 year olds that have been cycling for years and will be able to handle this training stress. So it depends!
So, so, so *flat* for so long! All I know of like that are some highways, mostly with no shoulder. I seriously like the variable times concept. Have not seen that before.
Jasper, new subscriber and love the videos, but come on man, this training plan is anything but low intensity! It is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when the bulk of your work is at tempo/SST with a structured plan instead of just riding around, but it is NOT low intensity, not even close
Hi andy, welcome mate! well, depends what your reference is. If ABOVE threshold is HI, than everything below threshold is low right? Offcourse we can differentiate to medium and low intensity. but the big thing here is I didnt do any HiiT (vo2max intervals or even above), and mostly tempo work which is only just above aerobic threshold so relatively LOW!
@@jasperverkuijl Hmmm, I don't quite agree with your assumptions there Jasper. Low intensity (for most people) would be described as either Zone 1 or Z2 work (recovery or endurance). Tempo (or slightly higher) at Sweetspot isn't that far off your FTP anyway, so I wouldn't call it low intensity. Moderate, sure, but low, not so much Regardless, I really enjoy your channel and look forward to the next upload.
I had the same reaction as Andy G at first but if the TE work is done at the low end of the TE range then one would be below at or around VT1. Jasper, was the TE work at the low, mid, or high end of the TE range?
@@jasperverkuijl if training 15 hours on ftp is someone’s top priority than they must have a lot of time on they’re hands or still live with their parents.
High intensity in the 3 zone model is zone 3. So why would this be high intensity? I disagree with that. I think it's actually sustainable in a long term but if it's preferable is something different. It was not a plan to do for months in a row. It's to lower vla and get specific adaptations. I stand by the fact it's relatively low intensity. High intensity for me is anaerobic treshold and above
@@jasperverkuijl I get that it was for specific adaptations. No, it’s not high intensity, but not low, it’s moderate. I just don’t think this kind of program is sustainable for any great length of time for the average keen cyclist
Not sure where you got the numbers from because they are in it correct. I was pretty much back at the strongest I had ever been and still didn't do any high i tensity, meaning there's was more potential. All of that in 6 weeks is really fast.
If you are interested in the same testing and training schedule as I did, go check out the package that Robic has to offer here 👉 robic-cycling.com/performance-package
Hi Jasper could you make a video as to how exactly they can use your " rough 3 min max effort +/- few seconds to actually calculate a 3 min power?
@@hellopsp180 look into inscyd and you'll find more about it
I have a look. I train more or less the same. 👍👍
”...it wasn’t like I was on this crazy pro cyclist work week”
Week 3: 17 hours
Boom!
But that was only 1 week. The other weeks where far less.
Pros do 25 week after week so I think there is a big difference. For me 17 was a lot too!
😂😂😂
I love this sort of video, its fascinating to see how much progress you can make with some structure!
It is actually. But all comes down to proper knowledge and planning 💪
good video, what it really shows, is once you've been fit, how easily you can get back to that point with some well structured training.
yeah that was a factor too for sure!
If you've been there in recent history, you can get back big chunks with poorly structured training too😅
A few quick notes. (Please correct me if I am misinterpreting)
You are a gifted cyclist who has previously been fitter.
You trained wisely for six weeks and closed the gap between baseline (untrained) and previous peak fitness at a rather expected amount.
You didn't change VLaMax at all.
Your riding will improve because your threshold increased.
Did I leave anything out?
My question would then be why all the hubbub about "trying to lower" VLaMax?
Great video Jasper. You got fantastic results whilst keeping your family number 1 priority. Well done. Keep the fantastic videos coming.
maybe those 6 weeks I was prioritizing my training a bit 😐🙄
Dude! You are a beast! Congrats, and thanks for the nice vid.
Sounds like a similar plan to what I am currently doing. Great to hear that the results should be very positive. We are similar in build. I'm 85KG and I would bet my VlaMax is similar as I've played high intensity sports all my life, I'm just a little older (43). Thanks for the great content. My testing is next week, although not as detailed as yours was, I'm interested to see my numbers.
Hope you get the results you're looking for! 💪💪
You would use this as part of a bigger overall training plan (after a base block and before working on specific abilities for your event). FTP gains always help but doesn't replace specific training, e.g. the ability to repeat hard efforts in a crit - the higher FTP just elevates them to a higher level. Same way that a bigger base would elevate the effectiveness of this particular block in the video (I'm guessing long-term aerobic base for this guy is already big, based on his starting point). This training block is definitely effective, but I would keep the bigger picture in mind and cycle through it at the right time, its not something to repeat over and over in perpetuity.
A lot of great training information, thank you! 👍
You're welcome. Knowledge is power
The cycling Master / Flying Dutchman 🇳🇱 You Sir are a cycling Legend 🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻
Great information as always...keep them coming...😎
Good vid Jasper!! Quality stuff
Thank you for the insights.... great video as always....
Congrats dude. Great results. Also still amazed by your insane deadlifts!
Also, why do you think you "suck" at zwift racing? You should be a crit racing monster with your power numbers, no?
long time ago those lifts haha. thanks
zwift crit or real outdoor crit? (zwift crit has nothing to do with a real crit)
I get it slowly is better than fast my cycling is some thing like this in the fall with a little bit of Mountain biking to great Video and thanks again Mate.😎🚴
Great video. Thx man!!
Glad to have anew video from you Jasper! Love your content, and it gets me inspired to go do a nice hard day tomorrow. Side note, how do you like that blue Castelli convertible jacket you were wearing? I was thinking of picking one up for Southern California. Do you know what size you are?
Cheers man. I wear L or XL. It's a nice jacket 👍
Great video! Very informative
Thanks 🙏
Jasper, based on your high intensity racing it will be v slow to lower your vlamax. 0.71 just shows that your fast twitch fibres are v strong. My suggestion is to do sessions at tempo efforts with around 60rpm. Research this in more detail. Lookout for podcasts by sebastian Weber who is the founder of inscyd. Your vo2max is quite good at 72.
I need bigger gears! I was doing 70rpm intervals (as I talk about in the video) with 53-11. any slower and I need a different bike with bigger front ring hahaha (i dont have climbs remember)
@@jasperverkuijl I suggest you do these sessions on zwift using erg mode. At 60rpm you are training muscle groups that are asleep without a lot of oxygen intake.
4 hour session with 20-40' efforts on low cadence tempo on the trainer while it's summer and I can ride outside? No thanks 🤪
Hey Jesper, a very good video! Thank you! I'm very keen on that INSYCD protocol and been studying around it, very valuable and resource light test for any athlete who wants to specify the training for individual... Is there possibility to input lood lactate profile too after the test intervals? I've seen this been done too when doing those tests and the golden standard is still the step test with BLa and with gas exchange mask.. Would it improve the accuracy, does the INSYCD allow this even? (I've BLa meter)
My anecdotal input to the polarized training model is that as it doesn't stimulate turbulences on ANS/CNS and endocrine(hormones) systems as most of the training is done lower than aerobic threshold (where things start to drift off from homeostasis), it allows athletes to have more volume to boost adaptations towards mitochondrial volume with better recovery, when the race season comes km sure most of top level cyclists / athletes drifts more towards pyramidal model to improve energy system efficiency in race situations. This is more taxing on the overall system though for the reasons I mentioned above and in long term is not suitable for high volume or with working / family-man athletes like you and I.. This will result in decreased immune system functionality among other health issues.
I was also amazed the vlamax didn't shift, might be your natural DNA coding and sport history AND the fact you did alot of high tempo.. Next block I would try to staymaybe closer to LT1 with more low cadence torque work if the aim is still to lower VLaMax 🤔😊
Good advances in base metrics anyway mate!
My fatmax on bike rose from 210w to 240w, in 8wk (lab tested with gas and lactate) during highly polarized block with highly monitored (daily Hrv and fasted blood glucose) "cold keto" for 3wk at the end of block which I then continued with low carb "sweetspot"... Respectively my vo2max -got bumbed from 66->69ml/kg and I were on about 10hr/wk (tri training) volume, my week CONSISTED 2 × short Interval HIIT, everything else was Z2 and my ftp was way lower than yours 😇 (ironman focused training).. But this goes to show there is gains to be made with strategic dietary/nutrition execution, its worth while to find out the best individual plan training and nutrient wise for health and life performance including sport 😊💪👌
They can do a test with lactate as well. but I think that even that this test is more accurate than the actual lactate tests strange enough. (read their info about it) I know that my coach also offers testing with lactate in the lab or out on the road. Maybe ask him what he thinks.
thanks for your comment
@@jasperverkuijl Yeah, basic step tests with 3min steps are not accurate enough, atleast the leading scienteists in the field suggests over 5 minutes to really gather in he precise lactate build up on the desired workload... Inigo San Milan descripes 10 minute steps... I've gotten familiar with the inscyd protocol and they have tested and been put under scrutiny even in here finland by the olympic center labratory and the results are very accurate indeed... even without lactte or gas measurements
So you were at a high level, had time off, lost performance, trained, then got got your performance back...
Shocking 🤦🏻♂️
It's been only 6 weeks. To achieve further aerobic power increases he would need to sacrifice some of his anaerobic power (VLamax - which didn't seem to drop throughout mentioned period at all). And it takes much more time because it requires some long term adaptations (changes in muscle typology, mitochondrial biogenesis etc.).
Pretty crazy huh. Well, I know how I can get very strong in only 6 weeks. That's valuable I'd say
I'm just seeing this video. Wish I had seen it before I took my second FTP test. My training program is crap. I feel like I want to start over with ROBIC. Just might.
Send Leon (Robic) a message! Details are in the description. He's a great coach and trainer. He just got me in top shape for haute route!
Great results and power numbers were awsome,question is if you just enjoy riding and training and don't race you hit your peak in 6 weeks how do you keep it for the rest of year?
Here in the uk winters are cold and slippery and your not going to be inclined to smash hills etc in the black ice,do you think moderate amounts of tempo would keep most of the gains until spring/summer were you could repeat something similar.
Cheers
To increase fitness will take lots of effort but You can keep the form with a far less amount of training actually. Best advice would come from leon though 😃
Jasper, for the six week structured program, did you do tempo once a week increasing the intensity/duration on the succeeding weeks? If you don’t mind can you lay out the intervals and type (I.e. tempo sweet spot, etc) for each week?
mostly tempo intervals, all the green ''days'' are tempo or low sweet spot (the names will vary on what zone system you use anyway so dont give it too much importance) mainly increasing time in zone over the 6 weeks time. because my power increased i could also push more power in the succeeding weeks but still remain in the tempo zone.
Since no decrease in VLamax occurred, do you think your bump in Vo2max and threshold were only down to the increased volume of training (not the type of training) ?
mmmm, difficult to ever find out. yes there was an increased volume, but not by a very big amount. so I do believe that the specific schedule we did was the biggest factor. Put in extra hours without thought won't get you the same results as a detailed plan imo. (Y)
@@jasperverkuijl I totally agree it was a well thought specific plan for you. Exactly what you needed. Just trying to explain the maintenance of your VLamax as it's surprising.
Do you think your short efforts were executed any better during the retest compared to the first test ? Perhaps that your VLamax was underreported from your initial assessment ??
With an AT of 400 watt , Some pro teams loves you for a domestic . Surely for e3 , ronde van vlaanderen …. Great and dedicated athlete👍
Too old, too heavy 🤪
I think Sebastian Weber said in one podcast that to work on Vlamax you need significantly more time than Vo2max, i.e. months instead of weeks. So kinda expected that it didn't drop so quickly. However another thing from your numbers is that you have alot of potential to increase your FTP further as the vlamax is so high.
Yeah that's true. But lowering vlamax too much will decrease my sprint again haha.
Hey
I'm curious on wether you managed to lower your VLaMax eventually following the same low intensity, low cadence, etc. training? Or did you drop this type of training later on and try different approaches? You also mentioned you stopped going into the gym, was this also on the account of lowering VLaMax?
As far as I see by your latest videos you increased your AT quite signifficantly since these tests, so something must've changed since these tests. :)
We haven’t tested with this system anymore recently. I did some beginning last year and vla was still high but I think it may decreased slightly.
Stopping gym training was a while ago and it was to manage fatigue and priority of aerobic development over pure strength
have to correct you that VO2max is not counted by unit of watts. it is not a power concept at all.
VO2Max is the maximum amount of oxygen absorbed by the body per time.
Did I say it was a power? Usually there is a powernumber connected to ones VO2Max Intensity
I've seen those child carriages before but never thought about training in one. Baby holding on for dear life as dad is doing sprints 😂 Hope they come with roof handles like in cars. KOM coming up HOLDON!
The middle zone will make a Comeback some day
💪🏻💪🏻
Hi Jasper. I went down a rabbit hole of your videos. Incredivle stuff! I can see that you are not including recovery weeks n your training or following the regular 3 weeks on, 1 week off pattern. Any reason for this? Thanks.
I should say, that you do have a recovery week, but the usual recovery weeks I see prescribed by say Hunter Allen or Coogan is a day of rest, three one hour recovery rides and another day off. Yoir volume is way higher.
Hey Ben,
main reason is that i don't have a standard workweek or standard training week ever. (Full time job = airline pilot)
So I've been training when i could and resting when I couldn't train basically.
In this video I have a period of time where I hardly worked (c*vid crisis) so it was slightly different. There was that one week with lower volume that was sort of enough.
There is no such thing as a standard recovery week and it can be different for every athlete. In this case my coach made this training plan. I'd have to check with him to get a more detailed answer but it's a while ago so not sure if he will know it precise...
I must say I used to make my own schedule in a conservative way with your suggestion of 3 weeks /1 week training recovery ratio or 2week/1week in peak periods. That worked well too.
You said at about minute 17:05 that you increased your tempo intervalls from 260 watts in week 2 to 320 watts in week 6. But how can you measure that new number without doing tests in the meanwhile? It was just measured by "feeling"?
Yep,it's a combination of 2 things. One is that the power in second workout is higher in the specific zone. So same zone but higher watts. Second, the power went up because of Aerobic improvement.
(We started on the lower end of the specific zone, and ended at the higher end to ease i to the program and have a progressive overload)
@@jasperverkuijl I see. Thank you.
1:55 NO ! The most important is just what you said there: "I got back..." if that is true then you just got back where you were before, you did not really gain 25W. Now that you are there, now gain 25 more watts and then make this video again. Gain is area where you were not before, and returning where you have been is just that returning or regain if you will. If you have something, then you lose it, then you find it again you did not get anything new, you have just found stuff you already had it is not the same as finding new stuff.
Although I get what you mean, I don’t fully agree.
The drop down from high fitness wil always be way faster than the way back up. So even tough you have been at a higher level before, it’s still hard (or sometimes impossible) to get back to that level and will take long sometimes.
That said, I’m currently at about 400wFTP with similar training. Is that ok for you to consider it a gain?😉.
@@jasperverkuijl I am dreaming about 400 that is enough of an answer :)
Still say you let it fall to 350 it is easier to go back to 400 than it is to go now to 450 that is all I am saying and we do agree at least partially :)
@@mmenjic 450😅😅😅😂😂🤣🤣🤣 maybe in another life 🍀🔥
@@jasperverkuijl just example hahah
450 was peak cancellara, Olympic TT edition:p
Great Video! People need to understand that Tempo, SS, Polarized, etc. are not mutually exclusive!! There is no one fits all training method.
💯!!!!
Yeah, but it's important to note that over a longer duration of time, this may not be an ideal approach. A guy I know basically used something like this approach, and he got SUPER strong and lost a bunch of weight in 3-4 years (went from being overweight/out of shape to Cat 1 power/fitness), but now he's been mostly off the bike with heart problems for months now and can't really train. The easier endurance rides are important not just from a performance standpoint, but from a physical one as well.
@@drouleau hi Dana, that's unfortunate to hear. Hope he will get better soon. Nevertheless I think this might be just a bad coincidence or specific case. I wouldn't say that "this approach" would cause heart problems in the long run. Besides that, training will vary throughout the year and from person to person.
My training varies and I'm doing lots of easy rides too💪
@@jasperverkuijl That's cool - this dude's other issue is he did a LOT of intensity work/efforts as well throughout the week (he basically trained like an idiot). But, it seems heart issues aren't really that uncommon with athletes who push themselves hard and often - that's why you'll hear from time to time about runners who drop dead that were seemingly very fit, ate well and had no health issues. Runners also seem to push themselves harder (heart rate wise) on a more routine basis than a lot of cyclists, even though the duration is a lot less with running.
That's why you should get a coach with the proper knowledge! He will avoid overtraining
Well some of te old criticism about training plans like TR, which were heavily biased to sweetspot (not so much today), is that they deliver results but burn you out. You did only 6 weeks and were suffering at the end of that 5th week. So this might be good for a 6 week period for someone with an great base like you, however pretty bad for those training for longer periods. In my opinion that's the beauty of polarized -less burn out.
I can try. That 5th week was a 17hour week. I think that's the reason I felt tired. And hey, feeling tired and than recovering is the whole point right?
So yes, what you're saying could be true but i don't know
Yes very interesting
At 16:54 you said you were doing tempo at 260w in week 2, and 320w in week 6. How did you know in week 6 what your tempo zone was? Did you just go on feel?
Probably heart rate
answer from + creative below indeed (heart rate).
it was partly because I started at the very low end of the zone and was progressively able to go a little bit higher over the weeks, and because I increased fitness so was able to push higher power numbers. Heartrate was a factor to check during these internals and gives a good indication together with power on how you are developing. My coach gave me specific power goals for every training (so all customized and not just a % from ''ftp'' but a specific number that was derived from test results)
Please explain what "low intensity", "tempo", and "sweet spot" mean in terms of heart rate zones. I'm retired and cycle every day followed by a run. Cycling I do Z4 and Z5. Running I do Z4. Z5 beats my legs up too much. Thanks!
I suggest changing things up a bit. Do more specific low endurance rides and some specific high intensity rides.
I don’t know what zone model you use so without that its worthless talking about certain zones.
Sweet spot is about 10 beats below LT2 / anaerobic threshold,
Tempo is upper edge of endurance zone (LT1 or aerobic threshold).
Riding and running every day could be a bit stressful. If split it up and be more specific.
@@jasperverkuijl Hi! Thanks for the excellent reply. In response, I did a HR Z3 extended run yesterday. Felt great! I'm also going to start building in some recovery time. I'm not preparing for racing, but for health and longevity. Thanks again. I've enjoyed your channel for a LONG time! 🙂
You mention you've been at 375W in the past. Now you're up to 358W but how does your weight compare? Are you lighter now and therefore about the same in terms of W/kg or do you still have work to do to get back to the glory days?
Well, 375 was ftp, this is threshold. So my ftp at the time of this test would probably be about 375. When I did the 14' at 420, I had the strong hunch I could've done 400 for 20' Wich would have been an all time power PR for me. (Previous was 395 for 20'.... And yes i didn't actually do it but I felt pretty confident I could've)
Also I was probably about 1kg lighter at the 2nd test and maybe 1,5-2kg lighter than when I did that "375" ftp. So w/kg was probably best I've ever been. (I was about 81kg at this test, I have not been that light since I was 15yo!!!!!)
@@jasperverkuijl awesome. Thanks for taking the time to reply. You're about the same size/weight as me and we seem to have a similar FTP. Makes your content very relatable for me.
All right cool!
We might both have very different vo2max and vlamax and get to the same FTP, that's what's so Interesting about this test and knowledge gained from it.
14:45 The highest mountain in the Netherlands. :D
Ok but your very young and it's easy for you to increase everything You have a avg speed of 38km/h. Try to do this at 50yo. It's impossible to train like that. At that age we need 2-3 days between each ride.
Sure age is a factor.
But it will mainly be trainability which is developed over years.
A 20 year old beginner would not be able to do this either, even tough he is young.
Yet there will be plenty of 50 year olds that have been cycling for years and will be able to handle this training stress.
So it depends!
So in order to get your body to use fat instead of carbs you do fasted low intensity rides?
That is a good options yes
90 percent should be low impact training.F Moser new this 30 years ago.
There is never one way. It depends on personal fitness, goals and time available
Which month was that?? Ftp build in January??
?? This was June
I don't understand your question/comment.....
So, so, so *flat* for so long! All I know of like that are some highways, mostly with no shoulder. I seriously like the variable times concept. Have not seen that before.
Flat roads are best for base training and steady efforts!👍👍
The algorithm is probably just power curve calculation, Golden chetaah does that
Nope, it's more complicated than that
With only 4 data points, all flat-out efforts only looking at one variable (watts), that must be the case.
Which zone is best for red blood cell Produktion
There is no “best” zone for anything. It’s always a mix
How did it effect your sprint power?
Crazy enough, it didn't! I was peaking in sprints same after this block ( Shows a bit in the vlamax not changing)
Would be nice if I could afford a coach!
Try some AI coach service. Better than nothing and nowadays fairly cheap
So first week you had an average of 38 km an hour!?
In some rides yes
Jasper, new subscriber and love the videos, but come on man, this training plan is anything but low intensity!
It is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when the bulk of your work is at tempo/SST with a structured plan instead of just riding around, but it is NOT low intensity, not even close
Hi andy, welcome mate!
well, depends what your reference is. If ABOVE threshold is HI, than everything below threshold is low right? Offcourse we can differentiate to medium and low intensity. but the big thing here is I didnt do any HiiT (vo2max intervals or even above), and mostly tempo work which is only just above aerobic threshold so relatively LOW!
@@jasperverkuijl Hmmm, I don't quite agree with your assumptions there Jasper.
Low intensity (for most people) would be described as either Zone 1 or Z2 work (recovery or endurance).
Tempo (or slightly higher) at Sweetspot isn't that far off your FTP anyway, so I wouldn't call it low intensity. Moderate, sure, but low, not so much
Regardless, I really enjoy your channel and look forward to the next upload.
I had the same reaction as Andy G at first but if the TE work is done at the low end of the TE range then one would be below at or around VT1. Jasper, was the TE work at the low, mid, or high end of the TE range?
Wow
Normal people have 15 hours to train a week? Not me
Depends on priorities I guess.
@@jasperverkuijl if training 15 hours on ftp is someone’s top priority than they must have a lot of time on they’re hands or still live with their parents.
What is your normal Job?
Airline pilot
Low intensity but bigg volume. Great plan tho.
#consistincy
This is not low intensity training. It has a lot of Z2 in the 3 zone model. “grey zone” training. Not sustainable in the medium term
High intensity in the 3 zone model is zone 3. So why would this be high intensity? I disagree with that.
I think it's actually sustainable in a long term but if it's preferable is something different. It was not a plan to do for months in a row. It's to lower vla and get specific adaptations.
I stand by the fact it's relatively low intensity. High intensity for me is anaerobic treshold and above
@@jasperverkuijl I get that it was for specific adaptations. No, it’s not high intensity, but not low, it’s moderate. I just don’t think this kind of program is sustainable for any great length of time for the average keen cyclist
10 15h per week 😅😅😅
What about 4-5h per week? That is normal time for normal working people who have family, kids etc
I have a full time job, a UA-cam channel, a house, wife and 2 kids.
What’s normal is what you make normal 🤪😉
Right..good luck with that😄
Thanks
So you hadn't been training properly for a few months, were 75W down and you only got 25W back after 6 weeks of strucutre? Not the best commercial.
Not sure where you got the numbers from because they are in it correct. I was pretty much back at the strongest I had ever been and still didn't do any high i tensity, meaning there's was more potential. All of that in 6 weeks is really fast.
are you going pro
Pro? I'm to old for that now 🤠🤦
🤪
Ahead of the game