I’m in my second week of SSBMVII and am supposed to do Clark for the first time tomorrow. I noticed that the high-force stomp intervals are 200% of FTP. Is this the actual target, or should I be switching out of ERG mode and going all-out?
Not all out but hard. I don’t ride ERG but I would imagine that you would want to use resistance mode since from what I’ve heard ERG doesn’t do great with changing cadences. You will want to start with a low cadence and the spin up. I think of those as if I forgot to shift at a stop light and now I have to push really hard to get back up to speed as my cadence rises and then you shift down to a reasonable gear when you get up to speed. So I wouldn’t be crushing the pedals like a standing track sprint but going pretty hard.
TL;DR Unless others with more experience think different, I would use resistance mode and then switch back to ERG once my cadence has gotten back to normal. And I’d treat it as a pretty hard effort but not all out and not worry too much about the power numbers.
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That’s just to set the range. As mentioned, go hard but if you don’t hit that mark, don’t worry about it.
Those ‘hard stomp’ efforts are seeking Z7/neuromuscular adaptations, power targets are pretty much not applicable.
The in-ride Workout Instructions for Clark kind of answer this question! Here’s what it reads:
Riding a standard trainer/turbo involves shifting gears, but if you’re on an electronic trainer in Erg mode, different rules apply with regards to shifting.
Pretty simply, don’t do it.
Shifting while in Erg mode does little more than confuse your trainer and interrupt your interval.
Instead, just slow your spin, no shifting necessary.
Either that or consider switching modes for the stomps and switching back again for the endurance segments.
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I’ve just completed Clark tonight. During the sprints I did try to hit the power targets. My HR only rose to about 156 at the start of the interval, for which I averaged about 153, but it took me around 2 minutes to settle back comfortably into the SS effort so it was taxing but doable.
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Nice one!
But why ur FTP so big?! 
Thank you for the reply, Ivy!
The in-ride instructions you cited read to me more like a word of caution about the perils of erg mode than anything prescriptive re: wattage. I suppose my question is this: would it be counterproductive to go harder than the prescribed 200% FTP? Assuming it doesn’t lead to exhausting my W’/FRC and failing the workout, that is.
Quoth @Captain_Doughnutman:
Those ‘hard stomp’ efforts are seeking Z7/neuromuscular adaptations, power targets are pretty much not applicable.
Is this indeed the case?
I tend to find that TR sweet spot efforts are difficult but doable, but the intervals prescribed above threshold tend to feel really really easy, and I just want to make sure I’m getting the most out of these workouts.
Thanks again for your help!
I carry a lot of weight on a daily basis😉
Odd question tho, why you ask? I’m only about 3.3w/kg but working on it.
That’s just to set the range. As mentioned, go hard but if you don’t hit that mark, don’t worry about it.
My question is more about going over the mark rather than failing to hit it. I’ve been diligently following SSB for a couple months now and after so much sweet spot work I think I’m just itching to pull the trigger on some big efforts. 
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its called neuromuscular and its about teaching your brain & muscles to work together. Here is the workout text:
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Because I’m scared of numbers larger than 300. 
Cholesterol, blood pressure, FTP, credit score…
15s @ 200%…I would say yes. There’s not much else you can do with that. Clark seems to be a race simulation type workout so it may be going after muscular endurance/mental toughness via burst-sustain rather than strict NM work.
Then go for it! Drop a structured workout and go smash it out on the road. That’s what it’s all about, right?
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I’m assuming you haven’t done any 3 min VO2 max efforts yet? If not then you may change your opinion.
I would agree, the sprint effort isn’t too difficult, it’s fighting the urge to drop below SS power afterwards that I found challenging.
You’re basically coming to a stop and then hitting a wall. Let’s say your FTP is 250. That would mean going from 100wt to 500wt with a single stomp. This should not be easy at all and it’s not so much about getting the power up even higher, as it’s about smashing through the wall at the start. Warning: these can mess with your knees.
Sorry I missed this before heading out for the weekend!
The ‘stomps’ should definitely feel like a low cadence, difficult effort with the acknowledgement that you’re going to have to settle into sub-FTP immediately after, so going ‘all out’ bananas for those stomps very well might not allow you to maintain the effort that follows immediately.
Since you did Clark on… Saturday? Can you let us know how it went, what cadence/effort you did for those stomps, and how it felt for the duration of the workout? I think there are a few of us here who could benefit from hearing from your experience!
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I think I had been under the mistaken impression that the sprint intervals were merely supposed to start at a low cadence and then spin up like a normal sprint, so I did a couple 400% FTP efforts starting at a cadence of ~60 and spinning up to ~100. Once I understood I was supposed to stay at a low cadence the whole time, the 200% power target made a lot more sense to me, and I ended up around 230% FTP at a cadence of 60-65.
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Thats awesome! Glad to hear you listened to what felt productive and went with it. Sounds like it was the right call! Thanks for updating us. 
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When I’ve done them they were always all out. It’s a different kind of all out though. I’ve found that they def revealed any weak spots in my core. They were explained to me as a way of developing neural drive and inc’g rate of force development. I finished these sessions feeling pretty smoked, esp about an hour later where I was walking around in a fog.
This article:
https://pezcyclingnews.com/toolbox/on-bike-strength-training-for-better-performance/
Does a good job of explaining the differences between sprints and stomps.
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