Can anyone explain the difference between the following workouts?
I do all my rides on a smart trainer. I find when there is gradual progressions upwards it will avg below target power which I also know is not a huge deal.
These are the two that I am comparing:
Vennacher - 1 Minute increase from 95% → 110% then 1 minute 110% → 95%
Reinstein - 1 Minute at 105%
(Edit: Fixed Vennacher summary to 110% instead of 105%)
1 min average for the 95% to 105% ramp will be 100%, or there abouts depending on the ramp gradient. So it’s easier than 1 min at 105%.
Technically it is 2 minutes at 102.5 but that is where it gets confusing.
Which is better 2 minutes at 102.5 FTP or 1 minute at 105
(Edit: Bolded changes)
Vennacher ramps up to 110%.
And personally I’d say it is harder… (dependent on you lactate profile)
I guess the slightly longer recovery valley’s between sets make them equivalent in PL terms.
Thanks made the edit to the original.
Do you mean Vennacher?
As they have started saying harder is not always better.
Are we assuming similar physiological adaptations from doing 3 rounds of
3 reps at 102.5 for 2 minutes = = 4 reps at 105 for 1 minute
Yes, Vennacher, because I would suggest, for most the Lactate production rate would be higher and then it depends on your clearance rate… which session is harder. Having said that 1 minute at a flat 105% might produce more lactate as the duration at a flat 105% is higher. Of course this is assuming your FTP, AI FTP, rampFTP is a good approximation for where your lactate production starts to exceed your clearance / usage rate. I have no comment on the ‘harder is not always better’ that is a whole big Rabbit hole that starts with ‘It depends’
Anyway, interesting original question, and the workout library is littered with reasons and examples of why PLs aren’t any better at measuring intensity / difficult than TSS and IF and work/rest ratios, but lets not got there either.