How to do Baxter

Hi
I did a Baxter workout for the first time - and I was a little confused on how to do it - so I get that it’s about mixing up the cadences - but most of the time the messages were like - ok back off a little (after the high cadence intervals) but then other messages were like “some people have a range of 30-120”. In the slower cadence am I meant to go as slow as I can as long as I stay smooth (I can chug along at 50rpm pretty well) or should I be going from 110-115 in the fast bits to backing off to 90-95 for “slow”

Cheers for the clarification
Bezsimon

When I do it and follow cadence guides, I usually set my natural cadence as the baseline and try to vary it by 10-15rpm up or down.

So, for example, my natural cadence is around 90-93. So for “slow pedal” segments I might drop to 75-80rpm or for spinning, up to 100-105 or so.

Hope this helps.

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Yeah the text in the workout is for the masses so make it for yourself. Do something that works a different part you’re not used to working and change it up each time. Keep is smooth as you mentioned, but vary the cadence so you’re used to different changes and how they feel. Make it your own, but like @zwillis1 says use your natural cadence as the baseline and adjust from there.

Adding to this, if you have a smart trainer, it can be best to run it in Resistance mode, not ERG mode.

The idea of this workout is like having a single speed bike, and using cadence increase and decrease to control power. You are supposed to work in controlling and expanding your functional range. So, like Zach says, use the first part of the workout to find your “middle or home gear” and then don’t shift after that.

Then you will speed up cadence for the higher power segments, and slow down cadence for the lower power segments. Again, think of it like riding a single speed and never shifting (once you dial it in at the start).

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I’ve never tried Baxter in slope mode…may be worth a try…

Yeah, Baxter is more fun in slope mode. Keep in mind the resistance % you set your trainer to, and the gear you’re in at the time, will dictate the cadence range, so the first few times you do it will be more about finding the ideal settings for your situation.

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It’s actually a lot of fun. Once you’ve figured out the right resistance/gear combo, that is.

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Totally agree. I remember finishing it my very first time and thinking how much of a blast it is, and engaging the need to watch and adjust to meet the targets.

I lucked into learning it, since I did my first run on Baxter with my Kinetic Road Machine fluid trainer, and caught the instructional text about finding a gear and not shifting. Now, even with my smart trainers, I do Baxter and the like workouts on Resistance (or Standard on some trainers) and love it each time.

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