Would low tempo workouts adjusted to increase the time in zone to give the same TSS as sweet spot workout (ie longer) give the same or similar physiological adaptations?

Remember this chart? [image] The usual caveat being ‘not all TSS is the same’. Eg: Z2 will develop your VO2max but doing 90 TSS of Z2 won’t produce the same effects as doing 90 TSS @ VO2max/Z5. Doing longer duration low tempo is more likely to mirror Z2 adaptations than SS adaptations. But that s…

In the chart, what does “increased lactate threshold” mean? Seems like it could mean a couple different things–less lactate, more ability to tolerate lactate, etc. It in and of itself is not really an “adaptation,” right?

Lactate threshold is kinda sorta your FTP. And yes, you can train/increase lactate clearing and buffering adaptations.

I’ve lowered the intensity of SS intervals vs. the usual TR levels, and increased the duration of the intervals (I’m doing 85-90% FTP with 20-60 min intervals). This is to build muscular endurance (specifically, lower VLaMax) without overly stressing my cardio system (by avoiding threshold). But I …

[image] Captain_Doughnutman: Lactate threshold is kinda sorta your FTP. Right, that’s exactly my point: FTP is not the result of just one metabolic process, it’s the meeting point of multiple. So just “raise FTP” doesn’t mean that much, without knowing what of the multiple processes you are …

[image] devolikewhoa83: FTP is not the result of just one metabolic process, it’s the meeting point of multiple. So just “raise FTP” doesn’t mean that much, without knowing what of the multiple processes you are impacting in order to get that rise Listen to this podcast: [image] …

[image] devolikewhoa83: So just “raise FTP” doesn’t mean that much, without knowing what of the multiple processes you are impacting in order to get that rise Um…do we have to know these things in order to do the training to raise FTP? Or can we just do the training?

[image] Captain_Doughnutman: Um…do we have to know these things in order to do the training to raise FTP? Or can we just do the training? To do the training, no, of course not. But to design and prescribe your own trainings, then to get the most out of it, yes you do. Because there are many o…

I guess that’s why we have people like Dr. Andy Coggan, Ph.D to figure all that stuff out for us and write books like “Training and Racing Using a Power Meter” which includes convenient training adaptation charts. :+1:

To the OP: yes, but, the right combination of volume and intensity would take some figuring out. “sweet spot is a concept, not a zone” – Andy Coggan.

Low Tempo vs Sweetspot

Training

DaveWh March 8, 2020, 1:00am 8

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Low Tempo vs Sweetspot

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