Thanks for the feedback
I’ll chime in here as someone who has followed endurance and tempo blocks extensively for the past year. My FTP doesn’t change much but I can push my LT1 and LBP around depending on the training. I only need about 4-6 weeks to sharpen for XC racing. Currently have sit around 4.3.4.6 W/Kg and can get my LT1 close to my balance point. This makes racing easier despite not having a higher FTP.
I found that this model has been much less intensity than my previous years, yet I am faster than before so I wouldn’t sweat the increase in MAP or increase in FTP as long as the other parts are moving along.
Here my last year of zones. I barely do any work above Sweetspot. (my balance point is in my sweet spot zone)
I’m very similar, totally agree
Is anyone doing the Cyclinggym online forum/coaching subscription? On their web site, I get an error when clicking on any of the links about the online subscription. For example:
@AJS914 Steve moved the forum to discourse.
https://forum.stevenealperformance.com/.
If you want to sign up, you can go from there. It will use patreon
Thanks, I’ll check it out. Did they lose control of their domain? I see that this is for sale:
Not sure. Not 100% sure, but I believe the physical location of the Cycling Gym closed. The digital coaching service moved over to the new domain.
This is correct. They closed the physical gym which was called thecyclinggym and Steve is now providing the service on the new forum.
Does anybody know what is the HR limit that coach Neal uses for threshold workouts (95-100% FTP)?
Thanks
Having reread this thread again I was wondering how the training was going and if anybody had seen good results from increasing FatMax
I’ve had a good response from tempo training. FTP is up 25 watts (all time high) and my wattage at LT1 is up 20 watts.
Great job! 25 watts is a huge bump. What kind of Tempo training are you doing? I’m assuming that your volume has increased quite a bit?
Volume hasn’t increased compared to last year (7-10 hours per week). I did Z1/2 maintenance in the fall through the holidays and then decided to start the tempo build in January.
I just listened to all the podcasts, read the topics like this one, and ended up square in the middle of my tempo zone (around 80-88%).
I started with 3x20minute tempo intervals as suggested in the podcast. The HR limit was never a factor for me as I never hit it. I guess cardiovascular fitness isn’t my limiter.
I’ve experimented a few times with 3x30 and 4x20 but haven’t regularly extended the intervals that much. Had I started earlier, I might have started a little slower and been able to build to that by now.
I only do these workouts if my legs feel good and have fully recovered from the previous workout. That has meant 2-3 of these tempo workouts per week. Now I’m in group ride season so I’m only doing 1-2 tempo workouts per week on top of 3+ hour group ride.
Very interesting, I’ve toyed with this very idea (maintenance in winter, Tempo build starting in Jan) pretty cool that you’re actually doing it.
7-10 per week in Jan? I usually only manage between 5-6 per week on the trainer.
So no intensity above tempo in Jan/Feb? What about now are you doing any Z4 and up workouts? Or is your group ride giving you enough intensity? Do you do your Tempo rides outside?
I did insert a short VO2 block after 8 weeks. That was only 4 workouts over 1.5 weeks. I’m not sure if it even netted me watts. It did show me that my 3-5 minute power was hitting new highs though after tempo training.
Right now my Saturday group ride provides a lot of intensity. It’s very rolling where I live and it’s 300-400-500 watts up every damn hill with these young guys. 
I’ve just caught up to this topic today.
My question though would be, in 2022 considering what we know now, is the diet manipulation still a thing to improve fatmax (i.e. having to eat more fats / proteins)?
I have heard on few podcasts (empirical cycling quite sure) this has been debunked which seems to go against what the diet podcast is suggesting.
The guest in the Flo diet podcast still seems to suggest at one point that those on HCLF diets tap almost exclusively their glycogen reserves.
edit: oh boy I am going through the podcast…durianrider wouldn’t be happy with what is discussed here
Back then Steve was influenced by Bob Seebohar. Not sure about now. I personally have not tried any diet manipulation based on advice from Steve simply because I didn’t need to. I participated in his online coaching forum, along with consulting.
My improvements to FatMax (bit of a misnomer but not sure it’s worth getting into) resulted from the training itself (along with decent weight loss). When your entire PD-curve moves up and over, your FatMax zone/target/magic thingie moves too.
yeah I mean I had to laugh hard when at one point the guest was saying something along the line Yeahh unlike glycogen you can carry a ton of calories of fat … well I wouldn’t like to be in that position for quite obvious reasons 
Even the slimmest dude / girl has more than enough fat stored without having to add on top of it.
However it would be interesting to hear if someone started eating more fats / proteins and have their feedback.
On the bike or off the bike? Steve most definitely coaches his athletes (like any decent endurance coach) to eat carbs on the bike. That’s basic, and not under dispute by anyone (or at least shouldn’t be).
When I referred to “diet manipulations” above I meant off the bike. AFAIK Steve does not encourage anything but the most common tried-and-true nutritional strategies when actually pedaling.
Yep, I also meant off the bike where he seems to be prescribing the adage of eat more fat off the bike to burn more fat on the bike.
Exactly this off the bike manipulation is something I was keen on listening from others for their experience or opinion.