Dutch article but you can read it with google translate;
Funny enough, this is exactly what the Coach Jack - Serious Italian does;
Not two high intensity workouts each week; but 1 low cadence endurance/tempo training. 1 intensity training and rest endurance.
Here is what Michel Kreder says about it;
”Your body is simply not built to dig deep into reserves several times a week. A second interval training in the same week hardly produces any additional progression physiologically. What does it do? It destroys your recovery capacity. Instead of supercompensation, you create a constant state of fatigue, which ultimately causes your performance to stagnate.
Fortunately, there is a much smarter way to set up your weekly schedule. By removing that grueling second interval training from your schedule and replacing it with a specific strength training on the bike, you kill two birds with one stone. We are talking about the so-called power endurance, also referred to as low cadence training or simply executioners on the large knife.
The magic of this method lies in the physiological split you make. While classic interval training pushes your cardiovascular system and your lungs to the limit, this training does not do that. Your heart rate remains relatively calm and comfortable in the areas where you normally complete your endurance training. Your legs, on the other hand, have to work extremely hard due to the low pedal frequency to get the pedals around.
The great thing about this incentive is that you don’t have to study complicated schemes for it. It’s a matter of a simple adjustment during one of your regular rides. Instead of the planned blocks with a high cadence, look for a flat stretch of road with preferably a little wind on the head.
During these ten minutes you focus on stable, calm breathing. You will notice that the pressure on your thighs is enormous, while you are not panting over your handlebars. It’s like moving the gym to the road.
Less fatigue ultimately means more speed
Because your heart rate remains low, your body produces significantly fewer stress hormones and lactate than during traditional interval training. This means that the recovery time after such a session is many times shorter. You cycle much fresher the next day, so that the training that really matters is also carried out in better quality.
This balance of one heavy interval training, one targeted strength training on the bike and plenty of quiet endurance rides forces your body to become stronger effectively. You increase the pure muscle strength in your legs, which pays off immediately on those vicious short climbs or during the weekly sign sprint with your cycling friends. Less is clearly more in this physiological case.
