Looking a bit more at the perspective of Dr. Coggan to get an insight his thought process ~ 2015, he’s an interesting guy with a lot of knowledge when in a mood to be helpful as he’s famously difficult at times online.
On 2x20s at threshold:
1. If doing them on the ergometer, 100%, and I either complete the 2nd effort or I fail (due to inadequate recovery from prior training. If doing them outside, ~100%, but I take what I can get (i.e., if I’m tired I’ll still do two, but power may be down a bit).
2. 5 min, but really only for the mental relief (i.e., if you couldn’t do 1 x 40 min at that intensity, then it’s either too high, or you’re too tired).
5. Note that there’s nothing magic about 2 x 20 min, i.e., you can come up with many different workouts that elicit the same adaptations. For example, alternatives that I have used include A) 4 x 10 min w/ 2.5 min rest (although I haven’t done these in years and years, because I think the shorter efforts let you go a bit too hard), and B) 8 x 5 min w/ 1 min rest (I like these better, esp., e.g., when trying to get used to a new aero position, but even 1 min rest is a bit too much).
On FTP build and his personal training plans:
What has been claimed (observed) by some is that it seems better to train more at <100% of FTP than less at >100% of FTP if your goal is to raise your FTP.
To help put things in context: my “build” has historically consisted of 12 wk of twice-weekly 2 x 20 min intervals on the ergometer. I start conservatively, i.e., at a power that allows me to complete both efforts almost every time, then add 5 W every other week. This rate-of-increase slightly outstrips the “growth” of my FTP, such by the end of the 12 wk, when my FTP is essentially maxed out, I am pushing the upper end of the level 4 intensity envelope. At that point, I either 1) go racing (if aiming for a longer, e.g., 40 km, TT), or 2) switch to chasing other adaptations (if aiming for other events, e.g., mass start races).
One other comment: again, there’s nothing magical about 2 x 20 min efforts, e.g., last year I built my FTP up to w/in a handful of watts of historic maximum by doing nothing but level 3 efforts practically day-in and day-out (i.e., the UniModal^TM training plan). If injuries hadn’t gotten in the way, my intent was to next “ice-the-cake” via some higher intensity training, but I don’t expect my FTP would have increased much further, if at all. OTOH, I am sure that my actual performance in a 10 mi TT would have clearly benefited.
On level 5/level 6 (he prefers “levels” to “zones”):
For VO2max work, I’ve always done (i.e., for ~40 y) either 6 x 5 min on, 2.5 min off, or 10 x 3 min on, 1.5 min off, with the intensity as high as possible and yet still be able to complete the final effort more often than not (but definitely not always). I stopped doing the 3 min intervals a decade or so ago, though, as they seemed to be a bit less effective/a bit more of a level 5/6 “tweener” workout.
For what is now called level 6, I’ve almost always done 10 x 1 min on, 3 min off (just 10x time up a ~1 min hill, turn around and ride down, and do it again).
When training for the pursuit back in 2006, though, I incorporated some of what I call “go hard, puke, go home” sessions, i.e., level 6 intervals at maximum intensity with really long recovery. These worked quite well for me, but I can’t really say whether they were more or less effective than what I’d done before. I will say, though, that it has always caught my eye how much progress others (in both research studies and in actual practice) seem to make using this sort of approach.
Of course, lots of ways to skin the training cat, YMMV, etc.
On level 3/level 4 border:
PPP: Sooner or later, you have to increase the power.
I was doing all of my UniModal^TM sessions on the ergometer, i..e, as isopower efforts at ~90% of FTP. As a percentage, that’s right on the level 3/4 border, but in this case intensity factor is a better way of looking at things, so really right smack in the middle of level 3.
(Note that I generally don’t train at level 3 when riding outdoors, and when I do, it is as a fartlek rather than a tempo session, i.e., trying to maximize the variability in power to simulate mass start racing rather than, e.g., TTing. I therefore don’t really know how well lots and lots of tempo outdoors would work for me, although way back in the day I did do particular sessions that would fit that description, and found them effective.)
On FTP testing and experience:
No formal tests whatsoever (esp. now that I have the WKO4 power-duration model at my disposal to estimate FTP).
If anything, though, I’d say that the relative intensity crept up over time, as experience has shown me that “gentle upward pressure” is what is needed to continue to make forward progress.
One advantage I have over most is that after wrestling with the same ergometer for >25 y, I know it and myself quite well.
Basic summary then:
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Specificity, specificity, specificity. Dr Coggan’s specificity was time trialing.
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Train hard enough for adaptation to occur.
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Formal tests are not needed if your threshold interval workouts are pushing you hard enough.
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Consistent level 3/level 4 border work, 6 days/wk in the case of Dr. Coggan was roughly equivalent for him to 2 days/wk 2x20s at FTP.
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Effective VO2 training should sometimes result in workout failure.
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After you work hard either enjoy your spoils or move on to a different type of training.
I don’t think most people are willing to work as hard as he would though and very few could recover from those workouts. I’ve heard him admit when interviewed that as a younger man he would peak very early in the season and then fade, I think there could be a causal relationship with training so hard early in the season.
I’m not trying to be Coggan. However, it is very clear to me that if you have only ~ 4-5 hours a week to ride inside during winter due to lack of time, boredom, dislike of indoor training, etc… you need to ride harder than zone 2 some or most of the time.
Dave
