GCN dive into Zone 2

It looks like one I tried last week…

…and will potentially do regularly next Winter.

Funny, that’s it exactly.

Sorry, I’m a bit confused by @PedalMonkey’s comment - has @Alex already made a change to CJ that switches the main and secondary workout around, as I can’t see how to turn this feature on? If not, it would be a great feature if it could be added :raised_hands:.
Thanks

Yes your are right, he did sound like we had done it. :slight_smile: We have not done it yet. My developer is going on vacation for 2 weeks now but as soon as he is back this is first in line, but that means it might be 3-4 weeks from now.

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Yes, good video. I’ve been watching many videos recently made by San Millan, Stephen Seiler and Phil Maffetone. I’m a convert to Low intensity training. Been doing it for 3 months and my power has increased by an avg. of 22watts for for the same BPM to prior LIT.

Super cool. I did lots of Maffetone in the past. It totally lived up to its claims for me. Very strong improvement in hr vs pace (running)

I know others that have had their best season after a pure base winter as well. I am considering a wave of it now, meaning strictly below AeT. I would say I am exercising not “training” these days, or more weightlifting and rucking focused. Thanks for sharing your experience.

What’s sure is that I did too much HIIT training the last two years, and I lost a lot of endurance ! I barely improved my PR on a 4min segment, so thanks to the work on the VO2max, but I wasn’t even able to reach the times I use to have on shorter segments (30s-1min30), so it didn’t help on my “sprint” ability, and I was at complete lost on longer intervals (10+min). This year I’ve been doing more “lsd” rides, less high intensity intervals, and I feel globally way better. Yeah, I now believe that long rides below Z2 make a big difference.

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Pretty much the same story here (just more years) I used to do lots of miles (at least a 32 mile commute over day) and then a long ride at the weekend, and when I started doing a few intevals my speed increased, but I got greedy and was sold the idea that intervals was what mattered, everything else was just junk miles

The more I get to really understand training, rather than be sold on sales pitch podcast worshiping the workout, is that a) riding the bike is supposed to be fun b) lots of riding in zone 2 will make you fitter c) adding in just enough interval work that you can recover for the next week will make you faster … and you don’t ned to do any more than that

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That is a perfect answer!!! :slight_smile: I agree 200% :slight_smile:

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I guess, the second part of this is “it depends” :slight_smile: Meaning guys doing less than 3 or 4 hours a week or only indoors might need a stronger focus on intervals. But my agreeing with you is what you are describing is likely an optimum plan. For most people that would require adding in a bit of recovery at all levels, daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally… periodization.

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Another idea is working on your limiters, which is similar or overlapping what Dr Inigo was saying in that video regarding focus on your energy systems.

Your primary limiter(s): Is it a peripheral (limbs/mitochondria…) limiter or central (heart, brain, lungs…). Is your breathing a problem or not enough stroke volume… Trying to find good mechnisms of testing to understanding your limiters can help if you are really stuck but still for most people more just doing more Zone 2 will solve a lot of these problems :slight_smile:

But the concept that you can exchange one intensity for another for the same training benefit is crazy. Subsitute sweet spot for Z2 to get more TSS… Because TSS is what makes you fast :)… I think there is truth in the inverse. A lot of people when training correctly will be at their peak at their highest TSS, but the inverse of trying to maximize your TSS at all cost is the problem.

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I give a +1 for the “New Z2 Focus Mode”. Most of my training rides are in the morning, 15 minutes after I wake up, so doing the hard work at the end when I am thoroughly warmed up is much better.

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Cool, yes my developer should be back next week from vacation so hopefully this is not too complicated to do.

Adding my own experience in this into the mix.

Also Sepp Kuss (the Jumbo Visma Pro)

I am definitely in the same camp as PedalMonkey. Through the winter, weather permitting I like 4 - 5 hours Z2 on the Saturday and 2.5 hours Z2/Z3 on the Sunday.

Vo2max intervals are really hard and prefer that they are assigned as the primary workout to ensure compliance. I think 30-45 mins of Z2 would hamper the Vo2max work.

But definitely like the idea of having the optional secondary work towards the end for the base plus 2 type workouts.

Ok added zone 2 up front focused workouts to coach jack.

Read more here.
Zone 2 - Aerobic Fat Burn Focused Coach Jack

I’m new / a beginner and am planning on hopping on the turbo 2-3 days a week for an hour or so (maybe more if weather is particularly poor…is there any Z2 specific free workouts that I should check out? Or should I utilise a different workout? Many thanks! Matt.

Hi, if you are new to cycling or just getting back into it your Z2 plan sounds very good. As you likely know the most important thing is consistency, and one of the best way to be consistent is to have fun. For some people Z2 or doing things the “right way” is fun but others might need more intensity to have fun or at least some intensity on a periodic/weekly basis. If you know yourself and Z2 and watching youtube, netflix, music… is fun then the FREE version our app is perfect.

I would go to settings and enable auto-extend workout. Then I would just click on the quick start and start pedalling. Do a 5+ minute super easy warmup and then just press the plus button until you get to an intensity is just below the border of what feels medium. A better sign is right below the point where your breadth changes or roughly 65% of max heart rate. So this is free in our app and perfect. You don’t even need to know your FTP in this case. After you get a few weeks or a month into it you can take an FTP test or if you are in a little cycling shape now and a perfectionist you could start with a ramp test.

So you don’t need specific “workouts” you just need to spend time pedalling. Now from a free perspective if you decide you need a little more visual entertainment either Zwift for 25km/month for free or MyWhoosh (unlimited free) can add some variety to this, but personally I find our app and movies, documentaries and music the right type of entertainment for me.

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Thanks for the video shared, will look into it for sure. I’m not sure if this helps anybody, but I have been preparing for Tenerife epic ride for about hald a year and I did it - 200 km and 4 000 m of elevation. Looong climb right from the start - you climb for about 3h with no single meter of a flat surface but the climb is gentle, all below 8%, most of is within 6% of gradient. It took me 11h of riding (incl. smth like 2h of coasting, so 10h of active riding) but this was 100% doable and I felt no worry. 400 TSS per day :slight_smile:

One thing I found useful - I used Isostar Endurance drink which is smth like 500 cal. per hour and this is way higher, than standard SIS drink which carries only 300 cal. (assuming you drink like 05.L per hour). Plus some protein-containing add-ons and you are good to go with no stop for diner whatsoever (days are short and I wanted to end up the ride within daylight - and I failed to do that anyway).

You may double the SIS concentration but this will become too sugary. This Isostar Endurance drink does not feel like sugar at all even at the 160g per 1L concentration.

I used Polarized plan for the last month before the event to simulate the event specificity. Eveyone is different though, just wanted to share my personal experience.

This ride on Strava for details.

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