Making training easier and more efficient is all about perceived effort compared to power output. I explore this idea with the latest indoor trainers and their super powerful software. It's amazing what's out there!
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Ergo workouts are hard, intense and mentally draining. So why do we do it? For some it’s because they have no choice, there’s snow on the ground and a chill in the air. Others, like myself, find the focused and clinical nature of a fixed training environment conducive to getting it done!Let me be the first to say, that there is no substitute for the feel of riding on the road, it’s why we do it right? But there are times when a trainer is the best option for training, miserable weather or not. I’ve covered one example of this in Episode 15. Today I’m not talking about workouts, I’m talking the experience. The experience offered by indoor trainers and software, and whether these factors alone can make training easier and more efficient.
Easier does not mean less effort. It’s still about doing the work.
There are no shortcuts to victory. We must commit ourselves to the slow, painstaking work of training, day by day and year by year. I’m not trying to bullshit my way through here.
The idea of making your indoor training easier is rooted in your perception of how hard a workout is.Ergo training has always been a mental drain for me. I’ve mentioned in the past that my motivation to get through my Tuesday hour of power was knowing how much I gain from ergo training. The hour definitely takes just as much out of me as a 4 or 5-hour ride on the road though. So looking at ways to hack this should yield positive results.The concentration and effort needed to push outside your comfort zone drain your brain juice. If we use the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) on the original 6-20 scale, to measure our mental input against a data-driven output, specifically power, I can judge whether a workout is easier or efficient.In reality, if we were to judge two efforts done under different conditions, easy and efficient could look like this:
I’m not about to run off and do a scientific study to prove these hypotheses. It simply gives us a way of comparing the options for indoor training that I’m going to present. Some things to note here is that your RPE could fluctuate due to many factors, this is more of a subjective test for yourself in helping you quantify your mental state after completing a workout. will and can fluctuate depending on many factors, but we are looking at consistently scoring lower based on using some new tools available to us.
Out on the road, this can be done by distracting ourselves by riding with other people, or smashing your mates in spontaneous sprints or hill climbs, which is hard to replicate on the ergo. When I was a junior we would have a weekly winter group ergo sessions at my coaches house. It’s a great way pass the time with people you may never get to ride with, back then it was the girls!Part of the problem with indoor training solo is boredom. Passing the time alone on the road is easier if you have music or a podcast (wink, wink) in your earbuds, same goes for indoor training. Watching TV is a little too tick the box type of a workout for me. There is no way you're going to get a solid workout if you’re trying to listen to a movie at the same time.Making the experience more comfortable will go a long way in making you get more from a session. Having the essentials like a fan, towel and mat will offer welcome relief when needed. As will setting your bike up so it’s level. Riding downhill on the flat is not going to help anyone's Rating of Perceived Ball Pain.
The things mentioned so far are all classic ways to reduce RPE. They aren’t heavily reliant on technology, but this is the area that, things they are a changing. I’ve gotta admit, I bought my first and only ergo back in about 1995. It’s a magnetic Blackburn that’s as tough as they come, I don’t think it will ever be killed. But saying that, it’s time for an upgrade.Looking around at the options available today absolutely blows my mind. It inspired this episode because I believe the options available today will make training easier and more efficient. While I haven’t actually tried any of these systems out, it’s possible to see their potential.Let’s go through 3 systems that are out there or soon to be released. Just to be clear here, we’re looking at between $330-$1000 US of initial outlay, not your $100 special.
That is massive! It may not get die hard riders excited but I’m sure everyone that has a bike torcher chamber is listening closely.In the excitement, I have gone a little off topic. Let me say that I will be buying this bad boy when it comes out, and bringing it back to my theory.
I believe the new experiences offered by the KICKR and third party apps will make sessions seem easier, not by distracting my mind but by engaging my imagination and linking it to physical sensations similar to riding the real thing.
The potential of what companies like Kinomap, RoadTrainer and Wahoo are offering is staggering compared to where I’ve been living. Which seems to be under an indoor training rock. For me, it’s not about trying to replicate road riding per se, but offering options for maximising what pain cave dwellers already know about indoor training. Also, the potential of linking lonely riders together in sophisticated ways has me drooling with excitement. Most definitely-Watch this space!
Much like I did with the power meter episode I’m going to break down 3 suggested indoor training rigs. These are all attainable and don’t include the big boys like Wattbike etc.
