Power-based training for cyclists and triathletes

Winter drives cyclists and triathletes to indoor trainers. If you have been cycling for a while, it’s likely that you’ve endured the mental torture of “old school” indoor bike trainers.

The parameters of training intensities on spin bikes are “best guess” approximations of effort. Recent advances in “smart” trainers, power meters and applications like Zwift have eliminated the guesswork of cycling training.

The most influential advancement in cycling training is the power meter. Once reserved for professional cycling teams, the power meter and power-based training is now within reach of all. Good news for cycling, and especially good news for local cyclists. The gold standard for indoor cycling is now available, right here in Mont Tremblant.

RobFit Tremblant has launched its indoor cycling studio with a suite of Tacx Neo smart trainers on fully adjustable VirtuVelo bike trainers. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, power-based training provides immediate feedback and has revolutionized training.

If you are looking to improve your fitness and skills, power-based training is for you. So what is power-based training?

Training with power is an accurate method of managing energy expenditure during a ride. If you have “hit the wall” in training or racing, you know the value of energy management. Power-based training delivers insight into how your “engine” (metabolism/aerobic function) works.

Why power? Well, the limitation with heart rate as a stand-alone metric is that heart rate lags effort. Power feedback is an immediate measurement of torque on the bike’s drivetrain (pedals, chain and gears).

One can readily correlate power with heart rate data to accurately identify training intensity zones. This is not just for competitive athletes; power-based training is for anyone who cycles for fitness and health.

I do at least 80 percent of my cycling training indoors. Power-based training has dramatically improved the quality of my training and eliminated wasted effort. I no longer spend my time guessing what to do in order to improve.

Power- based training has significantly increased my understanding of the relationships between cadences, heart rate, power, gearing, and energy management. And this can work for any cyclist of any ability.

If you are looking to significantly boost the quality of your cycling training in 2019, the good folks at the RobFit Studio are ready to get you started.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns: tonyokeeffe1@hotmail.com