Fortunately, if you train specifically for this scenario, i.e., a series of closely spaced repeated anaerobic efforts, you will experience improvements in both anaerobic and aerobic systems. Most importantly, you will be training these energy systems in a manner that is very specific to the real world requirements of the sport of cycling. Cyclists should devote a great deal of effort to training specifically for the demands of nonsteady state efforts. In the process, you will also be improving your aerobic power as well. In my original discussion of training (Winning May 1990), I suggested that the optimal approach in your sequencing of training periods is to first build a foundation of strength and, on top of that, a foundation of power. Although the strength foundation is essential for optimal performance, it is, by design, rather general in nature, i.e., designed to build overall body strength. Conversely, it is absolutely essential that the power phase of your training builds on that general strength foundation in a manner that is extremely specific to the sport of cycling.

How is it possible to train magically for both anaerobic and aerobic power in a manner specific to cycling?

The answer is interval training. Interval training is the technique of using intermittent exercise to perform extremely high intensity work and is the foundation of your power training period.

Each complete interval cycle consists of a period of high intensity effort, known as the work interval, followed by a period of low or moderate intensity effort, known as the rest or relief interval. The intensity and duration of each work and rest interval should be pre-established and rigidly monitored to control your overall training intensity. Intervals should also be performed in a back-to-back series to create a pattern of work, rest, work, rest, work, rest, and so on.

The work, rest, work, pattern of interval training will allow you to perform many minutes of "supermaximal" work that would normally totally exhaust you in only one or two minutes of steady state effort. This is possible because your body is able to replenish the anaerobic energy sources used in the work interval during the subsequent rest interval. In other words, you will "borrow" energy from your anaerobic reserve during the work effort and "pay it back" during the rest period. A rigorous program of interval training will improve your ability to use anaerobic energy sources and to recover from anaerobic efforts, resulting in a more powerful you.

The power training period lasts approximately eight weeks (preferably in January and February). During this period, intervals should be performed three times a week with each interval session separated by at least 48 hours. Cycling intervals are based on time and range in duration from 15 to 90 seconds with the notable exception of the long "staged" nine-minute interval discussed below.

I recommend that you devote two interval days to 60 and/or 90 second effort. and the other day to shorter 15 and/or 30 seconds sprint-type intervals. It is important to set a specific time for each interval and match your work effort to it. Do not simply ride hard for a minute or two. Your first task will be to determine the intensity of your intervals. They should be as hard as you can go and still make the specified time. For example, if you are attempting a 60-second interval and you can just barely sustain the effort for 60 seconds, then you are going just right. On the other hand, if you are attempting a 60-second interval and can only manage 45 seconds of effort, then you are going too hard.

Short Intervals

These intervals are designed to imitate very explosive sprint-type efforts. You should try to go all out for the entire time limit. I suggest that you adjust the resistance as rapidly as possible at the start of each interval while maintaining a cadence of about 100. As soon as the resistance is set, stand up and go as hard as you possibly can. Try to accelerate your cadence to 120 rpm or higher.

Warm-up: 5 min. progressive warm-up; 20 to 30 min. @ 80% HR (e.g.., 150 to 155 bpm)
Work interval: 15 or 30 second
Work intensity: 800 to 1000 watts males, 600 to 900 females.

Note:
The resistance setting information given below is for those of you who have access to bicycle ergometers. I have provided specific settings for Monark (this also includes the BodyGuard 990) and the Tuntuni bikes. For your piece of mind, the Monark and BodyGuard bikes are calibrated in kilograms of force, while the Tunturi bikes are calibrated in newton meters of torque.

Intermediate Intervals

The intermediate intervals simulate attack-type situations common in criteriums and road races. It should take just about all you have to make it for the full 60 seconds. You should attain your anaerobic threshold heart rate at the end of each interval. That means you can expect your heart rate at the end of each interval to be about 170 beats for males and 175 for females.

1. Warm-up: 5 min. progressive warm-up; 30 minutes @ 80% max HR (e.g.., 150--155 bpm)
2. Work interval: 60 seconds
3. Work Intensity: 400 to 500 watts males; 300 to 400 females.

You should attain your AT heart rate at the end of 60 seconds. If you don’t know your AT, you can estimate it by subtracting 20 beats from you max heart rate.

Long Intervals

These intervals will simulate everything you hate about bike racing: they are extremely uncomfortable. I try to reserve them for very cold and snowy days. Don’t be surprised if you completely explode before the end of the final stage. This type of interval is also very heard to do out of doors. If you don’t have an ergometer, you might be better off replacing these with a series of three-minute intervals.

1. Warm-up: 5 min. progressive warm-up; 15 to 20 minutes @ 80% max HR.
2. Work interval: 9 minutes total, 3 minutes per work rate
3. Work Intensity: Variable. Work rate is increased every three minutes.

Specific Weekly Schedule

Monitor your heart

A more exact way to judge the intensity of your effort in the longer intervals is to use a heart rate monitor. Your heart rate should equal or slightly exceed your anaerobic threshold heart rate at the end of the 60- or 90-second interval (approximate AT heart rate can be determined by subtracting your age from 200 or by subtracting 20 from your max heart rate). Do not expect your heart rate to reach its maximum during each interval. Because your heart requires several minutes to respond to an increase in exercise intensity, your heart rate will lag behind and, because you are working at a super-maximal intensity, you will be forced to stop due to exhaustion long before your heart rate reaches its max level. For the shorter intervals, selecting the proper intensity is a little simpler you simply go as hard as you possibly can, period. Do not worry about your heart rate at the end of a short interval; in fact, you may notice that it continues to climb for a few seconds following the work effort.

The recovery interval is as important as the work interval. Recovery should be 30 to 60 seconds depending upon your level of fitness. If you have a heart monitor, recover to a heart rate of 140 to 145 and then go again. You will notice that the amount of time required to recover to this heart rate will decrease as you become more trained. In fact, many highly trained cyclists will recover from a work period heart rate of 175 or more in less than 30 seconds. Your ultimate goal is to perform 10 to 20 minutes of actual high intensity work, not counting the rest interval, warm up, and cool down time.

The amount of time will vary with your level of training and the intensity of the work interval. For example, if you are doing the extremely high-intensity, short-duration sprint intervals, then you should do 10 minutes of work. If you are doing longer 60- to 90-second efforts, then you should do 15 to 20 minutes of work. Additionally, as you first begin to do your intervals, it is important not to over do it. When you first start out, begin with five minutes of work. After a couple of weeks, increase this to 10 minutes and so on.

The power season is broken into two four-week phases, The first is a strength/power phase and the second is a power/endurance phase. In the strength/power phase you will begin to build your capacity for performing extremely intense efforts for periods of 15 to 60 seconds. You will also continue with a reduced version of your weight training to maintain and even build on the efforts of the just completed strength training period.

During the subsequent power/endurance phase, you should emphasize intervals of 60 to 90 seconds duration and include one session each week of the longer nine-minute staged intervals described below. Many of you will have the opportunity to begin racing during this phase and can therefore safely substitute a race day for the staged interval day. As discussed above the main training goal of this period will be intervals. I strongly recommend that you use a bicycle ergometer during this phase.

The bicycle ergometer is a wonderful training tool for the motivated cyclist. It has the ability to objectively quantify your work rate and make you want to die no matter how strong you think you are. This means that it can tell you exactly how hard you are working at any given time. Contrary to popular belief, the ergometer is not just for training during the winter season or bad weather but should be used as a regular part of your power phase conditioning program. In terms of your overall investment in cycling paraphernalia, I believe that the price of a bicycle ergometer is small potatoes, particularly when you consider the potential benefits of the device with respect to your cycling performance.

There are two basic types of bicycle ergometers: electrically braked and friction braked. Of the friction-braked types, the most suitable for cycling power training are manufactured by the Tunturi Corporation of Finland. These bikes are from the "Racing ergometer" series and come in regular and professional models. Both of these bikes have real drop handlebars, pedals with toe clips, and a racing type saddle. They are also completely adjustable for riding position. The other common brands of friction braked bikes are Monark and Body Guard. Both of these are rather imperfect imitations of real bicycles, but it is possible to modify both brands to took like racing bikes.

The electrically-braked ergometers tend to look even less like bicycles than the friction-braked bikes. Examples of these include the Goddart ergometer and the Lifecycle.

Any of the ergometers described above will work. However, it is extremely important to modify the seat by replacing it with a racing saddle.

Whatever you decide to use should have an accurate, calibratible resistance device which reads work rate in watts, kilogram meters per minute, or newton meters per minute. Most of the bikes have indicators which display work rate in watts. For your information, one watt equals 6.12 kilogram meter per minute, and one kilogram meter equals 9.806 newton meters. Big deal.

Recently, a new kind of electrically-braked ergometer has appeared on the scene. It looks like a sophisticated wind trainer with a little roller and 2 mounting system to secure the rear wheel of your bicycle over it. At the present time, the most accurate model is the Schwinn Velodyne, manufactured by Frontline Technology in Irvine, Calif. (discontinued but still available). This device can apply resistance to the roller which is turned by the rear wheel of your bicycle. It is calibratible and, based on the two in my laboratory, reasonably accurate. It has several work rate modes and displays work rate in watts. A similar, less expensive device is marketed by Cat-Eye.

For those without stationary bikes

For those of you without stationary bikes, it is still possible to follow a power training plan that will result in performance gains. Wind-loaded and magnetically-loaded trainers can be used in place of ergometers to provide suitable resistance for intervals. It is important that the pedaling resistance of the device be high enough that you can obtain adequate work efforts with a pedal cadence of about 90 to 100 rpm, so use a dual fan model or a powerful magnetic loading device whenever it is possible.

To perform the short intervals on a trainer, simply drop it into your biggest gear at the highest resistance setting and pedal for all you are worth for 15 to 30 seconds; then recover as above and do it again. The intermediate intervals can be performed by selecting a gear/resistance combination that will produce your AT heart rate at the end (60 to 90 seconds) of the effort. Recover as described above in the section on intermediate intervals. To perform the staged nine-minute intervals, select a gear/resistance setting that will result in your AT heart rate at the end of three minutes. select your next higher (about 10 inches more) at the same pedal cadence for the next three minutes; and finally, your next highest gear (same cadence) for the final three minutes. If you are able to make it for the entire nine minutes, then skip two gears at each stage and see how that feels (it should feel awful).

For those of you who refuse to ride indoors and who have lots of time on your hands, the intervals of the power training period can also be performed on the road. For the short intervals, it is important to create what I call a "high resistance" environment (you may have heard the term "big gear sprints" used to describe such high resistance short intervals). I prefer the resistance of a short steep hill for my short road efforts during the power training period (save the big gear sprints for later). I therefore suggest that you find a short, very steep hill, and perform your short intervals by riding up as fast as possible and down any way you like. The efforts should be an all out sprint that leaves you absolutely exhausted at the top.

For the intermediate intervals, you will have to resort to a series of "standard" bicycle intervals which should involve riding in a reasonably large gear (53xl3 or 12), as far as you can (with a tailwind if possible) for 60 to 90 seconds. Your heart rate should just reach your AT level at the end of the effort. Recover as above and repeat. As for the staged nine-minute intervals, forget them and go find a race on the weekends!

Finally, you do not have to restrict yourself to only one of the possible exercise modes described above (ergometer, trainer, road), but are free to mix and match modalities to your heart's content. In fact, variety will help to make the intense efforts of the power training season a little more tolerable. Whatever you do, do it with a vengeance -- intensity is the key to getting the most out of your anaerobic power training.

Steve Johnson, Ph.D.