ErgVideo Principles
An ErgVideo comes with a synchronized power-profile spanning the entire video's
duration. The ErgVideo Player incorporates a "ride designer" which allows
you to select different start and end points, as well as a "repetition start"
and "repetition end" point. You can choose to do the reps any number of times.
This way, your 1.5 hr long ErgVideo can be used for rides from only 10 minutes
to many hours long, if that's what you'd like to do.
An ErgVideo can be ridden at any ability level by changing the "AT" level
setting. In general, if you want a full-on race experience from a racing video,
you set the AT level to your tested "lactate threshold" level or
"Functional Threshold Power" in watts. You can
of course choose to ride much below or above your tested "LT/FT".
Infinite possibilities:
Each ErgVideo can be configured in several dimensions
(duration, variable repetitions, variable power level). We've been asked many
times to expose the "ride statistics" such as Average Power, CyclingPeaks' TSSTM TM
CyclingPeaks pages for definitions of all these terms. It's very well
explained there.
The problem is that such statistics change with every possible
permutation of Start, End, Reps, and power level executed, so it is actually
MISLEADING to publish the fixed numbers for a full-ride, no reps, at AT=LT
power. So we've come up with this
on-line tool so you can see how flexible an ErgVideo can really be.
It's also a coach's tool:
We especially invite coaches to use this tool. You or your coach can design sessions
around the ErgVideos you are licensed to use. When complete, the designer can send
an email that outlines every aspect of the workout. The mail contains
full instructions
and a simple link to click and see the complete power
profile and all of the expected performance statistics for the ride. The recipient can manually
configure the ride, or download the ".lastride" file to automatically configure the ride. You will notice that the e-mail will not link to the "full-blown" ride designer, and you can't actually make
modifications at the target page. The purpose is serve coaches in prescribing
workouts that aren't easily altered by the athlete, thereby enforcing the coaches
instructions and reducing confusion.
The ErgVideo Profile tool is similar to the "Ride Designer"
step in the ErgVideo Player. This on-line
tool gives you more insight into the power profile of each ErgVideo since it computes the
expected ride statistics for the ride that you design. It now also lets you send the workout
to friends or athletes you coach.
Try it!
Click on any of the links marked "ErgVideo Profile Tool " to start the on-line
application.
Step 1) Select one of the ErgVideo titles , described at the
Catalogue Page of the ErgVideo
website. Its power profile will load and display.
Step 2) Set your personal Actual Threshold Power: The default AT setting
is 200W and the default LT level used in CyclingPeaksTM TM
Step 3) Modify the default ride to your liking: You can modify
the ride in many different ways. You can choose an AT setting different from Actual Threshold. Observe how the performance stats change, including time in zones. You
can also modify the TIMING of your ride, by moving the slider and setting the Start,
End, RepStart, and RepEnd points in the ride. The buttons will highlight only when they can accept the
slider setting.
Change the number of
reps and watch the stats change!
You can use the pan and zoom controls to get a better look at the
details of your ride.
Step 4) Preview your final ride: Press the "Show Final Ride" button
to get a full view of the ride you have designed. The display will change showing your designed
"reps" correctly inserted between your start and end points. Toggle back to the designer by pressing
the "Show Designer" button which will appear.
Step 5) Download the new ErgVideo Training Plan file (compatible with ErgVideo 2 Training Plan features) or email your design as a Training Plan attachment to your athletes:
Click the "Download" button and you will get the Training Plan file with a default name, which you can change to your liking, upon saving.
The email option sends you an email with an ErgVideo Training Plan file as an attachment. You
can save the rides, essentially, in your e-mail inbox!
The new trainingplan format is compatible with ErgVideo 2, which better integrates these tools than in previous releases. The ".lastride" file download is now obsolete and will not be supported.
A rider can open the training plan file from within ErgVideo 2 and immediately load the workout. She also has access to the detailed web-tools in the new ErgVideo 2 Ride designer interface.
We've added a feature to the Profile tool that automatically
designs a ride to maximize your time in a given zone, while limiting time in
higher zones! This is especially awesome for creating long, low-zone, high-volume-styled workouts
from nearly ANY ErgVideo.
Use this feature to build a zone-optimized ride from almost any ErgVideo. It works best for non-intervals-based rides.
Step 1)
Select the desired length of your ride in minutes ,
Step 2) Select the Zone (1-6) for which your Time-in-Zone should be maximized .
Step 3) Define the desired "rep-time": The "rep" is the segment of the video that will repeat. The longer the rep-time, the fewer times the video will need to repeat the same section to fill
the desired time, and thus perhaps yields a more interesting ride. But the shorter the rep-time, the MORE your ride will maximize time in the chosen Zone.
Step 4) Define maximum percentage of time in higher zones:
The tool will design a ride which has the MOST time in one Zone while ALSO limiting the time in HIGHER zones to some reasonable proportion. Time in lower zones is not considered important, and may even exceed time in the target Zone, depending on the ErgVideo profile itself.
To find the very maximum time possible in any zone, set the "Total %time in higher zones" to 100%, indicating you
don't care if there is possibly substantial effort in higher zones. Set it to 10-20% or so if you want
to strictly limit higher efforts.
Step 5)
Click the "Compute" button: The ride will be computed from
your parameters, and the whole page, including graphs, will update showing with the optimum ride designed, and the resulting performance statistics. You can examine and download it as with any workout you may have designed yourself.
So you can now see how you can use your hardcore criterium ErgVideo to execute even
easy Zone2-focused rides that your coach may give you in the base-training phase.
The visual stimulation of an exciting ErgVideo will keep you motivated, and you
will fulfill your coach's demands.
Try it with other ErgVideos from the list to see which ones suit your needs
the most.
The programs have been designed by Paul A. Smeulders, NCCP Certified Cycling Coach, and ErgVideoTM
The programs begin in the base training phase and progress 24 weeks forward. The options are straightforward:
Set your threshold level, desired range of training hours, and discipline. Select the starting date of your program, and remember this for
your subsequent visits. Select the number of weeks of program you would like to see, and on what day you want the display to begin. Click "Show Workouts".
The "experience level" option may not be so straightforward. You may already be very fit and may have carried forward
a great deal of aerobic base from last season or as part of your recent training. If so, there is no good reason
to de-train by spending a ton of time going slowly in Zone2...you HAVE plenty of base fitness, and you can easily
work on the higher intensity factors sooner. By selecting the "experienced" option, you cut out 4 weeks of base
training that a less-fit beginner would execute.
The table of workouts:
The table generated is specific to your options, and shows the start date of a week (counted from your first day, so you can choose to start week on a Sunday or a Monday for example), and all workouts for that week. For each workout the ErgVideo title, and duration is shown.
The table also shows a link that will take you to the MyProfile preview page, showing all aspects of your workout, encoded to your personal AT power.
Once you have your plan, email yourself or your athletes a copy of the table as an ErgVideo Training Plan .html file (compatible with ErgVideo 2) using the email controls at the bottom of the page. The Training Plan can be opened from ErgVideo 2, and the athlete can instantly configure his ride by clicking the correct workout indicated for the day.
With better integration of these tools with ErgVideo 2, we've done away with the need for the download of the unwieldy .lastride file.
Not all workouts must be taken from the 6- and 9-packs. In some cases, general ride descriptions are given
regarding duration and zone. You can use the "Automatic Designer for Optimum Zone-based Workouts" available at the ProfileToolbox
applied to any suitable ErgVideo you may have. We also give an example, using an ErgVideo from inside the standard 6 and 9-packs. You should try to design your own too!
You could also, of course, use your trainer in 3D mode to achieve the recommended workout guidelines for those sessions.
The workout links are all encoded according to your Threshold power, so taking 4-8 weeks of instructions at a time is recommended. When you update your threshold power through testing, come back for the next 4 or 8-week phase.
I have not scheduled any testing throughout this program. You may choose to test every 4-8 weeks as a substitute for any of the workouts.
The plans show the recommended workouts as a group to be executed per week. It's up to you to schedule these workouts in amongst your other activities in the week.
Try to recognize which rides are hard, and which are easy, and spread-out the hard ones through your week, with easy ones in between. You'll know pretty quickly from your fatigue level if you've messed things up.
You can of course choose to execute two of the workouts on the same day. It's doubtful you can do three. If so, you aren't riding hard enough.
A template-based training plan such as the one you are getting here cannot take the place of a live, professional coach to prepare and manage your training. It isn't our intent at all to replace coaches. Rather, we
invite coaches to follow our lead and build their own ErgVideo-based training plans. We'll help you get started.
The ".lastride" file as a web-interface tool is now obsolete due to the integration of these tools with ErgVideo 2.
You will find the new solution, using the very flexible "ErgVideo training plan" file format to be far more convenient.
Please don't call me and ask for more details or examples on how to distribute workouts, how to re-organize a plan just for you, or what to do if you miss a workout. That's called personal coaching,
and you can get that from others. I'm not doing any personal coaching here, and such activities, should I be asked to do them, will cost you exorbitant amounts of money...ENTIRELY because I don't want to do it.
A template-based training plan such as the one you are getting here cannot take the place of a live, professional coach to prepare and manage your training. It isn't our intent at all to replace coaches. In fact, I'll point you to some good
ones if you want. They will handle issues such as missed workouts, data analysis, and customized plans for your ErgVideo library. We
invite coaches to follow our lead and build their own ErgVideo-based training plans. We'll help you get started.
The intervals workouts are intended to be quite difficult. You may think they begin easy, but eventually they will be quite tiring and hard. If you feel like doing more after the prescribed amount, you should be riding with a higher threshold setting. After an intervals session, if you
immediately feel all perky and want to go for a hard run or something...you probably ain't riding hard enough. Increase the threshold next time.
Now, in the other direction: if you find yourself grinding slowly against what seems a nearly impossible force, YOU ARE NOT PUTTING OUT THE REQUIRED POWER BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO. Continuing risks the health of your CompuTrainer, and you are NOT helping your training progress at all.
Turn the threshold power LOWER, so that you can spin at a reasonable cadence and put out this new, lower, target power, rather than FAILING at the old setting.
Your safety is your own responsibility. Never attempt a fitness program without first consulting a physician. This program is not designed to be easy. It is designed to be effective, time-efficient, entertaining and motivating via the ErgVideo "Train for Real"TM
The profile statistics are accurate based on load
levels programmed for each ride. The CompuTrainer is
extremely good at holding you to the target power level as
long as that level is higher than the rolling resistance
power dissipation. The CompuTrainer adapts the resistance to
ensure that you ride at the target power. If it is set for
300W and you slow down, it will INCREASE the resistance so
that, at your new speed, you are still putting out 300W.
Likewise, if you speed up, it will DECREASE the resistance
so that you maintain 300W.
At very low load settings, it has a tiny problem. You may
generate 100W with a press-on force of 2.50lbs and riding at
15mph. If the "load" is actually configured to 50W, the
CompuTrainer cannot reduce the load to "bring you down" to
50. To do so it would have to DRIVE the back wheel, or
automatically release the press-on force. It does neither.
It is essentially turned off and provides no magnetic
resistance at all. Therefore, if you "over-ride" the
CompuTrainer when the load is low, your resulting ride stats
will show a higher average power than the tool predicts. Try
to rest when the ErgVideo allows you to rest.
More detailed info is provided in the
Coach's Corner .
CyclingPeaks, TSS and IF are trademarks of
Peaksware, LLC.
