Day 22...Introducing ESD

My arm is getting better each day.  Yesterday I was able to get in a little strength training session at work, on the TRX.  Today...no increase in pain!  That is a very good thing.  I was informed by my physical therapist this morning however, that I need to stay off of my bike for one more week...not good.  That means that I will miss my first training race on Saturday. 

It is really getting difficult for me to adhere to his orders, due to how good I'm feeling.  He assures me that, while it might feel fine during my ride, it will certainly set me back even further.  Those of you who know me well, know that I am not wired that way, and that this is really difficult.  I am growing very tired of performing every ride on a stationary trainer in my garage.  Oh well, time to really suck it up, and get through this week, in hopes of starting to ride next week.

Yesterday was another early morning, squeezing in a garage-bound cycling session before heading to work.  5:00 am came quickly, and as the alarm clock sounded, I began battling with myself, trying to  justify thoughts of sleeping a little longer, and riding a little shorter!  The better man won, so I slid on those sexy little spandex tights (to keep warm of course!), made my way through the darkness into the garage, strapped on my heart rate monitor, and started pedaling.  The human body is simply amazing!  Even with the education that I have, I am still amazed at how beautifully our bodies are designed, and how quickly they respond to exercise.  That morning, I truly did not want to be riding a bike...going nowhere...in my cold, lonely garage.  Only moments after I began spinning the pedals however, I there was nowhere else I would rather be...sorry Donna, that didn't come out right!  You all know what I mean though...right?  I quickly got into that flow that used to take thirty minutes or more...in just a couple of revolutions of the pedals. Yesterday being Monday, my training was short, and relatively low intensity.  A few sets of spin-ups to work on my spinning technique and improve my neuro-muscular efficiency, then some single-leg spinning drills, and voila...done!

Today I would like to answer a question that was posted in response to my last blog entry.  The question refers to the amount of time one should spend in specific heart rate ranges, within interval training, and if a heart rate monitor would be useful for this process.

The first part of the question is harder to answer than the second...BTW, the answer to the second part is yes!  While not absolutely necessary, a heart rate monitor makes it much easier to perform good quality interval training.  Alright, back to the first part of the question.  The duration of time necessary to reap the benefits of EPOC is somewhat hard to pinpoint within this blog, but I will make some suggestions based on my knowledge and that (mostly) of others who specialize in cardio-respiratory fitness training.

Interval intensity is based on a percentage of a pre-determined heart rate value.  The most accurate of which, is your heart rate when you reach your lactate threshold (the point at which the body is unable to keep up with the production of lactic acid, through expiration).  It is at this point that your body enters a state known as anaerobic.  Anaerobic means that your body is no longer generating ATP (muscle fuel) via oxidation (use of oxygen).  At this point 100% of your activity is being fueled from glycogen stores within your muscles and liver...fat is simply sitting back and relaxing, watching someone else do the work!  Activity within this zone cannot be sustained for very long...usually somewhere between 10 and 60 seconds...therefore, intervals should last about the same duration.

There are different ways to determine one's lactate threshold (LT)...some of them accurate, and some are approximations.  I determined my LT by using a metabolic testing device, so it is very accurate.  Once determined, intervals are established as 'percent-ranges' of one's LT (hear rate at lactate threshold).  Unfortunately though, not everyone has access to metabolic testing equipment.  It is for this reason people use the infamous formula of: 220 - age in years = max heart rate.  I am not a fan of the '220 rule' and if you knew the true story behind the development of this non-scientific formula, you wouldn't like it either.  The equation is certainly not accurate for everyone, but for most people it can  be used as a general tool to begin your training.  Using this formula, my max heart rate would be 174 beats per minute (BPM).  To determine my heart rate training zones I would multiply this value by a set of percentage values.  For example, a very basic interval training program can be developed with three zones.  There are others out there that include four training zones, and even one (the Friel system) that uses five primary zones and two secondary zones.  To begin interval training however, three zones will provide you with a great interval session.  It is your choice whether or not you want to progress into the more advanced (and sometimes confusing) systems.

The three zones are as follows:

Zone 1 (recovery) 65% MHR
Zone 2 (anaerobic threshold) 85% MHR
Zone 3 (peak, or lactate training) 90% MHR

In the advanced systems, 'peak' or 'lactate' training may require intensity levels of 95-105% of one's MHR or lactate threshold.


The values below are based on my MHR, determined using the '220 rule'...

Zone 1 = 113 bpm
Zone 2 = 147 bpm
Zone 3 = 156 bpm

Below you will see three separate workouts, which collectively, make up an interval training plan.  The concept is simple...workout #1 is a recovery workout (long slow distance training), #2 is a medium intensity workout, and #3 is a high intensity, or 'peak' workout.

Day 1: Zone 1, 30-60 minutes
Day 2: 10-min Zone 1, 30-sec Zone 2, 10-min Zone 1, 30-sec Zone 2, 10-min Zone 1  (may repeat workout x1)
Day 3: 5-minute warmup Zone 1, 4-min Zone 2 (ramping every 30-sec until reaching target heart rate in the last 30-sec stage), 30-sec Zone 3, 1-min Zone 2, 30-sec Zone 3, 5-min Zone 1 (may repeat workout x 1)

As you can see, days 2 & 3 are relatively short compared to normal 'cardio' training...but believe me, they are much more effective, and will kick your butt!  This type of work is often referred to as ESD (energy system development) training, as it serves to improve the function of all three primary energy systems that power the human body.