Interval Mania

Whether you want to become a speed demon or the ultimate climber, there’s a high-intensity interval workout for you.

WWhen you push yourself to your absolute upper limits, every aspect of fitness rises up and comes along for the ride, even in welltrained riders. In a study of 38 conditioned cyclists, Australian researchers found that those doing highintensity interval training twice a week slashed their 40-kay time-trial time by nearly three minutes (about five per cent), and improved their average speed by nearly 1.6km/ h.

“Even highly trained riders can increase their stroke volume [how much blood the heart pumps per beat] and oxygen & nutrient delivery to muscles,” says study author and exercise physiologist Paul Laursen. Intervals also seem to make your powerful, sprintcentric fast-twitch fibres become more fatigueresistant, so they behave more like slow-twitch fibres – allowing you to go faster for longer.

The beauty is that you don’t need much to reap great gains. Even the shortest bouts – 20- to 30-second micro-intervals – can increase VO2 max, improve fat burning, and boost endurance performance.

Here are the best workouts for all your riding needs. Do them no more than twice a week.

Hang With the Fast Pack:

Attack Intervals Three to five minutes is the optimum interval time for raising your threshold pace. Ride as hard as you can (95 to 100 per cent of max heart rate) for three minutes. Recover at an easy pace for two minutes. Repeat two or three times to start; work up to eight. Then increase the interval time.

Build Power Fast: Tabata Intervals

Named after exercise scientist Izumi Tabata, these eye-popping efforts train your body to recruit maximum muscle fibres and fire them faster, as well as raising your lactate level threshold. They take only 10 to 12 minutes. After a warm-up, sprint as hard as you can (you’re going for maximum wattage) for 20 seconds. Stop and coast for 10 seconds only. Repeat six to eight times.

Pack a Punch:

Flying 40s These slightly longer microintervals build power and train your body to recover quickly between hard pushes. They’re helpful if you ride with a group that likes to push the pace on climbs and sprint for signs. In a medium to large gear, push as hard as you can for 40 seconds. Recover for 20 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Rest five minutes. Do two or three more sets.

Monster Climbing:

Hill Charges Climbing hills builds strength. To get speed, you need to turn that strength into power (i.e. push that same gear faster). These charges do the trick. On a moderate incline that takes about 30 seconds to climb, stand out of the saddle and charge up the hill as fast as possible. Coast down. Repeat, this time staying seated. Alternate between standing and seated for six climbs. Recover for 10 minutes and repeat.

Up Your Cadence:

’10-Speed’ Intervals These lightning-fast efforts demand fluid, fast feet. Over time, that silky high cadence will become second nature. Using a gear you can push at 90 to 110 rpm with effort, pedal as hard as you can for 10 seconds. Spin easy for 20 seconds. Repeat for 10 to 15 minutes. Rest five minutes. Do another set.