To well understand Coachmyride workouts content and also cyclist training, you need first to understand training zones model which relates training intensity to your individual ability.
A training zone is defined by an upper Heart Rate Limit and a lower Heart Rate Limit.
Hear Rate (HR) is measured beats per minutes (bpm). To measure your Heart Rate, prefer using HR monitors than taking it manually (too dangerous while riding a bike). You can find HR monitors in many stores (even in some supermarkets) from affordable price; this is a must to have for serious training.
The following table describes the following six-zones model uses by CoachMyRide :
| Zone | Purpose | Perception |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery | Regeneration and Recovery | |
| 1 | Establish base endurance | Riding feels like a stroll on a bike. |
| 2 | Improve efficiency | No pain is felt. Fatigue sets in after 3 or 4 hours. |
| 3 | Improve sustainable power | The first onset of muscular pain appears. Breathing moderately elevated |
| 4 | Push threshold up | Progressive increase in pain. |
| 5 | Sustain a high percentage of maximal aerobic power | Fast increase in pain and the legs burn. Breathing becomes extremely deep so you can only speak 4 words before gasping for breath. |
| 6 | Increase maximum power output | Impossible to talk. This is painful. |
The following table summarizes the purpose and physiological adaptation of each of the training zones and the benefits for cyclism :
| Zone | Purpose | Physiological Adaptations | Race fitness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery | Regeneration and Recovery | Increase blood flow to muscles to flush out waste products and provide nutrients. | Promotes recovery and therefore training response. |
| 1 | Establish base endurance | Improves fat metabolism, gets muscles/tendons/ligaments/nerves used to cycling. Increases economy. | More efficient use of energy. Prepares body for harder training, works on technique/skill. |
| 2 | Improve efficiency | Improves the ability to use oxygen, produce power and increases efficiency. | Able to produce more power with the same level of effort, works on technique/skill. |
| 3 | Improve sustainable power | Improves carbohydrate metabolism, changes some fast twitch muscle to slow-twitch. | Improved sustainable power, good for all cycling events. |
| 4 | Push threshold up | Improves carbohydrate metabolism, develops lactate threshold, changes some fast twitch muscle to slow-twitch. | Improved sustainable race pace, useful during tapering or pre-competition periods: too much time in this zone can cause staleness. |
| 5 | Sustain a high percentage of maximal aerobic power | Develops cardiovascular system and VO2max, improves anaerobic energy production and speeds turnover of waste products. | Improved time trialling ability and resistance to short-term fatigue. |
| 6 | Increase maximum power output |