HR and bike training

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Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2010-02-18 8:18 AM

Member
58
2525
Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Subject: HR and bike training
I have wondered about this for quite awhile and if anyone has knowledge or advice I would love to hear it.

When I do my bike training and spin at 90-100 rpm, heart rate 80-85% my perceived exertion is such that I feel I could bike all day at this intensity. Certainly thoroughly aerobic.

When I go into the bigger gears and my cadence drops my heart rate drops to 70-75% but my perceived exhertion is much higher, burning quads etc.

Is this normal, should I train more by perceived exertion and increase my intensity in the low gears or push bigger gears more, I'm just not sure.

I'm doing IMLP for the second time this summer and really want to improve my cycling. Don't want to lose a lot on that last section of the bike course.

What about weight training, ironically I have pretty strong legs when I get on the leg press machine at the gym.

Any thoughts or ideas greatly appreciated.

Chris



2010-02-18 9:00 AM
in reply to: #2679025

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Champion
7136
5000200010025
Knoxville area
Subject: RE: HR and bike training
First, what are your HR zones based on?

High RPM low torque or "spinning" is going to be limited by aerobic fitness
Low RPM "Mashing" is more akin (vaguely) to doing "squats" in the gym. You can do a hard set of heavy squats and be winded, and it have nothing to do with your aerobic fitness.

HR also fluctuates a LOT on the bike... and much of it has nothing to do with your effort put out.

If you really want to see some good improvements on the bike... a PM is a very solid investment.

Good Luck
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