# Time needed for FTP intervals



## Gall (Feb 6, 2004)

Hello,

I am being forced inside to train on the bike. I have been doing 2X20 outdoors with no problems. 

Now that I am inside I can't get my mind to allow me to do 20 mins. I was thinking about doing shorter intervals but more of them. I was thinking along the lines of 4x12. 

Will the 12 mins cause a training adaption like the 20 mins. 

My goal to to increase my ftp. 

Thanks!


----------



## welcomdmat (Jan 1, 1970)

To be able to get in a couple of the 20min workouts and even -- this is the hard one -- the "hour of power" workout of a 60min tt simulation on the trainer will be helpful. Training inside is tough. The keys are fans, perhaps being outside under some cover/ garage where it is cooler, and a music player of some sort (I really prefer headphones to tune things out).
You will be able to gain a lot of benifit from the shorter intervals and the key is going to be to keep it fresh and not do the same workout every time around.


----------



## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Funny movies. You need something stupid funny to keep your mind off the trainer. Work your way up in time every single ride. Force yourself to do "only 10min more" than last time. Make yourself do it.

12min are good workouts. Anything over 8min is good for FTP, assuming it's done hard enough. Definitely work on getting them back to 20+min, though.


----------



## bill (Feb 5, 2004)

one reason why the 20 min outside intervals may be easier for you is that, inside, you really have to do 20 minutes. outside, it's pretty hard to keep a steady effort for any length of time, because you end up coasting somewhere. I've heard that you should add anywhere from one-quarter to one-third more time to make them really equivalent (no idea of the science behind that thought).


----------



## shawndoggy (Feb 3, 2004)

iliveonnitro said:


> Funny movies. You need something stupid funny to keep your mind off the trainer. Work your way up in time every single ride. Force yourself to do "only 10min more" than last time. Make yourself do it.


That's interesting... if I watch funny stuff it blows my concentration. To each his own!


----------



## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

shawndoggy said:


> That's interesting... if I watch funny stuff it blows my concentration. To each his own!


I watched a drama movie (thinking movie) once and was so involved that I wasted nearly an hour in the upper-recovery zone/nearly gray zone. Oops!


----------



## shawndoggy (Feb 3, 2004)

iliveonnitro said:


> I watched a drama movie (thinking movie) once and was so involved that I wasted nearly an hour in the upper-recovery zone/nearly gray zone. Oops!


That's the kind of stuff that works for me. I equate it to how you need to pay attention strategy-wise in a race. Though a good action flick works too. Try to keep a body count in Red Dawn, for the mental aspect.


----------



## fleck (Mar 25, 2005)

I have trouble watching anything entertaining on the bike
my mind makes my legs slack

for me the only things that work are either spinnervals dvds or loud hard rock with an alarm clock for intervals.


----------



## iktome (Aug 29, 2003)

bill said:


> one reason why the 20 min outside intervals may be easier for you is that, inside, you really have to do 20 minutes. outside, it's pretty hard to keep a steady effort for any length of time, because you end up coasting somewhere. I've heard that you should add anywhere from one-quarter to one-third more time to make them really equivalent (no idea of the science behind that thought).


Unless you are coasting for extended periods of time (e.g., over 30 seconds), the fact that you coast for a few seconds here and there during a 20-minute interval doesn't really affect the quality of the interval. If you maintain your target effort averaged over the full 20 minutes, you don't need to do a longer interval just because you coasted a few times (within reason, of course). 

In fact, it's actually a lot harder to maintain a given power output over 20 minutes if you coast a lot. Think about holding 300 watts steady (for example, since the math is easy) for 20 minutes versus alternating 15 seconds on/15 seconds off at 600 watts/0 watts. I assure you, even coasting a full 10 minutes of the 20 minute interval doesn't turn that into a wasted or easy 20 minute interval. 

It might not be exactly the same as a 20-minute steady interval in terms of physiological demand and training response, but you certainly don't have to do a 30 to 40-minute interval to make up for the coasting.


----------

