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Introduction to the CPS-Generator:
Becoming a competitive all-rounder means training with structure and minimising unnecessary energy expenditure. The main issue with many cyclists’ training is that they try to perform too many maximal effort intervals in the time they have. In essence they do not benefit from an optimal volume or exposure to training, which is not conducive to improve weaknesses. This is part of the principle of minimal effective dose for eliciting adaptations.
Our Critical Power-based Interval Session Generator CPS-Gen is now available for a 2 month FREE TRIAL above.
This simple yet extremely effective cycling performance application provides cyclists at all levels, a comprehensive personalised training solution with physiologically relevant interval sessions. Session details are calculated from recent or current performance measurements, which are simple to conduct.
Sessions are designed to last approximately 60 minutes for any of the 6 training zones (slightly longer for combined zone sessions of specific conditioning and race simulation dependent on your tested critical power curve). These are an efficient use of both time and energy expenditure, to elicit adaptation and allow appropriate recovery to fit in with a typical working week. Valuable insight into training zones can be found here, and this informative article by Hunter Allen here.
The calculated sessions rely on an optimal number of repetitions with relevant intensity (power) for the most effective duration and your capacity. Sessions are designed in a pyramid style to maximise exposure to the targeted zone, which provides optimal stimulus for either cardio-respiratory or muscular endurance. As these are sub-maximal efforts the training effect relies on increasing exposure and complimentary activities such as strength workouts, plus typical training or social rides.
For your convenience, our Training Peaks Online programmes are available for download (at discounted cost here, using code ‘CPSAPP10’). These programmes are designed to schedule appropriate session sequences for concurrent strength and endurance for personalised power-based training, in a no hassle, easy-to-follow format.
Simply choose a programme relevant to your event or objectives and follow the instructions on how to use the interval session generator below. We are working on file comptability so that workouts may be uploaded to a Garmin or Trainer Road and similar for convenient session conduct and remain motivated and compliant to your training programme for significant, longer term improvements.
How to use the Generator-
Once you sign up to use the Critical Power interval session generator (CPS-GenTM) you will be granted access to the ‘Generate’ page where you’ll find everything you need for a fully structured interval session workout to your own physiology.
You will need to test your Critical Power curve using the protocol supplied at the start of any of the Training Peaks online programmes found at the TP store for CPS In-Motion here. Alternatively you may use pre-existing values from recent testing or training (efforts from race files are more suitable than training efforts).
The generator calculates your appropriate intensity and time for each zone*, as repetitions followed by recovery steps defaulted to 4 minutes (this will change according to the phase of the programme as instructed).
- Input your ‘tested’ timed trial average powers from your file (easily done on Training Peaks or Golden Cheetah), this should be a minimum of 3 values from the drop down fields, ideally 4 and no more than 5 trials. Make sure to include 0.5 or 1 minute test efforts.
- Click ‘Calculate’ for Critical Power, AWC (Anaerobic Work Capacity) and R2 (Coefficient of regression) using the default over-ride values. This will give you your base sessions on your current ability with recovery set at 4 minutes which is typically enough time to part-process an oxygen debt before starting the next interval. The fitter you become, the less recovery time is needed between intervals.
- Interval session parameters are displayed in each table for their respective zones or combination. The generator will also provide an estimate of your VO2max (ml O2/min.kg-1) from your data (currently not active as of 09/10/18).
- Our online programmes dictate the timing and sequence of which sessions to conduct, along with relative recovery intensity and time. Or you may prefer to self-coach and follow guidance on how to improve performance from our complimentary PDF guides available on our homepage.
- You may download interval details from each table as a .csv workout file to start training scientifically today.
CHOICE OF PARAMETERS, CP, LTP or FTP?
If you have an accurate LTP value (from recent lab testing) you may over-ride the CP value to provide more physiologically relevant session data along with the calculated AWC value. You may also over-ride the recovery step time as directed by the TP session workout activity description.
Changing the LTP over-ride value also adjusts the recovery intensity which will be dictated in the session workout description also as a percentage of LTP.
The session generator calculated from both Critical Power and Lactate Threshold is based on an extended 2-parameter CP model as described by Morton and Billat 2004.
Once you have set the tested values and variables you can calculate your specific interval session parameters displayed for each zone.
Limitations
The number of reps is currently static for each session, but reflects, on average, the optimal number for the amount of calculated time in each zone, for the individual.
A greater number of reps are included (7) for anaerobic and neuromuscular efforts which tends to deplete AWC optimally for an extremely effective workout. Again these are in pyramid ascending and descending design to optimise intensity exposure, yet push the limits of each zone for effective training to compliment concurrent sessions. In general, if all intervals can be completed for each session for each zone, without aerobic decoupling (where heart rate increasingly diverges from constant power, below anaerobic intensity) of more than 5% (excluding anaerobic and neuromuscular intensity), then the tested parameter inputs need to be updated or recovery is too long between efforts.
Future developments will include setting variable time of a session and hence adjust the number of intervals included. The generator will also provide an estimate of your VO2max (ml O2/min.kg-1) from your data which is currently under development as of 09/10/18.
Workout sessions can be downloaded from each table individually or in total as .csv files. We are currently in process of making workouts compatible files for your Garmin or export them to a ride ‘app’ like Trainer Road.