How intervals saved the world....

big_slacker · 06-08-2008, 10:48 PM

Ok, maybe not. But I've had this problem lately. See, I used to be a hell of a mountain biker. I lived in tahoe, was single, had a clock puncher swing shift job and hit the trails 3+ times a week or so, usually 10-20 miles a day.

Well, fast forward a few years and I'm in vegas, married and have a full time+ career. I'm lucky if I can get one ride a week and one particular trail just kicked my ass. Like 3 stops on a 3-4 mile climb, WTF? It is loose but I just didn't have my legs or wind.

I recently got back from europe and my sleep schedule got jacked up. So I just decided to keep getting up early (6am, I have to work by 9ish) and do something. I've been doing an interval program I found in men's fitness. Yes, the gay victoria's secret that real athletes disdain. I picked it up cause it was one of the few english mags I could find overseas for the flight back to the states.

Well, the program is 6 weeks of long intervals. 2 minutes on, 1 off. I do this on my spinning bike, that was money well spent BTW. Working heart rate ranges from 90% to over 100% of theoretical MHR. 2 minutes is a long interval. Consider that you're basically sprinting for 2 minutes, this is brutal. You want results, you gotta pay. Well, I'm 4 weeks in and I went to test myself on the 'cowboy trails' that had previously kicked my ass.

1 hour, no stops, hills conquered and I feel GREAT. Yes the intervals are a suffer fest but the pain is very much worth it. On to tahoe in july to do 20 miles on the rim trail!

BuiltGypsy · 06-09-2008, 12:09 AM

Who makes the spinning cycle you have?

big_slacker · 06-09-2008, 08:24 AM

Star Trac, its the spinner pro. If you're in the market I think there is now a newer model. Also the Lemond bikes are popular in new gyms.

coronadozx · 06-09-2008, 08:35 AM

DAM! 2 minutes on, 1 off? holy shit.

when you first started, did you actually do the full two minutes? if you didn't, how many days did it take you to go the full 2 minutes on?

what is the full duration of the workout (how many 2 minutes on/1 minute off do you go through) and how many times a week?

big_slacker · 06-09-2008, 09:35 AM

Yeah, its no joke. And no I couldn't do a full on sprint for 2 minutes to start. For the first couple of weeks I was doing mini intervals within my 2 minutes. 30 seconds sprint, back it off just enough to recover for 30 seconds, then back at the sprint. Also note that the program has 'easy' days built in where you're doing 90% of MHR. 2 minutes is very do-able.

5 minute warmup, 5 sets, 5 minute cooldown. 3 days a week.

coronadozx · 06-09-2008, 09:38 AM

that's not too terrible, i was kind of scared you were going to say six days a week!

big_slacker · 06-09-2008, 08:04 PM

Nah, I think 6 days a week of that would break most mortals down rather than build them up.