HIT training for road cyclists: How to get better on the bike with interval training
Robert Kühnen
· 14.03.2020
What is HIT training?
HIT stands for high-intensity training, also known as HIIT (high-intensity interval training) in the endurance sector. This refers to repeated, intensive, interval-based exercise over a period of time. 3O Seconds to 6 minutes, with pedalling performance well beyond the continuous performance limit. HIT works on several levels, improving endurance performance and even fat burning despite the short exercise time. HIT serves as a time-saving programme, a health programme and a form accelerator.
Why does HIT training work?
How can it be that a short anaerobic sprint exercise, for which the body provides energy in a completely different way than for an endurance exercise, has a positive effect on endurance and, in a study, had the same effect as a ten times (!) more extensive classic training programme? The researchers believe that the intensity of the muscle load during HIT training is the key to triggering adaptations that can also be observed at the muscular level after much more extensive endurance training. The signalling pathways are different, but the effect is the same: The number of cellular power plants increases, as does the ability to burn fat and store the muscle fuel glycogen. However, the heart itself is not strengthened in a comparable way by the short sprint training sessions. A well-rounded endurance training programme therefore also includes classic, longer endurance training sessions. Sprints alone will not make you a hero on the marathon course.
How to organise your HIT training
There are countless variations of HIT training. We have selected three particularly effective ones for different target groups. Before the first interval, you should run yourself in: 10 to 15 minutes of easy rolling, then slowly increase the pedalling power over 5 minutes until you are really panting (up to the continuous power limit, FTP). Then pedal easily at reduced power for a few minutes and start interval training.
Sprint Interval Training (SIT) - for everyone to get started
The shortest form of interval training for endurance is a full 30-second sprint - known in sports science as the Wingate test. The procedure is as simple as it is brutal: start with a sprint and then go all out for 30 seconds. Advantage: works without any measuring equipment. The easiest way to do this is to sprint uphill in a medium gear. As a natural obstacle, the hill increases your motivation to really give it your all. You always have the crest and therefore the finish line in sight.
load time: 30 seconds
Intensity: maximum
Recovery time: 5 minutes
Number of repetitions: 5-7
TIPS: Only practise on clear side roads! The heart rate is irrelevant. You can use a power meter afterwards to see whether and how much you have improved as a result of HIT training.
30"/30" intervals - for advanced users
The gentle way to approach a new performance level and stimulate maximum oxygen uptake. A 30-second high and even load is followed by a 30-second recovery phase with a relaxed kick. The first repetitions are usually easy, but from the sixth repetition onwards you need motivation to keep up your performance. Advanced users complete two series with a series break of two to four minutes. The load can be increased further in this HIT workout by changing the rhythm to 40"/20".
load time: 30 seconds
Intensity: 130-140 % of the threshold power
Recovery time: 30 seconds
Number of repetitions: 12, up to two series
TIPS: Good training form for the roll, also perfect for keeping in shape when time is short. A power meter helps a lot to get the performance right from the start. With this method, the heart rate slowly builds up and only just reaches its maximum in the last third.
Four minutes at the top - for professionals
The classic for well-trained athletes who want to improve their form. The aim is to increase the maximum load on the heart for a longer period of time in order to provide a strong stimulus for increased oxygen uptake. During exercise, the heart rate moves towards the maximum heart rate after a short run-up, but reacts with a delay at the beginning. The recovery time is incomplete in order to increase the stress on the cardiovascular system.
load time: 4 minutes
Intensity: 115-130 % of the threshold power
Recovery time: 2 minutes
Number of repetitions: 4-6
TIPS: A power meter also helps you to pace yourself. Aim for even intervals. If the level cannot be maintained, reduce the power slightly or cancel the series of intervals. On a secondary route with little traffic as a flat or uphill time trial - depending on the terrain you are aiming for in the competition.
Tips for HIT training
The right intensity
The linchpin of all training zone definitions is your continuous performance capacity, defined as the maximum pedalling power in watts that you can generate on average over an hour (functional threshold power, FTP).
You can test the functional threshold performance as follows
After a relaxed warm-up, cycle at full power for four to five minutes - uphill or flat. The average performance achieved here (measured with a power meter) also serves as a guide for longer HIT intervals: you can aim for 90 to 95 % of this maximum performance for repetitions. After this pre-workout, crank at a relaxed pace for five minutes and then ride as fast as you can for 20 minutes. Start cautiously and keep going until the end. Multiply the average performance during the 20 minutes by 0.95 - this is a good approximation of your FTP performance.
The procedure is described in detail in the TOUR article Determining the FTP - Road bike performance test - do it yourself described.
The heart rate is only suitable for controlling longer HIT intervals; aim for 90 to 100 % of the maximum heart rate. However, give your heart a few minutes to get into the working range, otherwise you will start too hard at the beginning. If you do not have a power meter or heart rate monitor, it is best to use your speed as a guide on a known route to get into the target range and otherwise aim for a subjective exhaustion at the end of the interval.
Health
If you rarely or never exercise hard and have not had a sports medical examination for a long time, you should do your first HIT training under medical supervision. A cardiac ECG under full load can detect any heart defects. It is important that you really push yourself to the limit - preferably with an experienced sports physician who will not stop the test prematurely.
If your heart is healthy, hard training - done in moderation - is not only good for your shape, but also beneficial for your health. HIT training, especially the shorter forms of exercise, is also good for your health. Studies have shown that just a few sprint units can lower blood sugar levels.
Regeneration
Recovery from hard sessions is part of the concept with HIT, as with any other training programme. You can provoke a dosed overload for a limited time (overreaching), but you must always keep an eye on recovery, otherwise you will train yourself into the basement. So don't always go full throttle, but with a concept! Depending on your fitness level, you need at least two days to recover from a hard session, while older athletes are better off extending this to three days. That's how long you should train loosely between hard training sessions or take rest days. Very fit athletes can complete a targeted HIT series and train very intensively for seven to ten days in a row - this is called block periodisation. In this case, the recovery comes after the training programme.
