A1 Coaching: Know your numbers and set your threshold

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You’ve probably heard people talking about ‘the numbers’, from the club rider at the local time trial, to Bradley Wiggins’ hour record, or the release of Chris Froome’s performance data.

What are these numbers? In basic terms, they're simply a means of describing physiological performance, which can be measured in a standardised way.

Here I’m going to explain what your most important number is – your ‘threshold’ – and describe a key performance test you can do to find that number. Based on that data, I will then explain how to set up your unique training zones.

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This series is about getting more speed with less training and in the last post I explained the need to embrace this new knowledge and method. Therefore, taking the time to get a grasp of these strategies is a key step in your development as an athlete and the gateway to structured, time-efficient, smart training.

As a first step on this journey I’ve described the three basic physiological systems which have to be targeted, and summarised the main training zones. By getting to know your threshold and setting training zones as I’ll describe here, you can begin tailoring training to your precise fitness levels, monitor your fitness progression, and begin getting more speed from less time.

If you like this blog and want to know more about building a perfect winter base programme, click here for free access to A1 Coaching’s Winter Training Video Series.

Threshold: the key number

Your protocol for measuring threshold

When and where?

Heart rate (HR) and power differences

The protocol – finding your threshold

• Warm up in your usual way, for at least 15 minutes.
• Do an all-out three-minute effort that’s evenly paced – this helps get the body ready for the effort ahead.
• Follow this with a five-minute easy recovery.
• Next comes that actual test, which varies slightly with heart rate or power. For power, do a 20-minute, all-out effort similar to a time trial – your effort is the maximum that you can sustain for that period. Get your average output in watts for the 20 minutes either by starting and stopping your computer, or inserting laps. For heart rate, do a 30-minute effort similar to above, but only get your average heart rate for the final 20 minutes.
• Follow with a cool-down.
• The final stage is to calculate your threshold from the data you collected. This is the power or heart rate figure recorded, minus 5%. This deduction estimates what the figure would have been for the full hour.
• For example, if your average power was 270 watts, then your threshold (or FTP) is 256.5 watts (270 x .95 = 256.5).
• Or, if your heart rate was 170 beats per minute, then your threshold heart rate is 161.5 beats per minute (170 x .95 = 161.5).
• Now you have a key number – your threshold or zone 4 – and you can begin to calculate your other training zones.

How often?

Setting your zones

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