You said intensity?

Intensive training and training based on training zones related to Intensity effort is nowaday the best method to have a structured training and a good progression.

Before describing the famous training zones and training exertion, just some words about the Intensity term.

Riding you bike, you are conscious that due to the road profile and the climatic conditions such as wind, you can ride easy on with your pain. These different effort perception is the consequence on your body of the different Effort intensities.

 Perceived effort Scale

A common tool to be aware of the different grade of perceived exertion is a pain scale developed by a physiologist called Borg (the famous Borg’s scale of perceived exertion).
This scale from 0 (nothing at all) to 10 (max effort) describe the different levels of exertion.

0	Nothing
1	Very Light
2	Light
3	Moderate
4	Just Heavy
5	Heavy
6
7	Very Heavy
8
9
10	Extremely Heavy

 Borg's Scale

 The 3 Main Intensities for Endurance Training :

• Low Intensity (zones 1 and 2) 
  This intensity represents the foundation for all endurance program.
  Low Intensity will help you to develop an economic cycling action that’s why it’s interesting for cycling novices and long slow distance.
  Targeting your training in z2 will help you to develop your cardiovascular system burning the higher rate of fast.
   
  

• Medium Intensity (zones 3 and 4)
  Training in this area corresponds to specific session to increase performance (max aerobic power).
  The benefits of Medium Intensity Training are development of aerobic power, resistance increase for LT efforts ; race pace simulation).
  In z4, you’re just bellow Lactate Threshold and the pain is quite important.
  Medium Intensity Training mainly demand high consumption of glycogen muscle, do not forget CHO fuelling during the session.
  
  

• High Intensity (zones 5 and 6)
  Intensity aboveAnaerobic Threshold will improve lactate tolerance, and increase max power for short effort.
  The high Intensity training is recommended just for very well trained riders

	Intensity	Zone	Accomplishment	Borg	Perception
	LOW	1	Low Endurance	2	No pain. Fatigue after 3-4 h
		2	Basic Endurance	3	No pain Easy to speak
	MEDIUM	3	Tempo	5	First muscular pain Difficulty to carry out a long conversation
		4	Road Race	6	Progressive increase of muscular pain Difficulty to carry out a conversation
	HIGH	5	Speed training above Threshold	7	Fast increase of muscular pain Impossible to carry out a conversation
		6	VO2 max training Anaerobic sprint	10	Impossible to speak Exhaustion after effort + overbreathing