Racer X Virtual Trainer

I have done several LTHR test on my road bike, but never done one on the C2. People have told me and the power meter seems to agree, that HR is higher for the same output when the arms are in use.

So do I need to do a seperate test on the rower and will I get and need to use a different set of HR ranges when rowing?

Thanks

Yes. You will have to do separate LTHR tests for EVERY different form of cardio. Swimming, rinning, cycling, rowing, etc.

Rowing
The protocol for obtaining your heart rate training zones for rowing is significantly different from running and cycling. For the rowing test, you will record 3 separate 8 minute tests with 10 minute rest periods in between efforts. Like the running and cycling test, you do not record the warm up. The rowing test is different because of the increased total muscle mass used, it's much higher than cycling or running so your body doesn't need such a strong stimulus to cause the maximal aerobic cardiac output that you are trying to achieve. We split it into 3, 8-minute sessions because even the most fit athlete has a hard time maintaining an all out effort on the rower for 20 minutes.

Workout Description:
Long warm-up for 8 minutes. Then do 3 x 8 minute (3 sets of 8 minutes) time trial efforts (as hard as you can go) with 10 minutes off between each effort. Take the average heart rate for each 8 minute effort and average those together (total of average HR’s divided by 3). This is your rowing LTHR.

_________________
Tim Crytser
Your Virtual Trainer
www.racerxVT.com

Theoretically, which one should be higher?

Probably rowing.

_________________
Tim Crytser
Your Virtual Trainer
www.racerxVT.com

the reall money,
Great questions and smart move to be using the C2 unit! The reason for the higher HR on the rower than the bicycle is because you use more muscles when you row. I use the C2 units with ALL of my clients - and I don't get them for free! There simply isn't a better way to work full body - moto specific for sure.

Regarding your LTHR, in addition to Tim's suggestion of the 3 x 8 minutes, you can also use a pre-programmed workout in the C2 unit 500 Meter Intervals with 1 Minute rest. You can capture and calculate exactly as Tim suggested, but it also allows you to capture what MotoE refers to as a Power Calculation of: Distance (500M); Elapsed Time; Average Heart Rate; Maximum Heart Rate - all at a set load level.

If you complete 5 x 500 Meters at a specific load level (say damper setting of 5), you can evaluate your muscular strength, muscular endurance and lactate tolerance each time you assess (ideally every 5 to 6 weeks depending what time of the year you are completing these assessments). If you would like a simple spreadsheet that you can document all of this information, please feel free to email me at robb3@earthlink.net and I will send you a copy and how to interpret the data.

Keep your questions coming on RacerX VT!
-Robb Beams/MotoE

The last time I did a rowing LTHR, I calc'd 189. I haven't done a cycling LTHR yet, and that's the cardio mode of choice right now. On my 1 hour cycling ride last week for the Saturday workout on Coach Seiji's program, I peaked at 188, and avg'd 175 even though I know I wasn't supposed to go over Zone 2. I screwed myself, and got the Strava app for the iphone, and I was trying to get good sector times so I pushed a little harder than I should have...

Thanks again Robb and Tim!

But actually, if you have not done your LTHR for cycling you don't know what zone you were in. It may be close to the rowing zones, but for some people the numbers are quite different.

_________________
Tim Crytser
Your Virtual Trainer
www.racerxVT.com

True...I guess I'd better sneak in an LTHR soon! Thanks!

Hey guys (by the way sorry for kinda stealing this thread), I blew it by not doing my LTHR's for cycling in the first couple of weeks of the 19 week gig. Do you guys see any issue with doing my LTHR test on the week 3 weekend workout instead of the recovery ride on Sunday? Spin bike is OK right?

yes, go for it!

_________________
Tim Crytser
Your Virtual Trainer
www.racerxVT.com