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MagneticDays Training Philosophy – Time Trial Newton test and Offset

  4 June 2018

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In the last four articles about the MagneticDays Training Philosophy we have talked about our main strengths. In this fifth and penultimate article we go into the heart of philosophy.

Critical Power Test: you are what you can do

When the MD Coach realizes how the user/athlete rides, he can plan a CRITICAL POWER TEST. In other words “you are what you can do”. This test is like a time trial race (duration: 30 minutes) that is configurated by MD Coach (through a mileage calculated on the basis of the incremental test data) in order to improve the athlete’s concentration completely. During this time trial race, the user/athlete will have at his disposal the use of one optical remote control (electronic gear) that will allow to work with changes of applied force in terms of 0,5 Newton (10 times more precise than a classic gear), with the goal to give prominence to own ideal physiological conditions for the effort. At the end of the test, the average between Newton and RPM will show who the user/athlete is in that moment.

Offset Newton: what does it mean

Test No 2 (after that just explained) will be a new time trial where the user/athlete will can not use the electronic gear. The MD Coach, on the basis of the previous incremental test data, will insert segments with “different values of Newton” in the workout, as compared to the previous average of the user/athlete (Newton Offset), who will respond only through a change of his cadence. Considering that the variation of 1 Newton is equal to a theoretical balance of 3 RPM (MD cycling lab), working with a value of 28 Newton and 85 RPM as average of the user/athlete, we could hypothesize a test/workout like one shown below.

Considering that the variation of 1 Newton is equal to a slope variation of 2%, we can talk about of “training for climb” (even if we work in a phiysical condition of flat terrain in the absence of wind always) but not of generic simulation, because this workout is 100% focused on the specific parameters for each user/athlete. We could talk about muscle tension caused by cadence rather than climb, getting closer to reality. Clearly the workout can be theoretical (created by the MD Coach through the Offset) or real (downloaded as .tcx or .gpx files), with the respective conversion of the real slopes in Offset Newton. Once test is completed, the MD Coach can check the effective balance of the user/athlete in terms of Watt and RPM showed in the various segments of the workout, having at his disposal a detailed overview of the user/athlete’s physical conditions that originate from the variations of RPM applied by the user/athlete in reality, as compared to the theoretical variations.

Time Trial Newton: more than an incremental test

From the data shown in the table above, you can observe that the user/athlete is a little bit not balanced in the use of Power. In the steps No 2, 4 and 6 of increase of Newton, the user/athlete produces a cadence greater than the theoretical value (Watt expressed are over the average). On the contrary, in the steps No 3, 5 and 7 of increase of Newton (where a balance in terms of RPM is requested), the ideal cadence is rather below the theoretical value, with a consequent loss of Power. So, the MD Coach will develop a training strategy for the user/athlete by performing of time trial Newton, where the values of Newton and RPM will be set by the MD Coach. This exercise is not considered as a test but is a real workout. We’ll talk about it in the next and last article of MagneticDays Training Philosophy.