"Train for RealTM" with ErgVideoTM & your CompuTrainerTM
ErgVideo brings together real-action video and actual power files from road and criterium races, Time Trials and Triathlon courses. With recent new releases, the selection of ErgVideos has been expanded with several training sessions including specific interval training, hill climbing, sprints and even motor pacing. ErgVideo is the only way to add the specific demands of racing to your CompuTrainer training. Everyone can use ErgVideo, since you adjust the difficulty level to your own abilities.
Download this article in .pdf (The .pdf article detail regarding .lastride download is obsoleted by ErgVideo 2's direct integration of the Intellicoach website toolkits).
The ErgVideo system runs on a PC, and operates a CompuTrainer in ergometer mode. This mode forces you to replicate the power requirements of the ride. It's incredibly close to a true racing experience since you see the action unfolding in front of you and are forced to bridge gaps, sprint and work hard in breakaways. To capture awesome action, the ErgVideo racers-cum-videographers are often Cat-1's in high-level races, and indeed not everyone can output the true absolute power required. Therefore, the ErgVideo power profiles are % based, keyed to the Threshold power. You plug in your own specific threshold power and the ride is AUTOMATICALLY scaled to your fitness ability. You can make the ride harder as you improve, by increasing the threshold power setting. It works especially well on CompuTrainer Multirider: several riders can train together, and everyone works at their own level, since each rider's threshold can be set individually. All riders view the same video, experience the same race, and get the same workout benefits relative to their threshold power.
This screen shot shows what you see when riding one of the ErgVideo Criteriums. Across the top is the power profile (blue graph) with the vertical red line showing your present progress in the ride. At this point you see a ramp up in effort (up a hill with the pack) and power is at 120% of threshold (indicated top left). In Multirider mode, every CompuTrainer is forcing each rider to hit 120% of their programmed threshold, regardless of whether that is 100W or 400W.
The Power profile-based operation of the ErgVideo system is the key to incredible training sessions as well, with our Train for RealTM series. Top-notch riders lead key on-the-road workouts and interval sessions. You set your threshold power level, and ErgVideo makes sure hit the specific power training zones for that workout. You get your workouts done on target, every time.
Coach's application and perspective
To incorporate ErgVideo into your coaching system, athletes must first purchase their own ErgVideos. Many will choose on their own and should let you know which titles they have. Alternatively, as coach, you can recommend specific videos which match key workouts that you often prescribe, or will need to prescribe for that athlete's development. Descriptions of each video are available on the ErgVideo website and power profiles and statistics are found on the Intellicoach.ca website. You do not need to buy the library to coach with ErgVideo. You can use the toolkit at Intellicoach to customize all rides for your athletes. For example, at one time of year you may be emphasizing aerobic base training. A rider may have the "Base Rides:" ErgVideo, or you can "turn-down" the threshold setting for almost any ErgVideo to meet your criteria for a good base-training specific ride. The Intellicoach.ca toolkit pre-computes the resulting ride statistics so you can prescribe effective workouts, and keep your athlete "on track" in your program.
From a coaching perspective, here are some key highlights. You can...
- Create structured workouts for athletes that 1) force the athlete to complete exactly the prescribed workout and 2) are automatically customized to each athlete by entering one number, the threshold for the session.
- Review power profile, time in zones and other TrainingPeaks statistics for every ErgVideo. Use the Intellicoach Profile Tool to create customized workouts for athletes of any ability.
- Create workouts that are repeatable, with the ability to increase difficulty over time to track with an athlete's progress.
- Use each ErgVideo in a variety of ways. Interval sessions can increase in difficulty to track along with an athlete's improvement through the season, and year to year. Other racing, TT and training rides can be ridden at any level relative to true threshold, to change the time in zones, TSS, IF etc. An early season zone 1/2 base ride can be easily converted into an intense 3/4 threshold workout later in the year.
ErgVideo can be used to enhance the coaching experience of athletes and does not bring into play any competition nor enticements from other coaching-service providers, like some other indoor training videos do.
We will be evolving the features and usability of the Intellicoach toolkit. Look for increased ease of use for both athletes and coaches.
Train for RealTM
Our Train for RealTM series of ErgVideos is designed for use in modern progressive and periodized training plans. As per standard practice, the training year is broken into phases. Following the naming convention made popular by Joe Friel in his Training BibleTM series for cyclists and Triathletes, we've grouped suitable sets of videos into "Base" and "Build" 3-packs. Rather than use the "Peak" terminology, we've created the "Edge" series, which covers later Build-period and Pre-Race season Peak style workouts. "Edge" is also useful for people who are aware of specific weaknesses and strengths in their own ability, and want to give them extra attention beyond that which is offered in the Base & Build series.
We've created Base, Build, and Edge 3-packs which are particular to 3 disciplines: Long Course Triathlon, Short Course Triathlon, and Bicycle Road Racing. The workouts are broad and varied, and you will find it easy to incorporate these sessions into your athlete's training plans.
Train for RealTM ErgVideos cover training from the base-building period all the way up to peaking...and racing of course! A single Train For RealTM ErgVideo is designed to be flexible and provide many different workouts throughout your season. For example, the "Maximum Aerobic Power (VO2max) Intervals" ErgVideo contains the following distinct sets of intervals:
- 8 reps of 45 seconds @ 128%TP, with 2 minutes rest between
- 6 reps of 60 seconds @ 122%TP, with 1 minutes rest between
- 6 reps of 90 seconds @ 135%TP, with 3 minutes rest between
- 8 reps of 120 seconds @ 122%TP, with 3 minutes rest between
- Extra rest time separates the sets.
Now, it is rarely recommended that anyone do these sets all at once, in sequence. More typically, you select a set, along with some extra intra-set rest (say 5-7 minutes), and repeat that set from 2-4 times, depending on your ability and your training needs. For example you may pick the longer interval, less intense sets at the beginning of a VO2Max-focussed training phase, and work toward the shorter, more intense sets as you progress. As your TP (Threshold power) improves, you also raise the intensity of the ErgVideo session!
It is easy to see that this single Train for RealTM ErgVideo can be used for many weeks of different MAP/VO2max development workouts. Modify the number of sets and intensity for lots of variety specific to your training philosophy and system.
Check out all of the Train for RealTM Videos with more detailed information here. Check out the race video catalogue and descriptions at: ErgVideo.com/Catalogue.aspx
Selecting and Modifying Workouts with The Coaching Tool
An ErgVideo comes with a synchronized power-profile spanning the video's complete duration. The ErgVideo Player incorporates a "ride designer" which allows you to select different start and end points, as well as a "repetition start" and "repetition end" point. You can choose to do the reps any number of times. This way, your 1.5 hr long ErgVideo can be used for rides from only 10 minutes to many hours long, if that's what you'd like to do. The diagram below shows the on-line coach's version of this tool, where you can examine all of the ErgVideo power profiles, and customize your athlete's workouts.
An ErgVideo can be ridden at any ability level, by setting the "AT" level setting. In general, if you want a full-on race experience from a racing video, you set the AT level to your tested "Lactate threshold" or "Functional Threshold" power in watts. You can of course choose to ride much below or above your tested "LT/FT", and this will vastly alter the nature of the training experience. It permits any ErgVideo to be adjusted to target different training zones for different training benefit.
As an example, the chart on the left is copied from the ErgVideo coaching tool available at www.intellicoach.ca . This particular chart shows the percentage of ride time in each training zone for the Lake Placid Triathlon ErgVideo, assuming that you set the difficulty to 100% of threshold.
The chart on the right shows the results of riding the same video but at 70% of threshold. These charts can be created for any ErgVideo ridden for any length of time at any level. The tool even computes key CyclingPeaksTM power metrics. If you want to try this tool it can be found here.
This demonstrates the great flexibility of ErgVideo to meet your needs. This single video can be ridden as either a tough Zone 3/4 workout or a relatively easy Zone 1/2 workout, for base training or an easy day.
With this interactive tool, you can build ErgVideo sessions to match your athlete's training requirements. Once you have set a workout you can send along the key information or actually download the workout as an ergVideo TrainingPlan file and email it to the athlete. We recommend that you read over this page (well actually the whole site!) and try out the coaching tool. Please let us know if you have any questions. Improvements and complete integration with ErgVideo 2 is now complete. It eliminates the need for the .lastride file and workouts are directly imported to ergVideo 2 from a TrainingPlan file.
Training Bible is a trademark of Joe Friel.
CyclingPeaks is a trademark of Peaksware LLC, USA
CompuTrainer is a registered trademark of RacerMate Inc., USA.
ErgVideo and "Train for Real" are trademarks of ErgVideo Inc. Canada.
