Empirical Cycling Podcast The Watts Doc #4: How High Intensity Interval Training Makes You Faster
Apr 12, 2019
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Tabata Drives Anaerobic Gains Quickly
- Tabata (20s on/10s off) boosts anaerobic capacity while similar VO2max gains occur from longer steady efforts in untrained people.
- Short high-intensity bouts force repeated anaerobic work that raises accumulated oxygen deficit and post-exercise oxygen uptake.
How To Try The Original Tabata
- Calculate Tabata work wattage from your VO2max power (e.g., 170% of VO2max) when trying the protocol.
- Expect rest between 4–10 minutes and adjust based on ability and recovery.
Old-School Race-Pace Tapering
- Kyle recalled high school swim coaches using broken race-pace intervals during taper weeks.
- That old-school approach mirrored pace-based training common in the 1990s.