Fast Fridays Vol. 1: Neuromuscular Power

Neuromuscular Power: What is it and Why train it? Plus, four workouts to try at home.

Each week over on my Instagram page I’ve been highlighting a different workout that is relevant to the training season. This first month I have focused on neuromuscular power sessions. Let’s dive into why these are good now, and then I’ll give you all four workouts to try at home!

What is it?

Neuromuscular Power (NP for short) work teaches our bodies (and our brains!) to recruit muscles efficiently to produce power. When performing a task, the brain recruits specific motor units to contract the muscles. By training NP, the body becomes more efficient doing neuromuscular work. This means the brain can now recruit the exact motor units needed AT THE EXACT right time. This is done through a variety of short and intense efforts, ranging anywhere from cadence work to all out sprints.

Why Now?

The first few months of the year, most cyclists and triathletes are in either their Preparation Phase or Base Phase of the training cycle. The preparation phase is focusing on consistent training after the off season and getting the body ready for bigger volume coming up in the Base Phase. The Base Phase is when volume really starts to increase while overall intensity stays relatively low. There may be some tempo and short bits of higher intensity work to keep the legs sharp but otherwise it is building the foundation to layer on work later in the training program.

Since the efforts are so short, fatigue is minimal on the body allowing athletes to recover well for their next training session.  This makes it an ideal time of season to incorporate these sessions into a training week.

 Why Train NP?

NP training teaches the body to recruit muscles efficiently to produce power. And being efficient means it might take longer until the time of fatigue. NP training also enhances ones ability to become a more explosive rider. This is important for triathletes that focus on draft legal racing and cyclists, whether it's crit racing or road racing. Why? Because in racing, generating a large amount of force in a little amount of time is critical. Especially if it’s a sprint finish or putting in a big dig to form a breakaway.

How to do a NP Workout

NP workouts are generally aerobic rides with some type of cadence work or sprint work. I recommend a nice, long warm up before beginning the interval session. Efforts stay around ten seconds in duration focusing on explosivity with long recovery in between efforts. Athletes will often overlook these sessions because they feel they are not hard enough. A key takeaway to keep in mind is that not every workout has to feel hard. These sessions are benefiting the body in a way that will have practical application come race day.

The Workouts

Workout 1: Spin Ups -> 1 hour

Ride moderately (RPE 3-5 or power zones 1-2) for 30 minutes. Then, select a moderate gear and “spin up” to as high a cadence as you can hold without bouncing in the saddle. Hold for 20 seconds then recover for 1 minute. Repeat this 6-8 times. Cool down with 5-10 minutes of easy riding (RPE 2-3) or power zone 1.

Workout 2: Out of Saddle Sprints -> 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ride moderately (RPE 3-5 or power zones 1-2) for 30 minutes. Then, select a moderately hard gear and “snap” as quickly as possible to achieve an all out sprint (highest power possible) for 10 seconds. This should be out of the saddle when you snap. Recover for 3:50 minutes before going again. Repeat this 8 times. Cool down with 5-10 minutes of easy riding (RPE 2-3) or power zone 1.

Workout 3: Seated Accelerations -> 1 hour

Ride moderately (RPE 3-5 or power zones 1-2) for 20 - 30 minutes. Then, selecting a moderately hard gear, stay seated and spin it up as fast and as hard as you can for 10 seconds (highest power possible while seated). Recover for 1-2 minutes before going again. Repeat this 8-10 times. Cool down with 5-10 minutes of easy riding (RPE 2-3) or power zone 1.

Workout 4: 1 Minute High Cadence -> 1 hour

Ride moderately (RPE 3-5 or power zones 1-2) for 20 - 30 minutes. Then, select a moderate gear and increase your cadence and power. Cadence should increase to 110-120 rpm and power should increase to tempo zone (power zone 3 or RPE 6-7). Hold cadence and power for 1 minute. Focus on a smooth pedal stroke with no bouncing in the saddle. Recover 1 minute at normal cadence before going again. Repeat 5 - 10 times. Cool down with 5-10 minutes of easy riding (RPE 2-3) or power zone 1.