Short or long intervals to progress?

Whether it is to reach the top of a legendary pass, or prepare for a cyclosportive, or even obtain results in competition, each at his own level, to progress and hope to perform on the day of the objective, we must all follow a serious and well-adapted training. And among the different sessions essential to the construction of our future success, there is the famous session of split. But then which interval training session should you include in your training? Should you focus on short interval training or long interval training? 

By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: DR

« Short split or long split? » you asked? Well, it all depends on your level. And it also depends on your type of goal. And before I explain all this in detail, let's start with a little definition.

Short or long intervals to progress?
A so-called “fractional” session consists of alternating high-intensity sequences with active recovery sequences.

What is interval training?

If you want to improve your level, whatever your age, if you have never done it before, know that interval training is one of the best investments. What does it consist of? Well, it consists of alternating sequences of effort and sequences of rest (active rest). The effort is thus interspersed with recovery phases and the objective is simple: to make you ride faster and longer than if you had to adopt an intense pace continuously, while managing changes in pace.. And for good reason, interval training allows you to increase your PMA (Maximum Aerobic Power) or your FTP (Functional Threshold Power in English or otherwise translated power at functional threshold) for those who work in watts. In these sessions, it is your entire cardio-respiratory system that works, your body improves its respiratory capacities and the inspired air is used more efficiently.

=> SEE AS ​​WELL : The different training intensities

Who is interval training for?

The good news from this article is that everyone is concerned. Indeed, everyone can practice interval training, whether short or long. However, it is an exercise that requires endurance. It is therefore preferable to work on your endurance before starting interval training. If you are a beginner, start with one session per week. Finish your sequences with a short 15-minute cool-down. The ideal is to be at rest the next day. You can alternate between short interval sessions and long interval sessions, the sensations are different and they are complementary. On the other hand, It is important to gradually increase the volume of your sets and never forget the most important thing: warming up! Start with a 30-minute low-intensity rolling session before starting the exercise.

Short interval training or long interval training?

Short intervals

Short intervals or 30/30 for example consist of alternating sequences of 30 seconds at full speed (100% of your PMA) and 30 seconds of recovery in recovery mode (65% of your PMA). The ideal is to do 8 to 10 sets of intervals to start and to gradually lengthen the sessions.

Depending on your level, here are different sessions:

  • Beginner or returning to training: 8 to 10 intervals.
  • Experienced cyclist: 20 to 30 fractions.

Short intervals will allow you to develop your PMA to ride more efficiently. This type of training is mainly aimed at riders who need explosiveness and more generally those who participate in competitions in which there are a lot of changes of pace (races with a lot of turns but also cyclo-cross, mountain biking, etc.).

Long intervals

Long intervals consist of riding for 2 to 4 minutes at a sustained pace, but not at 100% of your PMA. Then recover for half the effort time. It is not always easy to find the right pace, it is up to you to judge your abilities to ride fast, but not at full speed! Use cardio if you wish and try to be around 90-95% of your maximum frequency. Alternate the sequences between 6 to 8 times.

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How to properly practice 30-30 interval training?

All experienced cyclists know it, 30-30 interval training is a basic! However, although it seems simple to set up, the 30-30 session is often misused. Here are in detail the best practices of 30-30 to get all the benefits and progress on your bike.

Before explaining how to put the 30-30 into practice, a little reminder is necessary. The 30-30 is classified as a PMA race, its goal being to develop your PMA by alternating 30-second fractions. You must therefore know your PMA to get all the benefits of 30-30 interval training.

The most common mistake in practicing 30-30 is precisely not riding at 100% of PMA or VO2max. If you are too fast, you will tire very quickly. Conversely, if you are below your VO2max, the training session will not have as much benefit as it could have offered you.

A good 30-30 session therefore relies on your pace. It's about determining the right pace to adopt. As it's a very short session, you unfortunately won't be able to rely on your heart rate monitor. Your heart won't have time to adapt to the effort.

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Here are a few tips :

  • The first thing to do is to calculate your FTP or PMA if you are using a power meter.
  • Practice on a small circuit whose distance you know well, and also easy to move around and without traffic, lights or stop signs. And this to have visual references with signs or trees that will be located in this environment, and calculate the distance to be covered over 30 seconds for example.
  • Be reasonable: remember that you must do the last accelerations as quickly as the first ones. Stay tuned to your body and its capacities, the goal is to be able to do several fractions to follow without exhausting yourself from the first series.

The benefits of a 30-30 split session 

The 30-30 interval training will allow you to increase your PMA. You will thus use your oxygen better, be more profitable in a way. You will therefore ride longer at high speed, without lacking oxygen, in short be more enduring! The 30-30 interval training is also good for your mental health, the sessions are short and fast, it is much more dynamic than a long interval training!

Putting 30-30 Interval Training into Practice

Of course, it all starts with a good warm-up: a light 30-minute ride, then you're ready for your 30-30 session! The 30-30 is 30 seconds at 100% PMA followed by 30 seconds of cool. So, before you set off, keep your calculated pace in mind, it's always very tempting to start strong and you risk suffering the consequences at the end of the session, if you manage to do so!

For a first session (beginner or return): do two sets of 6 times 30-30 with 4 min in very cool mode between each set. To progress: add a fraction to each series for three weeks at a rate of one per week. You arrive at 2*8 *30-30 with always 4 min of recovery. Take a week of rest, then start again on your 5th week at 8 or 10 fractions. For experienced cyclists: you can start directly at 8 fractions and follow the same progression. Finish with a 15 minute recovery phase.

Short or long intervals to progress?
Different training intensities provide different effects on physical condition.

What if we want to extend the intervals? 

Although the principle of long interval training is the same, it is a little more complicated to manage. For this type of session, a well-programmed GPS counter will be a real plus. Indeed, unlike short interval training, it will be difficult to throw all your strength into a sprint for 4 or 6 minutes or more. You will therefore have to control your pace, often according to your PMA or FTP expressed in Watts, while having a pace higher than a usual output pace. You will find repetitions of 5 minutes at 90-95% of your FTP for example or 10 minutes at 85-90%. The first sessions are a little difficult, you have to manage the duration of the repetitions and the speeds but you will see that with practice, you will quickly find the right rhythm.

The long one to strengthen endurance and resistance 

This session is one of the building blocks for strengthening endurance and also, on a mental level, giving us the virtues of the famous self-improvement.

And here are some fundamentals:

  • Intensities: around 90% of PMA 
  • Total session volume (excluding warm-up, cool-down and recovery time): 10 to 30 min. This volume may even be increased for very experienced cyclists.
  • Progressiveness on the size of the fractions (we start with 2 min to gradually go to fractions of up to 15 min.
  • Progressiveness on the volume: from 15 to 20 min at the start of programming, 30 min or more at the end of programming.
  • Always active recoveries while spinning 

Week after week, and with long outings without raising your heart rate in addition, you will be able to acquire the ability to maintain the same quality of effort for longer and longer. Pedaling economy, relaxation during effort and the level of physical preparation of each person will also certainly allow you to finish better in the last third of the race, where everything is at stake. This is also the whole point of adding long interval training to your plan in addition to the short one.

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So, which session should you choose?

Is it better to do short or long interval training? So that's the question? Well, we wrote it to you from the beginning, neither one nor the other my captain, but both, you have to vary and use these 2 types of sessions. In a typical week with 4 sessions, you should ideally include a short interval session and a long interval session. You will see by practicing the 2 sessions that the sensations are completely different but that the two are extremely complementary. There you have it, you know everything about the different ways of interval training and now it's up to you to put it into practice...

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Jean-François Tatard

- 43 years old - Multidisciplinary athlete, sales coach and sports consultant. Collaborator on specialized sites for 10 years. His sporting story begins almost as quickly as he learned to walk. Cycling and running quickly became his favorite subjects. He obtains national level results in each of these two disciplines.

2 comments on “Short or long intervals to progress?"

  1. Bonjour.
    I have read dozens of articles on the subject. This is the first time that I completely agree with all the elements and arguments.
    Also, written in French 😉😂
    Francis, young retired enthusiast.👍

  2. Bonjour.
    I have read dozens of articles on the subject. This is the first time that I completely agree with all the elements and arguments.
    Also, written in French 😉😂
    Francis, young retired enthusiast.👍

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