28 February 2010 ~ 14 Comments

Ramp Test (without a power meter)

amp Test without a Power Meter.
A ramp test consists of progressively more difficult stages lasting from 3-4 minutes. It is usually performed on an indoor trainer in a controlled environment. An indoor trainer like theCompuTrainer that can function as an ergometer is ideal, as it allows one to increase the resistance in a controlled and quantifiable manner.
If you do not have a trainer with this capability, you can attempt to simulate the same effect by starting in an easy gear and shifting into a progressively more difficult gear during each stage.
Workout type: Bike
BT: Ramp test. See p.44 of CompuTrainer Workout Manual. The stages are 100 -150 -200 -250 watts. Record gear & speed used. Record your total score.
Planned Time: 1:00
Test:
Determine gear to start the exercise in. You may need to experiment to find the starting gear that will keep you at least 10 beats per minute below your anaerobic threshold pulse at the highest testing stage.
Select a gear similar to what you warm up in.
Maintain a speed of 16mph  for three minutes. Without stopping, record your stage 1 heart rate at three minutes and shift up 1 gear.
Repeat the procedure through all four stages.
Stop pedaling for one minute to measure your recovery pulse. At the end of the recovery minute, record your pulse. The test is complete.
You will now have five heart rates recorded. Add them to find your current Ramp Total. The data will look like this:

The last test in the bike test series: the Ramp test. The purposes of the Ramp are to quickly check aerobic progress, determine if extreme fatigue or overtraining is happening, measure recuperation from overtraining, and to warm up before intense workouts.

A ramp test consists of progressively more difficult stages lasting from 3-4 minutes. It is usually performed on a CompuTrainer, which can function as an ergometer, allowing to increase the resistance in a controlled and quantifiable manner. After some reasearch, I found an article on the CompuTrainer web site suggestions that “If you do not have a trainer with this capability, you can attempt to simulate the same effect by starting in an easy gear and shifting into a progressively more difficult gear during each stage.”

So here is my modified test that works with a stationary bike trainer and my Garmin 305 with the Cadence/rear wheel speed sensor:

  1. Determine gear to start the exercise in. You may need to experiment to find the starting gear that will keep you at least 10 beats per minute below your anaerobic threshold pulse at the highest testing stage.
  2. Select a gear similar to what you warm up in.
  3. Maintain a speed of 16mph  for three minutes. Without stopping, record your stage 1 heart rate at three minutes and shift up 1 gear.
  4. Repeat the procedure through all four stages.
  5. Stop pedaling for one minute to measure your recovery pulse. At the end of the recovery minute, record your pulse. The test is complete.
  6. You will now have five heart rates recorded. Add them to find your current Ramp Total.

Here is what my result came out to:

  • Stage 1, Gear: 11, Time: 3:00, HR: 134
  • Stage 2, Gear: 12, Time: 3:00, HR: 149
  • Stage 3, Gear: 13, Time: 3:00, HR: 159
  • Stage 4, Gear: 14, Time: 3:00, HR: 186
  • Stage 5: Cooldown, Time: 1:00, HR: 115
  • TOTAL: 743

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