TRANSCRIPTION 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:05.280
Asked 10 cyclists what torque training is, and nine of them will probably tell you the same thing.
00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:07.519
Riding at 60 RPM.
00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:10.400
That's become the default prescription.
00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:14.720
If you want to improve torque, just find a hill, shift into a big gear, and grind away.
00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:15.759
But here's the problem.
00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:21.760
Low cadence doesn't automatically mean more work or better work is being done.
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:25.039
It doesn't automatically mean higher force output.
00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:32.159
In fact, I've seen riders spend months doing low cadence intervals and never actually getting stronger on the bike.
00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:32.880
Why?
00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:36.719
Because we've confused cadence with force production.
00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:50.399
Today I want to challenge the way most cyclists think about torque training, explain why strength training is often the missing piece, and remind everyone if you're going to train something to improve it, you should actually measure it.
00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:57.200
The sad truth is that lots of coaches and athletes claim to use torque training in their programs.
00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:09.519
But when I ask them directly if they even monitor torque during their self-proclaimed torque intervals or analyze it in the files afterwards, very few actually say yes or even no that you can do this.
00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:18.719
As you'll see here in a minute, higher force production or increasing torque can be an effective method to improve aspects of your cyclone.
00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:26.079
But you can do this with high or low cadence training and with strength training in the gym.
00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:36.799
For the record, I'm not not a torque guy, but all I'm saying is if you're gonna train it, measure it so you can actually see if what you're intending to train is actually working.
00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:40.159
I'm Adam Pulford, head coach of cycling at CTS.
00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:47.200
That's an endurance coaching company that works with amateurs, pros, and everyone like you to help hit their goals.
00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:57.040
We produce these videos to cut through the bullshit of training so that you can take it to the next level by either hiring a coach or coaching yourself better.
00:01:57.200 --> 00:01:59.599
You can find out more at trainwright.com.
00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:13.199
Now, there is a lot of misinformation about torque training out there, so today let's try to dispel the myths and look at tools and strategies that you can apply to your training for better results overall.
00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:16.719
Part one The Myth about Torque Training.
00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:23.599
Somewhere along the line, the cycling world simplified torque training into one instruction: ride at lower cadence.
00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:25.840
Need more torque, ride at 60 rpm.
00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:28.800
More force, ride at 55 rpms.
00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:30.800
Need to improve your climbing?
00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:32.560
Ride at 50 rpms.
00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:35.360
But cadence is only one variable.
00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:39.280
You can pedal at 60 rpms while producing very little force.
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:46.080
Likewise, you can generate enormous pedal forces without intentionally riding at low cadence.
00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:47.120
It's called a sprint.
00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:53.439
And that higher force output, which elicits higher power, is what moves the needle on performance.
00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:56.800
We've confused the tool with the adaptation.
00:02:56.960 --> 00:02:59.280
Low cadence isn't the adaptation.
00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:00.879
Force production is.
00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:03.919
In particular, force production over time.
00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:08.159
That's the important distinction because it changes how we think about training.
00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:09.360
Part 2.
00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:11.680
What actually creates torque?
00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:14.159
Let's start with a simple concept.
00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:18.719
Power is produced by two things, torque and angular velocity.
00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:20.800
Angular velocity is simply cadence.
00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:23.680
Torque is the rotational force at the crank.
00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:29.280
Most cyclists immediately focus on the cadence side of things for this equation.
00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:32.080
If I slow my cadence, I'll improve my torque.
00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:35.120
But ask yourself, where does the torque actually come from?
00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:38.639
It comes from your ability to apply force to the pedals.
00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:42.879
Cadence changes the conditions under which that force is applied.
00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:46.639
It doesn't magically increase your ability to produce force.
00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:53.039
I have a good infographic displayed about this right now, and it is a little dense, according to my editor and producer.
00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:54.159
She's awesome, by the way.
00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:58.960
But she also encouraged me to remind you all that you can pause and read through this if you wish.
00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:01.759
But back to my point here about torque production.
00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:08.960
Think of it this way: lower cadence gives you more time to apply force during each pedal stroke.
00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:14.960
But if your maximal force production hasn't improved, power is unchanged.
00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:21.279
And power in wattage is the thing that drives adaptation and performance.
00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:25.120
Low cadence at lower power doesn't make you stronger.
00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:30.240
Force production needs to be high in order to elicit a higher power output.
00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:34.000
And that intensity makes all the difference.
00:04:34.240 -->
Load full transcript
00:04:35.040
Part three.
00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:39.279
So that's how maximal strength actually increases.
00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:41.040
The gym raises the ceiling.
00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:44.319
Cycling teaches you how to use it on the bicycle.
00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:48.480
And that's why more endurance athletes are lifting now than ever before.
00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:56.160
Not because they're trying to build bodybuilder legs, it's because they're trying to increase their force-producing capacity.
00:05:56.399 --> 00:06:03.519
Another fun fact: changing crank length doesn't change your torque output at a particular power and cadence.
00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:07.600
So don't think that by going shorter cranks actually give you an advantage here.
00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:14.160
In fact, shorter cranks require more force output at the same power and cadence.
00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:19.920
That's a common misunderstood fact about cycling and biomechanics there for you.
00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:24.160
And all the more reason to focus on force production.
00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:26.319
Anywho, part four.
00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:29.040
Does low cadence training still matter?
00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:30.240
Absolutely.
00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:35.920
I'm not arguing against low cadence work, and I'm not arguing against torque training.
00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:40.879
I'm arguing against using it as your primary strength intervention, that's for sure.
00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:50.079
And I'm arguing against low cadence intervals without any thought about the power, force, or adaptation that you're trying to accomplish.
00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:53.040
Low cadence intervals have two important jobs.
00:06:53.199 --> 00:07:00.720
First, they help transfer strength you've developed in the gym onto the bicycle for cycling specific movements.
00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:06.800
Second, they improve your ability to express force while pedaling under real riding conditions.
00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:10.000
That's specificity, not maximal strength development.
00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:12.480
Those are two very different adaptations.
00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:20.800
If strength training raises the ceiling, low cadence riding can teach you how to use that new ceiling on your bike.
00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:22.319
Now, part five.
00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:24.959
This is where torque becomes really interesting.
00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:33.519
One of the reasons I've started using torque analysis in my own coaching is that it adds another layer to the traditional power duration curve.
00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:44.639
The power duration curve tells us what power the athlete can produce, while the torque duration curve, along with cadence, which is still important by the way, begins to tell us how they produce it.
00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:54.399
So imagine two riders, and I've got this up on the screen as well, and I'll walk you through it here a bit, but feel free to hit pause and read through to get all the details
here.
00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:59.120
So these two riders both have 320 watt FTPs.
00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:02.879
Both have nearly identical power duration curves.
00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:06.800
From a traditional coaching perspective, they look the same.
00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:09.680
But then you look at their torque profiles.
00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:13.600
One rider maintains exceptionally high torque throughout the curve.
00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:16.160
The other relies heavily on cadence.
00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:19.519
Suddenly, they aren't the same athlete anymore.
00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:23.120
The first rider may already have excellent force production.
00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:29.680
The second rider may have an incredible aerobic engine, but relatively lower muscular force production.
00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:31.120
Same FTP.
00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:34.399
Different coaching strategies, potentially.
00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:45.840
That's where I think looking at torque has some real value here, because it adds more description to the athlete phenotype or some strengths and limiters rather than pure power production alone.
00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:52.399
Torque then becomes not the number to chase, but another layer to observe and measure.
00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:59.679
It's another way to understand an athlete's movement strategy and if you need to train or modify anything around it.
00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:15.120
Now, we could go wild here and talk about critical torque, which in a very simplistic term is adjacent to critical power insofar as it's a high torque value that a rider can sustain for a long period of time without fatiguing rapidly.
00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:24.559
Critical torque is more commonly a thing in laboratories for researchers, biomechanists, and measured in a pretty controlled setting.
00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:27.440
But of course, we can get at it from the field side of things.
00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:36.080
At the time of this recording, I don't know of any platform that measures or estimates critical torque at all, including training peaks, intervals.
00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:43.360
And anything that I've seen over the past 20 years.
00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:43.840
Why?
00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:59.519
My argument is that critical power in W prime or FTP and FRC, depending on which camp you're in there, along with cadence, is just a far better way to measure and monitor performance without confusing athletes about chasing yet again another metric.
00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:01.279
So please hear me on this one.
00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:08.240
I'm not telling everyone that they need to measure their own critical torque, like you see here on the screen.
00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:12.080
But if you are curious, here's how I do it for some of my athletes.
00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:27.120
Because I work with elite athletes in different teams whose performance managers may want the critical torque analysis or some kind of torque analysis, along with making sure that my athletes are making gains where it matters when we're doing torque training.
00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:32.799
Here's my workflow of estimating critical torque using WKO5 and a few other tools.
00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:38.799
It's pretty heavy-handed, and most athletes or even coaches listening will not need to go this far into detail.
00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:45.600
However, if you love to tinker or you are an ultra curious athlete, here you go.
00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:51.120
Took me a while to find my workflow here, and now I'm just giving it to you here for free.
00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:51.840
Enjoy that.
00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:55.279
But even giving you this information, it can be confusing.
00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:56.000
I understand.
00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:11.360
So if you don't want to tinker with your torque, just head over to trainwrite.com, click on free consult, and we can get you set up with a coach that can help lead you toward your goals in a very simplistic way for your specific needs.
00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:19.200
Because if you get all hyped up on torque training, you can actually make some mistakes that could lead to poor performance outcomes.
00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:27.519
So ultimately, I use critical torque to identify that sustainable torque output, call it at like FTP, if you will.
00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:35.919
And then what we're gonna do over time is we're gonna look at shorter durations and higher torque productions, see if that's a limiter.
00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:39.200
If it is, we're gonna work on increasing force production.
00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:39.600
Okay.
00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:48.480
We'll when we'll do that through the gym, we'll do that through intervals, and we'll measure it specifically with the torque production on the power file afterwards.
00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:57.039
And we'll make sure that the five second, the 10 second, 20 second, one minute, 20-minute torque production and force production goes up.
00:11:57.840 --> 00:11:58.639
That's how it works.
00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:05.440
That's how I do it anyway in my coaching practice when it comes to using torque values to increase overall performance.
00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:14.639
You don't need to go into that deep of a level, but I just wanted to share with you that that is how I do it when I need to do it on my side of things.
00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:22.559
But oftentimes when I'm communicating to the athlete, I'm still using an actual uh power prescription and a cadence prescription to get it done.
00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:26.799
I will then share with them when we've made changes in that torque production.
00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:31.600
Okay, moving on to part six now because timing matters.
00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:37.039
Another one of the mistakes I see is athletes trying to do torque work all year round.
00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:39.919
Everything has a season, including torque training.
00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:41.200
So when do you do it?
00:12:41.360 -->
00:12:48.000
Well, the first kind of time period that I would do it with an athlete if they need to work on it is during the base phase.
00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:54.320
This is where I'm gonna increase maximal strength in the gym, and I'm gonna build aerobic capacity on the bike.
00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:57.360
Heavy lifting in the gym, higher volume on the bike.
00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:02.559
For most people listening, I would keep it as simple as that, but you gotta lift heavy.
00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:08.639
This increases force production by the muscles, and then we apply it to the bike later.
00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:13.759
Next, during the build one phase, so this is coming after several base phases.
00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:16.879
This is where we're training the force-producing engine.
00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:17.279
Okay.
00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:23.759
We're gonna begin transferring that strength onto the bike with lower cadence and torque-specific intervals.
00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:31.039
In my coaching practice, I use 50 to 60 RPMs at zone three to four to help with this transfer on the bike.
00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:35.519
I'm only doing one to two sessions per week for a few weeks.
00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:37.440
You don't need to go wild with this.
00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:42.240
And in my opinion, you should go harder than zone two in order to see benefit here.
00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:55.759
As we progress through the build part of the season, I'm gonna start to incorporate things like standing starts, overgeared sprints, and low cadence, high power hill attacks, and high speed sprints.
00:13:55.919 --> 00:14:03.600
These are all good drills and intervals to incorporate in order to ensure high force production gets translated to the bike from the gym.
00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:05.360
These are hard efforts, by the way.
00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:07.919
Zone six plus, okay?
00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:13.039
And it feels like a nine out of ten on the RPE scale.
00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:15.759
10 being a max effort, one being super easy.
00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:17.600
We're usually going nine.
00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:26.000
Now there's no specific cadence on these, by the way, but you're using a taller or heavier gears that you would normally use while racing.
00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:28.799
You should feel overgeared to start the effort.
00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:39.279
And then as you finish the effort on these five to 20 second sort of drills or intervals that I'm talking about, you should be just about getting on top of the gear with normal cadence.
00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:42.320
Again, these are more drills than intervals.
00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:49.200
I don't have the athlete looking at really anything, uh, torque, cadence, or power, it's just too short.
00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:51.919
I want them to focus on the effort itself.
00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:53.679
I want them to feel the effort.
00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:54.000
Okay.
00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:57.039
And you're gonna have to use some trial and effort to dial it in.
00:14:57.279 --> 00:15:03.840
But then, then we look at the torque and the power production afterwards on the file itself.
00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:18.159
If you or your coach have determined that you need more high force work in these build phases, I would advise at least a two-week block or more of low cadence, high force VO2 intervals.
00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:24.240
That's two sessions per week, intervals done at zone five to six, so pretty darn hard here, too.
00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:31.600
Nine out of 10 RPE, and we're gonna use low cadence, 50 to 60 RPMs, and have full recovery in between.
00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:37.120
Aim for at least 15 minutes of time in zone per workout, and you'll see the benefits from these.
00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:48.000
I use power and cadence targets that I know that will elicit the critical torque or higher torque, and that force will elicit a positive training response.
00:15:48.240 --> 00:16:02.879
I don't have the athlete look at torque on their device if they don't want to, because I know based on past data that they have been doing at that power with a specific cadence, they will hit the exact torque they need to.
00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:10.320
Now, if they are curious, absolutely, we'll put uh torque displayed on their unit and I'll have them hit a targeted torque.
00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:16.879
However, I try to keep it pretty simple with my athletes and I don't want to overconfuse this message here.
00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:26.080
So if I can still stick with cadence and power in order to get it done, but then show them what the torque is afterwards and say that look, we're hitting the we're hitting the target.
00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:29.600
And on torque training, we're actually improving your torque.
00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:30.559
Now we're talking.
00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:50.080
And so I'll monitor the average torque afterwards to make sure that we're staying on a target to keep moving forward with the goal of being able to produce more sustainable force in the early phases of training so that uh come race season, we don't have a weak link in the kinetic chain of force production, cadence, and power for the effort.
00:16:50.240 --> 00:17:01.919
For athletes racing on steep terrain with that you only have a low cadence option, that means you're doing high power demands at uh 15 to 20 percent gradient increases.
00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:03.120
This stuff's for you.
00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:13.519
For athletes who live in flat terrain or they live in Watopia, where you may not see anything more than a 2 to 3% incline, these intervals are also for you.
00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:25.039
For athletes or coaches who identify that they're limited by force output in order to make their power in a sprint or in a race setting, do more strength training, and then these intervals are for you.
00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:33.759
Now, as you get into the first peak and race portion of the
season, you want to maintain strength in the gym by bringing down the load and overall weight.
00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:42.480
You want to develop the maximal aerobic power and you want to develop energy systems, and you're gonna do this with freely chosen cadence.
00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:46.960
This is always the best strategy for race-winning performance out there in the real world.
00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:55.519
Freely chosen cadence has time and time again been shown to be the best strategy for racing and the majority of endurance athletes in their training.
00:17:55.759 --> 00:18:02.960
This is because there are trade-offs between the aerobic system and the anaerobic system, or your heart and your legs.
00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:20.960
When it comes to making your best power, if you use higher cadence, same power, less torque, you have less force per pedal stroke, better ability to sprint, jump on the attack, make a move when it happens, and respond to terrain changes.
00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:26.880
Having lower cadence and high torque ability allows you to produce more muscular force when needed.
00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:36.880
This is on steep hill climbs, punching through rock gardens for my mountain bikers, you're doing a seated sprint, or you're making sure that you have no weak link in your pedal stroke.
00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:44.640
Also, a big one is like during the season, use low cadence work only when it supports the demands of the events that you're preparing for.
00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:50.319
Because if you train low cadence all the time, you're training for slow leg speed.
00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:58.720
And that's not great for sprinting, bridging those gaps and producing max power on group rides, races, and going fast on your bike.
00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:00.720
Just isn't fast as fast.
00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:04.240
So remember this every intervention should have a purpose.
00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:08.480
Not every athlete needs more torque, not every athlete needs more gym work.
00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:11.039
The key is identifying the limiter.
00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:17.440
Data, such as torque, power, and cadence, like I've shown you here today, or a good coach, can help you with that.
00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:19.200
Here's my closing thoughts.
00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:25.839
The next time someone tells you to do torque training, don't immediately ask, what should my cadence be?
00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:30.079
Instead ask, what adaptation are we trying to create here?
00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:34.240
Because low cadence alone usually won't move the needle.
00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:35.839
Force production does.
00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:38.720
That means high torque and high power.
00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:41.119
Cadence is simply one way of expressing it.
00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:44.799
And that's why I think torque has some unlocked potential for some people.
00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:49.359
Not because it replaces the power duration curve or critical power, not one bit.
00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:53.519
Because without power, cadence and duration, torque is kind of useless.
00:19:53.680 --> 00:20:03.440
It does help us answer a much more interesting question though, not how much power can the athlete produce, but how do they produce their best power?
00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:10.079
Once you understand that, you can make much better training decisions, like should you spend more time in the gym?
00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:12.400
Do you actually need low cadence work or not?
00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:16.880
And if so, at what intensity, or do you just need more aerobic training?
00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:31.920
Ultimately, proper torque training using critical torque analysis is another tool to individualize training instead of giving every athlete the same prescription and hoping for a different outcome next season while shooting in the dark with low cadence.
00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:39.839
Overall, I hope this video was useful in shedding some light on torque training and how it's different from just low cadence training.
00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:47.680
So if you're looking to put these concepts into practice, check out our 2027 CTS training camps calendar, and that's linked below.
00:20:47.839 --> 00:20:55.359
They're a great chance to train alongside of our coaches, get personalized feedback, and learn in a super immersive environment.
00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:57.039
We'd love to see you there.
00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:02.480
Until then, if you're enjoying these videos, please like and subscribe below if you haven't already.
00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:16.160
Share it with a friend, especially those who need some torque training work, because that's the best way to grow the show and our audience in making sure that you get top notch information to improve your training and racing for months and years to come.
00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:17.680
Thanks again for watching.
00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:19.519
We'll see you back here for the next one soon.