The currently Coach of Italian Triathlon National Team Under 23 Andrea Gabba has officially been confirmed to be a part of the MagneticDays Coach Team. “We are proud and happy to have Andrea with us – the MagneticDays CEO Marco Sbragi said – because he is one of the most important Italian Triathlon Coach with a great experience at international level with a fantastic palmarès.“
Coach Andrea Gabba will be the person in charge to create new amazing high quality training protocols of HTT Methodology, that will be named as HTT 2. “I have had the opportunity to try Jarvis Training System by MagneticDays recently, working with a few Pro triathletes and age group athletes, and I was very impressed by the versatility of this product. Since I work with MagneticDays (the first Indoor Training System based on a scientific approach) I was able to convert my ideas into reality, offering high quality built training to my athletes during spring and summer also (at least twice a week), because there are specific workouts that are more efficient if done with this training system if compared to others on the road. MagneticDays is “more than a smart trainer” and my athletes have obtained great results at all levels: World Cup, Italian Championship, Cross Triathlon and more. I’m very happy to collaborate with MagneticDays – Coach Gabba said – because it is not only an indoor training platform but a top cycling lab always constantly growing. MagneticDays allows you to optimize your time and training in the best way, giving you the chance to improve yourself under each point of view.. if you try it, you love it!”
On the left: Simone Buracchi (MD Technical Area and Coach), Andrea Gabba (new Coach MD), Marco Sbragi (MD CEO) and Walter Roda (MD athlete and 2017 XTERRA Maui finisher)
During the last months we wanted to tell you about the evolution of a product that is grown during the last first five years, through reproducible results that were tested by all those who have chosen MagneticDays for their physical and mental wellness! As we often like to say, during the times where people drives sports cars, we have offered a plan. And we realize that we are pioneers of a new training philosophy, so we really feel proud and responsible at the same time. Here’s the 6 Pillars of MagneticDays Training Philosophy.
Chapter 1 – it’s all about Physics
Our adventure started five years ago – when we wanted to understand in more depth what was the physical environment in which we could to be able to work with our indoor training system – also thanks to the help of the considerations made in collaboration with a physicist of the University of Pisa (Tuscany). We have determined that we are always in a phiysical condition of FLAT TERRAIN IN THE ABSENCE OF WIND.
Chapter 2 – the evolution of cycling simulator
Considering that we are always in a phiysical condition of FLAT TERRAIN IN THE ABSENCE OF WIND, we have had the intuition to transform this training system into a true “cycling lab” with which improve the physical and mental wellness and cycling performance for each user. There was an evolution of the concept of cycling simulator as it was known until a few years ago, considering that this concept did not improved the quality of training from the physical point of view and having at our disposal all the parameters of the user/athlete that are clear and measurable by a scientific approach.
Chapter 3 – how to increase Bike Power
Having the right data at our disposal (always the same and measurable), the new challenge by MagneticDays was to separate the “Power data” in its two fundamental components: RPM (Revolution Per Minute) and Force (Newton Per Meters), influencing the physical characteristics of the athletes. The same values of Watt can be produced in different ways in terms of RPM and Newton.
Chapter 4 – incremental exercise test is the way
The HTT Methodology represent the most scientific built training programs that are currently possible and it starts with the incremental exercise test. Everything is based on a first briefing session with a MD Coach, where the user/client defines own goals. Second step is the start of evaluation of athletic training form and third step is represented by the first 6 built training programs (duration: 60 minutes for each) that are different from each other. The last part of these programs includes additional parameters that allow to create next workouts. Our incremental test protocol (made in collaboration with a few Italian Universities) starts from a value in the amount of 50% of own reference value. MD System improves the Power of 1 Watt per 6 seconds with RPM free. This test ends when the user/athlete has reached maximum effort and therefore cannot proceed further with the test. The last part of workout No 6 is represented by this test that allows to understand the efficacy of the previous workouts and their effects on physiological values of the athlete, giving informations (and new data) to MD Coach in order to write new built (and calibrated) training programs
Chapter 5 – Time Trial Newton test and Offset
Here we go into the heart of MagneticDays Training Philosophy. When the MD Coach realizes how the user/athlete rides, he can plan a CRITICAL POWER TEST. In other words “you are what you can do”. This test is like a time trial race (duration: 30 minutes) that is configurated by MD Coach (through a mileage calculated on the basis of the incremental test data). Duting this time trial race, the user/athlete will have at his disposal the use of one optical remote control (electronic gear) that will allow to work with changes of applied force in terms of 0,5 Newton (10 times more precise than a classic gear), with the goal to give prominence to own ideal physiological conditions for the effort. At the end of the test, the average between Newton and RPM will show who the user/athlete is in that moment.
Chapter 6 – indoor training has never been so fun
The last chapter of MagneticDays Training Philosophy completes a scientific and human path of learning and knowledge that brings the MD Coach to have a real overview of the situation about characteristics and physiological values for each user/athlete who, in the meantime, has established with the MD Coach a true friendship. Knowing the characteristics and physiological values for each user/athlete (Watt, Newton and RPM), the MD Coach will be create new specific workouts with the goal to meth, also thanks to the myriad of possibilities offered by MagneticDays.
We hope to have been able to tell you the concepts that represent the pillars of a new approach to training. We will also create a video tutorials soon that will show these concepts.
Thanks so much.
The MagneticDays Team
It has to be said: MagneticDays is more than a smart trainer!
After having developed the first Indoor Training System based on scientific approach (which is improved and increasingly accurate with the rapid progress of technology), we are happy to introduce the new release (2.1.1) of MD WiFi App (available for iOS and Android) that allows to satisfy the playful aspect of Indoor Cycling also, improving a unique offer from a technical and qualitative point of view (HTT Methodology) and mixing our high quality workouts with fun.
This release offers to all of users/athletes the real possibility to “replicate the effort” (Watt) required in a specific part of any cycle route. The necessary Data needed for work costantly into the “Phisical formula” (that calculates the effort) are: Rider and Bicycle Weight, Cogset, Cassette and Wheel Circumference. These values must be insert in the section named Settings – My Account of MD WiFi App, before to start the workout.
Virtual Gear by MagneticDays
Here’s a focus on 2 important values of the Virtual Gear.
Rider and Bicycle Weight ? This value is different from that used for HTT and it’s not important for the purposes of HTT Methodology, but all the users/athletes can be change this value as they like, pedalling in different physical conditions compared to the current one and imagining how the sensations and efforts would be different in terms of Weight.
Personalization of Cogset and Cassette ? All the users/athletes will can choose their favorite virtual gear ratio selecting the buttons +/- for chainring (to the left) and cog (to the right), the real innovation of the release. It will also possible to control the virtual gear throught the dual optical remote control.
This amazing innovation (the first in the world of Indoor Cycling) allows to the JARVIS System to have at disposal the right Data in order to supply the exact physiological response (in terms of Watt) to the technical gesture conducted by the user/athlete in real time. Furthermore, it is also possible to set the value of Slope (%) of the route/workout (RED for climb and GREEN for downhill).
Zwift Compatibility
Zwift is a massively multiplayer online cycling and running game and training program that enables users to interact, train and compete in a virtual world. With the new release 2.1.1 of MD WiFi App, MagneticDays becomes the first Indoor Training System able to mix a high quality workout with fun. JARVIS System already communicate directly with Zwift, and from today the connection is in a new way if Track Resistance mode is on. The best condition is that to use Zwift with your PC (JARVIS have the ANT+ aerial for PC as standard equipment) and the MD WiFi App installed on your tablet or smartphone.
And last but not least, the possibility to “ride” on JARVIS System the most famous cycle route in the world (or your personal cycle route) as .tcx or .gpx file imported on own personal profile of our Website www.magneticdays.com. These cycle routes will be available to the MD users/athletes in the near future and published on our Website (section named Self Managed Workouts and Routes) where are already available a few cycle routes (free download). The Virtual Gear Handbook MD WiFi App 2.1.1 is available as .pdf file here.
In the last article about the MagneticDays Training Philosophy we have talked about how to increase Bike Power (the great innovation about our Indoor Training System) working with the two fundamental components of “Power data”: RPM (Revolution Per Minute) and Force (Newton Per Meters), and how it is absolutely necessary to determine the specific physiological values for each athlete before to write a custom built training.
The HTT Methodology represent the most scientific built training programs that are currently possible and it starts with the incremental exercise test. Everything is based on a first briefing session with a MD Coach, where the user/client defines own goals. Second step is the start of evaluation of athletic training form in order to understand the real physiological parameters of the user/athlete. Third step is represented by the first 6 built training programs (duration: 60 minutes for each) that are different from each other. The last part of these programs includes additional parameters that allow to create next workouts.
Generally, the last part of workout No 6 is represented by a test that allows to understand the efficacy of the previous workouts and their effects on physiological values of the athlete, giving informations (and new data) to MD Coach in order to write new built (and calibrated) training programs.
Incremental Test is the first approach with MagneticDays
Our incremental test protocol (made in collaboration with a few Italian Universities) starts from a value in the amount of 50% of own reference value. MD System improves the Power of 1 Watt per 6 seconds with RPM free. This test ends when the user/athlete has reached maximum effort and therefore cannot proceed further with the test.
The first evaluation by MagneticDays is to observe the natural cadence for each user/athlete. What does it mean? The first important thing for us is to know the natural cycling cadence, in order to optimize the pedalling technique and efficiency for each user/athlete. For this reason, this protocol represent the right compromise between accuracy and execution times. Another right protocol (even more accurate than this) is represented by 1 Watt per 8 seconds, but the execution times are too long.
The incremental test protocol gives exact data on:
- Watt produced by user/athlete at Threshold
- Physiological features on the basis of the natural balance between RPM and Newton
- Average RPM produced by user/athlete from a value in the amount of 50% of own reference value up to the Threshold and over
- Average RPM at over the Threshold
As already mentioned above, the last part of workout No 6 is represented by this test that allows to understand the efficacy of the previous workouts and their effects on physiological values of the athlete, giving informations (and new data) to MD Coach in order to write new built (and calibrated) training programs. But this test is totally different if compared to the last part of workout No 12 (sustainable power) if the user/client chooses to continue with the HTT Methodology.
Having at disposal more data about the user/athlete, the MD Coach will set a typology of workout named “Time Trial Distance” (more fun than classic Time Trial) with a duration of 30 minutes.
Incremental test is more accurate with MagneticDays
With our Indoor Training System we can always refer to the same state (measuring all the parameters that we need to know) having always the same benchmark, a work condition that is impossible to reproduce outdoor where everything is constantly changing (read more here). One of the advantages of our System is to have at disposal a “high precision virtual gear” (buttons control for PC or */- signs for App WiFi) that allows to make changes in terms of 0,5 Newton to find the best effort during the test (0,5 Newton at 80 RPM are equal to 4 watt). So this virtual gear is 10 time more accuracy than a classic gear, where the change of one of the gear’s teeth is equal to a variation of 40 Watt with a consequent low quality in terms of determination of the exact “physiological cycling cadence” of the user/athlete. From the average between Newton and RPM, the MD Coach can observe the right data to set the next test named “Time Trial Newton”.. but we will talk about this in the next article! 😉
Physics and evolution of cycling simulator were the key concepts of the introduction of MagneticDays Training Philosophy. With this third article, you can start to understand the great innovation about our indoor training system. Considering that we have at disposal the Jarvis indoor training system (an instrument with high accuracy and precision), we can always refer to the same state having always the same benchmark, a work condition that is impossible to reproduce outdoor where everything is constantly changing.
How to increase Bike Power – introduction
Having the right data at our disposal (always the same and measurable), the new challenge by MagneticDays was to separate the “Power data” in its two fundamental components: RPM (Revolution Per Minute) and Force (Newton Per Meters). What is the Power? In physics, power is the rate of doing work, the amount of energy transferred per unit time. In the International System of Units, the unit of power is the joule per second (J/s), known as the Watt (W). When an object’s velocity is held constant at one meter per second against a constant opposing force of one newton, the rate at which work is done is 1 watt.
The force applied to the pedal in our Indoor Cycling System (originated from the magnetic brake) includes all the forces that we can perceive outdoor like wind, friction, dynamic resistance and all those factors that can change continuosly “forcing” body to adapt itself over and over again in order to find the optimal balance. Considering that Jarvis is not an ordinary smart trainer but a scientific and cycling lab where is possible to work entirely on the body of each athlete, we can control the physiological respones to training going to control the factors affecting Power.
How to increase Bike Power
In the first article about our Training Philosophy, we had explained how using either the MagneticDays or any other Indoor Training System that use a resistance produced by permanent magnets (taking advantage from the Lorentz force) or dynamic resistance (produced by brakes), we are always in a phiysical condition of “flat terrain in the absence of wind.” Considering this “Physical state”, the scientific literature suggests how the best cycling cadence to optimize the pedalling technique and efficiency is at approximately 90 RPM. For example: Mario, Eric and Luke are three guys and athletes who have apparently the same perfomance::
Mario: 250 Watt (threshold heart rate) originated from 30 Newton and 80 RPM
Eric: 250 Watt (threshold heart rate) originated from 23 Netwon and 96 RPM
Luke: 250 Watt (threshold heart rate) originated from 27 Newton and 88 RPM
This situation represent three levels of Power exactly the same but determinated by three completely different feautures. Supposing that the values of thresold heart rate and RPM (for each athlete in training) are 250 Watt and 88 RPM, the specific training for Mario, Eric and Luke is Agility, Strenght and Neutral respectively.
Through our analysis we can confirm that we can help “Mario” to improve his cadence naturally cycling at 85 RPM (starting from a value of 80 RPM) and improving his threshold heart rate from 250 to 265 Watt (if force is equal, 1 RPM is equal to 3 Watt). Among other things, Mario represents (as physiological features) more than 80% of not professional cyclists.
With this example we want to explain two important things:
- Before to write a custom built training, is absolutely necessary to determine the specific physiological values for each athlete;
- Having at disposal a scientific instrument as MagneticDays, is possible to work finely on specific parameters as Watt, Newton and RPM, influencing the physical characteristics of the athletes.
Let’s go back to talking about the MagneticDays training philosophy in this second article on blog. A few days ago we introduced the first topic about what was the physical environment in which we could to be able to work with our indoor training system born as MD425 (as a first step) and subsequently evolved in Jarvis. Considering that using either the MagneticDays or any other Indoor Training System that use a resistance produced by permanent magnets (taking advantage from the Lorentz force) or dynamic resistance (produced by brakes), we are always in a phiysical condition of “flat terrain in the absence of wind” (this situation represent our work area), we have had the intuition to transform this training system into a true “cycling lab” with which improve the physical and mental wellness and cycling performance for each user. There was an evolution of the concept of cycling simulator as it was known until a few years ago, considering that this concept did not improved the quality of training from the physical point of view.
Having said this, even if our work area is always that of “flat terrain in the absence of wind”, is also true that we have at disposal the Jarvis indoor training system (an instrument with high accuracy and precision), then we can always refer to the same state (measuring all the parameters that we need to know) having always the same benchmark, a work condition that is impossible to reproduce outdoor where everything is constantly changing.
Our indoor training phylosophy was born from this new concept, in order to change the classic vision of smart trainer into a training system with an high levels of performance. From cycling simulator to cycling lab where is possible to work entirely on the body of each athlete, having at our disposal all his reference parameters that are clear and measurable by a scientific approach. All of this clearly represents a new range of action and test in the cycling world, where a scientific approach (applied to a reliable system) represents a new start point in the indoor training field.