HyperPower Protocol©: Power Tool Corner: The Essential Tools of the HyperPower Protocol© (HPP)

Power Tool Corner: The Essential Tools of the HyperPower Protocol© (HPP)

In this post the essentials tools of the HyperPower Protocol will be reviewed including equipment, software and spreadsheets to track progress.

Orion, Jon and Mike, the HPP volunteer athletes whom you met in the previous posts, are taking their Power Profile Tests as I type this entry. I am eagerly anticipating their power files to determine each of their training zones for the coming Wednesday session, which will be our first indoor training at B&L Bike and Sport in Solana Beach.

In the last post I shared the specifics of the Power Profile Test (PPT) that will provide a snap-shot of each athlete’s current fitness level. We will use the data from this initial test as a baseline from which a comparison of fitness gains will be measured as we progress over the next six weeks.

The PPT included a number of short, medium and longer intervals to measure each athlete’s current fitness using power. Using TrainingPeaks WKO+, we can either track the actual, derived data from each of the prescribed intervals in the PPT or use the software’s built-in measurements of tracked peak power at select intervals. More on this in just a bit.

For now, let us discuss the essential equipment you will need to successfully complete and track the HPP.
Essential Equipment

1. Functioning power meter: All three athletes use PowerTap, manufactured by CycleOps. Mike Ash also uses a SRM power meter on his time trial bike. In my opinion, the PowerTap is the best power meter on the market today based on a number of variables including accuracy, portability, cost and service. This does not mean that other power meters are not good: SRM is arguably perhaps the most accurate, but it is affixed to one bike and not as easily transportable to other bikes compared to iAero or PowerTap. It just means that based on my opinion I believe the PowerTap offers most bang for the buck. It is beyond the scope of this post and protocol to cover power meters. Several in-depth articles have been written on this topic. A simple search on Google will bring up a number of resources that will provide in-depth analysis of which power meter might be best for you.

2. Functioning indoor trainer: It is also beyond the scope of this post and program to evaluate indoor trainers and I suggest speaking with your local bike shop and/or doing a bit of research online to find one that works for your budget. What is important for this program is that you use the same trainer for each test and workout because of individual variations between trainers, trainer makes and models.

3. CyclingPeaks Software: you will need a good analytics tool to dissect and analyze your power files. Based on my experience, there is nothing on the market that can match what TrainingPeaks offers. Individual variations and needs may dictate that you use software and I invite you to conduct your own research on what is best for you. A recent article by Drew Geer in Velo News compared the most recent software available on the market, including those for Mac.

4. Tracking spreadsheet: This spreadsheet, such as the actual one we will be using for this protocol tracks each rider’s power profile for each tracking interval. If using TrainingPeaks, you can choose to track either the built-in key intervals in that software or the key intervals that best suit your discipline: if your race requires short bursts of power and recovery (such as a criterium race) then you would want to track shorter intervals versus if your race requires sustained power (such as an Ironman triathlon) then longer intervals should be tracked. For the HPP protocol, I will track the built-in TrainingPeaks intervals of 5sec, 10sec, 20sec, 30sec, 1min, 2min, 5min, 10min, 20min, 30min, and 60 minutes – CyclingPeaks extrapolates and projects values for the longer intervals even though the HPP athletes will not actually do any of these longer intervals. You can set up a custom Performance Management Chart in TrainingPeaks to automatically chart progress at these key intervals.

5. Training and Racing with Power by Hunter Allen and Andy Coggan: this is a key book that you will reference.

6. Andy Coggan’s Power Profiling spreadsheet found here.


With these essential tools in place you are now ready to take the first Power Profile Test (PPT), described in detail in a previous post.

Download your PPT results in your spreadsheet or simply mark and track them within CyclingPeak (see help menu for details).

Once you have established your Functional Lactate Threshold (LT) power extrapolated in CyclingPeaks, you will use this number to follow the specifics of the HPP interval power zones described in a previous post and provided below:

1. Mid-January (17th or 18th): power profile test to determine the athlete's power
profile based on the power test and assign critical functional power (CFP) levels and projected LT power.

2. Session one, January 21-22 at 5pm sharp @ B&L in Solana Beach: macro intervals of 5min @ 150% LT, rest, 20min @ 100%-125% LT, rest, 5min at 200% LT, cool down. Micro intervals will be 15sec on/15sec off at below 50% LT.

3. Session two (one week later): 5min @ 150% LT, rest, 25min @ 100%-125% v, rest, 7.5min at 200% LT, cool down.

4. Session three (one week later): 5min @ 150% LT, rest, 30min @ 100%-125% LT, rest, 5min at 200% LT, cool down.

5. Power test (January 24/25): during the weekend after the third session do a mid-way power profile test.

6. session 4: 5min @ 150% LT, rest, 30min @ 150%-175% LT, rest, 10min at 200% LT, cool down.

7. Session 5: 5min @ 150% LT, rest, 35min @ 100%-125% LT, rest, 10min at 200% LT, cool down.

8. Session 6: 5min @ 150% LT, rest, 40min @ 100%-125% LT, rest, 12.5min at 200% LT, cool down.

9. Power test (February 28/March 1): during the weekend after the final session do a power test.

This is a hard protocol and not for the novice. If you have not read the previous posts regarding how to properly gear up for the HPP, please do so.

Best of luck and I welcome any questions or comments you may have.

Kam