If you do cycling training and have ever done stomps, you might think I’m crazy when I say this, but I’ve always liked them. They are extremely tough, but they appeal to that twisted part of me that enjoys hard training.
If you’re an outdoor cyclist or indoor cycling instructor, you probably have that part too.
Stomps are designed to increase power in the saddle. Chris Carmichael usually gets credit for them; his guidelines involve 20-second stomp intervals outdoors. The indoor program I taught followed the following format.
Because stomps are difficult and can stress your knees and lower back, a solid warm-up is essential. Roll your legs for several minutes, then run this pattern a few times: 2 o’clock sitting at 110-120 rpm; 1:00 foot racing 80 rpm; 1:00 seated with resistance at 80 rpm; 1:00 recovery at 90 rpm.
A stomp interval is 60 seconds; recovery is 60 seconds. Allow 25 minutes or more for a set of 5, a 5-minute break, and another set. The break can be longer. The resistance during the stomps is very high and drops during the recovery. Recovery cadence is individual, but I suggest 90-100 rpm.
Stomp at a strict 80 rpm. Fatigue will tend to slow down your legs, so it helps A LOT to have an 80rpm song to match. We often use Hallogallo from Neu! It has a precise speed of 80 rpm and a duration of 10 minutes, which helps to maintain the energy of the workout. Repeat or change the music for the second set.
Keep the center line of the body on the bike. Do not move from side to side, as you would when climbing. Keep your hands in position 1.
The rules for a beautiful circular pedal stroke do not apply during the stomps. Exaggerate the downstroke and hit against the resistance, without moving your body from side to side. I refer to it as “pounding the pedals”.
Heart rate is not the point; however, there are no heart rate limits on this exercise. If you or your riders push hard without changing the resistance, the heart rate can go up quite a bit. (Intervals shorter than 60 seconds may result in lower rates.)
Avoid “soft” signals. An instructor was telling his class, “Okay, guys, do another stomp now.” There is no way for your riders to cause a rigorous interval of stomps.
Instead, start giving directions about 5-6 seconds before the interval. In a firm voice, say, “And load the bike… AND… STAMP!” Light pauses and delivery should time the word “stomp” with the first second of the interval. Cue time about 30 seconds and with 10 seconds to go.
Find some feature on the resistance knob to mark the resistance used in the last stomp. It’s much easier than trying to re-determine the resistance for each interval. Cue that reminder for your passengers.
Resistance can be fierce during stomps. Every time I do them, about 8 times a year, I find that I can still increase the resistance for each interval, even though the leg fatigue increases as the workout goes on. Don’t ask me to explain that, but it’s too consistent to be a fluke. It happens even when I do the training on my own. You can instruct your riders to keep increasing the resistance so they get the added benefit of strength and power.
If you use high-intensity intervals in your workouts or classes, this workout could be a perfect fit for that approach. With the emphasis on strength and endurance, stomps offer a change of, say, speed intervals.
Stomps are a killer workout.