1000 watt sprint

Guys how exactly does one perform a 1000w sprint? The best I could do at the moment is 900watts. How do you build up on that sprint? How much rpm and which gear should I be in pre-sprint and during the sprint itself where you reach 1000watts. I’m sorry new to cycling in general, I couldn’t find a guide on the internet. Thank you zwifters

Don’t skip leg day :wink:

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Have a read of this it is from Cycling Weekly, they had a Max Watts challenge as one of their monthly challenge last year.

https://www-cyclingweekly-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/take-on-the-max-watts-challenge-455620/amp?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQHKAFQArABIA%3D%3D#aoh=16161374113095&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclingweekly.com%2Fnews%2Flatest-news%2Ftake-on-the-max-watts-challenge-455620

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Just put that chain on the right side (biggest gear is a plus) and then hammer it down! It’s all about exercising and strength - I believe some fast twitch muscle fibers.

I found it useful to train once every week a “strength endurance” set. That’s something like 8x5min @60rpm with 2min rest @85rpm between.

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Everyday is leg day! :leg:

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But don’t worry too much if you never do. I know a guy who can do a 1200 watt sprint at the drop of a hat, but I can beat him every time on anything that needs sustained effort for more than 5 minutes. Different bodies are sometimes suited to different things regardless of how much training you do. My rare max is 800, more common its 650, but I can push push 300+ for hours and watch the sprinters dwindle into the distance behind. Some are diesels, some sprinters, some climbers.

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Don’t put it into too big a gear. You need a certain amount of cadence to be able to put the power down. If you go into too big a gear you’re expending wasted power trying to get on top of the gear.

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Good sprinters are usually very impulsive people who can also explode quickly in normal life. Real sprinters are therefore also dangerous in road traffic. You simply have the ability to be a sprinter. You can’t really learn it. You have to be a little crazy. You also have to be a little bit angry and then you just go all out without thinking, to the point of absolute unconsciousness. So the ability to sprint is a curse and a blessing at the same time.

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If its a specific one off 1000 Watts print you want to do to get the badge… Then this is way to do it.
On Watopia select any reverse route from the normal start pens that goes through the Italian Villas Sprint.
Go up the hill from the start then take the esses n rollers till you get to the last climb which is about 6%.
Climb that and then make sure your in Large ring n ride down as fast as you can.
As you turn left onto the bridge n Sprint… Give it all you’ve got, the speed carried from the downhill will give you the best power n speed you need… Change up as your legs spin out n go like mad…
You should be able to make it to the Grand… N get a PR on that sprint. :+1::ok_hand::grin:

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Going downhill doesn’t increase your power

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That’s correct but it is increasing your speed ahead of launching the sprint so you’ll be on top of the gear.
Gets you kind of ready to launch an all out sprint.

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Pre-sprint you want to be rolling along as fast as possible whilst seated, in a slightly hard gear, preferably in the slipstream of another rider.

Then ur gonna slam ur bike into the hardest gear, get out the saddle, and go ham. (This type of explosiveness primarily uses fast-twitch muscle fibres).

1000w is no joke so if you have done no previous strength training, don’t expect to hit those kind of numbers.

If you want to improve top end power, you need to work on lifting heavy weights or doing explosive exercises (jumping squats etc.) but make sure you know what you’re doing to reduce risk of injury.

Keep in mind though, that this will likely come at the cost of being able to do endurance training, which is typically more important than sprint power in road racing (until you are able to hang with the lead group anyway).

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you can hit 1000 watts at 15 mph or at 35 mph, speed is a result of power

power is not a result of speed

That’s very true but for me psychologically it’s easier to hit a target at speed than climbing.

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That’s a massive generalization and over 1000 watts does not a sprinter make. Maybe over 1300

well he’s not totally wrong…
crazy sprinter reporting for duty :crazy_face:

it does take a specific mindset that a lot of people just dont have.
you do need to have something psychologically that is able to really amp you up to push you above and beyond ur limits for that short duration. if you dont have that mental ability to self-trigger your “fight or flight” response, you will struggle to generate an extreme burst of power.

and yes ppl who have anger issues etc. can learn to channel that into exercise if they so desire, and do go on to become very explosive athletes.

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Annoyingly hit 985 last night. Really trying for 1000 badge. It’s nice to already be going fast before starting the sprint because you don’t have to worry about shifting and I feel like it shortens the amount of time you need to be putting out high watts. I was aiming for 10 seconds all out.

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That time i was riding old 3x9 giant cadex bike on swift. Wanted to get the 1200w badge. Best place for me was sharp corner going down volcano. Beiing in gear 23 and doing ~300w in front of that corner. Then pushing and shifting down the gears so that at steepest section i was in best rpm to go all in. Doing that downhill helped me to get the rpm needed. Cracked my 1st kickr climb … was not able to repeat that on flat or uphill

My highest watts are always on the subway stairs in London.

The highest I’ve ever done was 1240w, also done 1000w a few times outside but it’s not something I normally used to do because the location where I am it’s very busy so it’s a bit dangerous.

Indoors on a trainer that bike (a big powerwatts bike) and trainer were bolted to a concrete floor for safety.

Trick to doing this is to do your strength workouts, some of them off the bike. Keep the cadence up too.

I used to know a BMX rider who could do 1800w no problem. He’d spin at 180-200rpm and smoothly too! Unbelievable to see it.

I could do max 160rpm and would feel like I could not physically spin faster.

My power beyond 5 minutes however was way higher.