Rest week, when and how?
Moderator: Moderator Team
- robbosmans
- Moderator
- Posts: 2791
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2018 12:40 pm
- Location: Central Belgium
- Contact:
So I am new to structured training. I am using this application by a Dutch training centre called “Join”.
I hav so far done 3 weeks of their 3 month FTP builder plan.
Week 1: 424 TSS
Week 2: 262 TSS
Week 3: 479 TSS
I read everywhere that rest weeks are super important, and the plan doesn’t seem to give me a rest week atm.
Should I take a rest week? Should I just continue? What do I do in a rest week?
I hav so far done 3 weeks of their 3 month FTP builder plan.
Week 1: 424 TSS
Week 2: 262 TSS
Week 3: 479 TSS
I read everywhere that rest weeks are super important, and the plan doesn’t seem to give me a rest week atm.
Should I take a rest week? Should I just continue? What do I do in a rest week?
Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓ Broad Selection ✓ Worldwide Delivery ✓
www.starbike.com
- onemanpeloton
- Posts: 367
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2017 11:30 am
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
Does their plan not schedule a rest week at all?
2020 Trek Boone
2017 Merida Reacto
2017 Trek Superfly AL
2017 Merida Reacto
2017 Trek Superfly AL
- onemanpeloton
- Posts: 367
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2017 11:30 am
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
On a very basic level, a typical progression would normally be 3 weeks gradually increasing TSS, followed by 1 week recovery which is approx 50% TSS of those first 3 weeks
2020 Trek Boone
2017 Merida Reacto
2017 Trek Superfly AL
2017 Merida Reacto
2017 Trek Superfly AL
- robbosmans
- Moderator
- Posts: 2791
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2018 12:40 pm
- Location: Central Belgium
- Contact:
I can only see the coming week, so I don’t know what is coming in 3 weeks.
This is a very cheap subscription service.
Its just me first taste of structured training. I wasn’t ready to the commitment of more expensive training plans.
So it might be a good idea to take this week easy, with a tss of around 200?
This is a very cheap subscription service.
Its just me first taste of structured training. I wasn’t ready to the commitment of more expensive training plans.
So it might be a good idea to take this week easy, with a tss of around 200?
- onemanpeloton
- Posts: 367
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2017 11:30 am
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
Yes I think that sounds sensible. Aim to do a similar number of riding hours as the previous 3 weeks, but with only low intensity.
You can get "free trials" of Trainer Road which is what I use. Even if you don't pay after the trial, you could use the trial to see how a training plan is structured. This may help you plan your own training without paying for anything.
There are also lots of blogs from Trainer Road, Training Peaks, Dylan Johnson and others about how to approach training.
If you want a referral code for Trainer Road, just let me know
You can get "free trials" of Trainer Road which is what I use. Even if you don't pay after the trial, you could use the trial to see how a training plan is structured. This may help you plan your own training without paying for anything.
There are also lots of blogs from Trainer Road, Training Peaks, Dylan Johnson and others about how to approach training.
If you want a referral code for Trainer Road, just let me know
2020 Trek Boone
2017 Merida Reacto
2017 Trek Superfly AL
2017 Merida Reacto
2017 Trek Superfly AL
- robbosmans
- Moderator
- Posts: 2791
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2018 12:40 pm
- Location: Central Belgium
- Contact:
Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it a lot!
I will definitely check the recommendations.
I will definitely check the recommendations.
Depending on the volume, your CTL and the intended ramp rate, the 262 TSS week could be the equivalent of a rest week.robbosmans wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 4:05 pmSo I am new to structured training. I am using this application by a Dutch training centre called “Join”.
I hav so far done 3 weeks of their 3 month FTP builder plan.
Week 1: 424 TSS
Week 2: 262 TSS
Week 3: 479 TSS
I read everywhere that rest weeks are super important, and the plan doesn’t seem to give me a rest week atm.
Should I take a rest week? Should I just continue? What do I do in a rest week?
- robbosmans
- Moderator
- Posts: 2791
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2018 12:40 pm
- Location: Central Belgium
- Contact:
That was a very busy week and I skipped a day.
Is the strava premium fitness and freshness feature the same as the TrainingPeaks CTL?
Or are there free ways to check CTL?
Is the strava premium fitness and freshness feature the same as the TrainingPeaks CTL?
Or are there free ways to check CTL?
Golden Cheetah is free.
Rikulau V9 DB Custom < BMC TM02 < Litespeed T1sl Disc < Giant Propel Advanced SL Disc 1 < Propel Adv < TCR Adv SL Disc < KTM Revelator Sky < CAAD 12 Disc < Domane S Disc < Alize < CAAD 10
- robbosmans
- Moderator
- Posts: 2791
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2018 12:40 pm
- Location: Central Belgium
- Contact:
Ow yeah forgot about that, thanks
-
- Posts: 12550
- Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm
intervals.icu also free/donationware
Historically that's what would have been done but then as you're building fatigue during the 3 weeks up to the rest week you're putting yourself in a position where you might start to struggle on that 3rd week. Another approach is to make the biggest week the one immediately following the rest week ie when you're freshest, with slightly reducing TSS in the subsequent weeks but maintaining the intensity of any interval work. So rather than for example TSS weeks of 400, 425 and 450 just do the reverse. It may result in the third week more likely to be achievable. This is especially true when there's job and lifestyle outside of cycling to juggle. If you're full time cycling then you can easily plan for extra rest as fatigue builds. The key is to be flexible and know when you're genuinely tired and back off from that session. Or plan rest weeks when you know other things in life are going to significantly intrude whether that means 2 weeks increasing with 1 rest week then back to a 3 week/ 1 week schedule.onemanpeloton wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:27 pmOn a very basic level, a typical progression would normally be 3 weeks gradually increasing TSS, followed by 1 week recovery which is approx 50% TSS of those first 3 weeks
- onemanpeloton
- Posts: 367
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2017 11:30 am
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
That's interesting, I haven't come across that approach before.c60rider wrote: ↑Sat Feb 20, 2021 4:48 pmHistorically that's what would have been done but then as you're building fatigue during the 3 weeks up to the rest week you're putting yourself in a position where you might start to struggle on that 3rd week. Another approach is to make the biggest week the one immediately following the rest week ie when you're freshest, with slightly reducing TSS in the subsequent weeks but maintaining the intensity of any interval work. So rather than for example TSS weeks of 400, 425 and 450 just do the reverse. It may result in the third week more likely to be achievable. This is especially true when there's job and lifestyle outside of cycling to juggle. If you're full time cycling then you can easily plan for extra rest as fatigue builds. The key is to be flexible and know when you're genuinely tired and back off from that session. Or plan rest weeks when you know other things in life are going to significantly intrude whether that means 2 weeks increasing with 1 rest week then back to a 3 week/ 1 week schedule.onemanpeloton wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:27 pmOn a very basic level, a typical progression would normally be 3 weeks gradually increasing TSS, followed by 1 week recovery which is approx 50% TSS of those first 3 weeks
My understanding that a gradual increase is training stress/stimulus is needed in order to drive adaptation. If that stimulus is lower and lower every week then I wonder how the adaptation might differ....
Agree with being flexible and listening to your body
2020 Trek Boone
2017 Merida Reacto
2017 Trek Superfly AL
2017 Merida Reacto
2017 Trek Superfly AL
Well in the longrun that's true, but inside the micro cycles, your body will adapt to 400/425/450 in a similar way, as he will to 450/425/400. Since the time in between is too short to adapt fully, the adaptation will mainly take place during the rest week with a tss of maybe 200-250.
It is accepted that "form" will somehow correlate with your CTL, and the CTL will increase anyway...you could also try 425 / 425 / 425 with probably a similar result.
Depends on what works best for you and as C60 already highlighted, for most of us, life is about more than just cycling.
The more important aspect is, that you increase your load (Not necessarily stress!) over the meso and makro cycles and find your "optimum"
Now, what's the difference between laod and stress you might ask. Load is an objective measure....power x time i.e.
Stress is a subjective measure such as TSS or IF.
In other words, if your body adapts and grows stronger, you have to increase the load in order to maintain the stress(and therefore force it to adapt). There will probably be some kind of "stress limit" that you can maintain for a certain period without burning out. One reason why many athletes suffer from infections after a training camp....their body doesn't cope with the abrupt increase of TSS.
So therefore I would suggest to "recalibrate" your Stress/Load ratio (i.e. FTP) if possible once a month, after a rest week, when you are fresh.
Does not necessarily need to be a 20 min. FTP Test, but some kind of standardized routine you can do every month and that somehow corresponds to your fitness. Once you recalibrate, you can focus on maintaining your TSS, once you found your "sweet spot".
What many people seem to forget sometimes is, that training is not about absolute values (FTP, TSS, CTL,...), but increasing your personal and subjective fitness. Except for Zwift, races are not won by power figures.
It is accepted that "form" will somehow correlate with your CTL, and the CTL will increase anyway...you could also try 425 / 425 / 425 with probably a similar result.
Depends on what works best for you and as C60 already highlighted, for most of us, life is about more than just cycling.
The more important aspect is, that you increase your load (Not necessarily stress!) over the meso and makro cycles and find your "optimum"
Now, what's the difference between laod and stress you might ask. Load is an objective measure....power x time i.e.
Stress is a subjective measure such as TSS or IF.
In other words, if your body adapts and grows stronger, you have to increase the load in order to maintain the stress(and therefore force it to adapt). There will probably be some kind of "stress limit" that you can maintain for a certain period without burning out. One reason why many athletes suffer from infections after a training camp....their body doesn't cope with the abrupt increase of TSS.
So therefore I would suggest to "recalibrate" your Stress/Load ratio (i.e. FTP) if possible once a month, after a rest week, when you are fresh.
Does not necessarily need to be a 20 min. FTP Test, but some kind of standardized routine you can do every month and that somehow corresponds to your fitness. Once you recalibrate, you can focus on maintaining your TSS, once you found your "sweet spot".
What many people seem to forget sometimes is, that training is not about absolute values (FTP, TSS, CTL,...), but increasing your personal and subjective fitness. Except for Zwift, races are not won by power figures.
Interested in buying Carbonsport Lightweight wheels with broken spokes.
BMC Teammachine SLR01 Disc Team 2018|Ridley Helium | Kuota Kross|Cannondale Scalpel 29 Hi-Mod
BMC Teammachine SLR01 Disc Team 2018|Ridley Helium | Kuota Kross|Cannondale Scalpel 29 Hi-Mod
Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓ Broad Selection ✓ Worldwide Delivery ✓
www.starbike.com
I couldn't make reference earlier on to any specific articles about loading up your first training week harder and then the next two of the block with reducing TSS but maintaining intensity but here is a 2014 article https://pezcyclingnews.com/latestnews/t ... ning-load/
There have been a few occasions I've read about it since and certainly I tend to apply it myself, more than a 3 week cycle of increasing TSS prior to a recovery week, but probably use more of a case of training hard/easy/resting on a day depending how I actually feel on that day rather than just sticking to a plan regardless. If I've got a week with more time planned ahead I'll hit that pretty hard in terms of intervals or endurance volume regardless of what I might have done leading up to that week. This article seems to suggest that you'll get a bigger boost over that block than a traditional plan of slowly increasing intensity.
There have been a few occasions I've read about it since and certainly I tend to apply it myself, more than a 3 week cycle of increasing TSS prior to a recovery week, but probably use more of a case of training hard/easy/resting on a day depending how I actually feel on that day rather than just sticking to a plan regardless. If I've got a week with more time planned ahead I'll hit that pretty hard in terms of intervals or endurance volume regardless of what I might have done leading up to that week. This article seems to suggest that you'll get a bigger boost over that block than a traditional plan of slowly increasing intensity.