Do you really need days off/z1?

LOL, the guy is in his 30s, he’s not old, and recovery shouldn’t be an issue at that age unless they’ve always had issues recovering.

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So I am another 30+ years older. How are you going to describe me??? lol

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agreed.

I should have specified injured from some other activity (clumsiness / falling down the steps - ask me how I know) or injured from a fall or something non-repetitive / non-training related. like some weird one time event. These are obviously not signs of overtraining but might require time off depending on what got injured.

yeah if you’re coming off your bike and you’re hurting…or just randomly walking around and stuff hurts anywhere, something is off with the training load (or mechanics or something)

People get different things from cycling. Winning races and PRs may be the verbalized goal, but not the true goal. 20-25 hours of training is pretty cool in and of itself. Sounds like someone just likes to suffer. It IS important to be honest with oneself and get goals aligned. Otherwise disappointment, bewilderment, and frustration can ensue.

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I’m 40+, train 10-12/week with one gym session and one rest day.

The total volume hasn’t changed but I used to do 7 days/week. Since working with a coach we added the Monday rest day and made Saturday/Sunday rides longer. I have seen improvement in all power measures and my overall enjoyment has increased. It’s also good for my marriage as I can take full childcare responsibility on Monday and give my wife some time to herself.

YMMV, but I’m a believer in the benefits of rest.

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I definitely need rest days and full days off the bike for the mental and physical benefits, I see zero attraction in putting all the effort to get kitted and make time in my schedule for a 1 hour Z1 that will likely hamper my recovery,

I never ride on a Monday as usually do decent spins Sat and Sun and want to be rested to nail a Tuesday workout.

Some weeks I will do 3 days off the bike (Mon, Wed & Fri).

This is actually quite sad, but all too common. A lot of these guys with exercise addiction have pretty good endurance, but their top end is usually weak, or at least their ability to use it when they need it is greatly reduced. They always complain about having tired legs (and if they aren’t then they may just be used to it), but twice a month have a good day which confirms in their mind they are in fact on the right track. Good luck convincing them that less would be more.

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I observed the same with my training: Whenever I am fresh, I set PRs in nearly any time duration, again and again. Still learning how to ride slow enough (easy days) and how to recover from hard days. This really works, it‘s just hard to implement for me.

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I would just like to remind you to schedule your colonoscopy by 40 if you have a family history of colon cancer :wink:

I’m in my 30’s too. It’s ok to admit you’re getting older my friend.

I have no planned days off.

Your comment is correct but it is ironic that it is being said to me. I have a chronic disease and have had over 25 colonoscopies so far. Next one is June 5th. I am a pro at these.

I’m not sure if it is mentioned but if someone is riding 1-2 hours everyday without rest days, I think the better option is change one day to a long ride and add a rest day. Still matching the volume. I think it’s a win win situation.

I’ve tried that for years and it’s not a better option. Feel better and perform better with a recovery ride versus day off.

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I think alot of people are saying the same thing. Slogging yourself day after day with medium hard rides is not a recipe for success. You need hard days and EASY days. Easy may mean a day off for some, or a very easy spin for others.

My 20+ year training history has told me that unless I am totally waxed, I do much better with a super easy 40-ish% of FTP spin for 45-60 minutes than a complete day off. So I don’t take many days off. But they are certainly recovery days. Others may have found different. You need to find what works for you.

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Training makes you weaker, subsequent recovery then makes you stronger.

So how long do you think it takes for the adaptive response to a given workout reach its zenith?

I feel like this is a trick question, but I must know your answer to this…

that’s the crux of my question.

no idea the answer but dying to know

assuming it must depend on nutrition, sleep, power output, fitness level, genetics, time of a workout.

yup. just wondering if it’s true or if it’s people repeating what they heard?

already been a handful of people say they don’t take days off.

The transcriptional response peaks within a handful of hours. Changes in protein synthesis of course peak later, but still within less than a day.

IOW, by the time the sun rises again, the “drug” we call exercise has essentially worn off. You therefore need to get frequent “hits” just to avoid regressing, much less improve further.

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I’ve read the signal of stimulus fades as you’ve posted. But let’s say you’ve really hurt yourself, and you’re sore two days later - surely the signal to repair, rebuild stronger, also remains in tandem with the pain signals at least?