Pick an LV plan, do the 3 rides in that (2x SS, 1x relatively easy Threshold in SSB1), top up with endurance (possibly using TrainNow). Solved.
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It also is pretty much reflective of my experience with AT, having been in the Beta since May - obviously YMMV which is what these threads are about. So despite being written in marketing-speak it’s pretty much my experience of using it. I’ve been using TR since 2016 and AT is a significant improvement for my use case (which, as far as I can tell, is pretty normal).
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I ride with Power both in and outdoors on the road and MTB and also with HR. I would use HR only as a means to see if I was fatiging too high / too low and look at adaptions and drift.
I also try to associate rides but have only had minimal success with this as it doesn’t seem to change my levels most of the type. It is too hot/humid for me to ride indoors most of the summer. I do try to do the workouts outdoors but it is difficult to find the correct terrain for longer intervals so just use the lap button on my wahoo and do my own session.
I will probably stop my subscription in when this current year runs out, after using TR for 3 years I haven’t seen any noticible gains in FTP although I admit my endurance is better.
Also the training programs are pretty basic and anyone can replicate the progresssions and sessions that are on there. I guess the calandar is more of a visual aid for motivation for me and nothing more.
Solved? Not really.
When you’re asked to input information for Plan Builder to use to construct your plan(s), picking a plan and then adding my own endurance isn’t the experience or the system I believed I was being offered.
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Yes, I was being deliberately flippant.
But the point basically stands, if you’re picking the MV or HV plans and don’t like them, you need to reconsider it don’t you. If you know what you’re doing, and it sounds like you do in terms of the amount of intensity you want, this is going to work better for you.
I’ve always used LV plans and topped up (normally with endurance, but not exclusively) since I first started using TR. For me those are the 3 key marks I try to hit each week and then everything else (endurance etc) is extra, and it means I can be flexible around work/life. I’ve averaged a little over 10hr/week in 2021.
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I could easily see that the average experienced athlete will get more out of AT: I think their expectations for AT are more tempered, they have more experience interpreting the signals from their body, have the maturity to reduce their FTP when necessary and understand how to adapt training plans according to their needs.
I found AT useful when I recently did a 6-week block of Polarized as a season opener. Being able to judge the relative difficulty of workouts and adapt them as needed was quite helpful.
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I think this is a very solid approach. I will soon have a newborn, so I might opt for the same strategy as you have. Another nice thing about LV is that you have one day one the weekend free.
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There is every chance I’m doing something wrong at the start of the Plan Builder process but, I don’t recall being the option to select between the volume of my plan(s). I do recall being asked how much experience I have and the hours at my disposal. I’m then asked to define my goals/events.
Might be that I do need to go back and look for this option.
That has nothing to do with AT or the plans though. You picked a plan with too much volume. Just pick a lower volume plan and add workouts or outdoor rides as needed, just like we all have been told to do for at least a few years now.
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I’ve just gone back into Plan Builder to check the process. User error on my part has played a part. Until now, I had not seen or activated the Customize training days for each block option. In there, I can indeed opt for Low, Mid or High Vol. That is a valuable learning.
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Coach Chad is fond of saying that the majority of us should be on LV plans for our main program, and then adding rides as needed.
I’m not saying this is you, but I think human pride/ambition often gets in the way and we pick MV or HV plans and then end up deleting or replacing rides. I did that forever before I realized my training plans and my cycling life in general were significantly improved by dropping to LV+.
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I couldn’t agree more. That being said, I have never noticed the option to adjust the Plan Level. I might be the only TR user that didn’t know this was an option… I would suggest that this option is highlighted in some fashion though.
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But what if you want the volume, just without that insane amount of intensity? It would be nice if there was a way Plan Builder could cater for that out of the box. Whenever I give Plan Builder another try I look at what it produces and think … yeah nah.
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Then you pick the one with the volume of hard work you want and then use TrainNow to add volume through easy rides.
They can’t create a custom plan for every individual need, so they give you the tools to do it yourself. It’s always been this way. That’s not new with AT or Planbuilder.
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It seems a bit strange to me that everyone keeps saying to do this. Perhaps it’s not just my individual need?
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It’s everyone’s individual need, which is different from everyone else’s, which is the point.
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The research has shown many times that 2 intensity days per week is optimal, and a 3rd gives marginal gains at best and long term fatigue at worst, I think there is a huge population that wants a plan that has 2 interval days that arent just an hour of insane threshold or vo2 work, and the rest ‘easy’ days. I am NOT talking about those crazy plans they call Polarised - who wants to be banging out 14 weeks of vo2 and >threshold intervals for a base and build phase…
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If we are talking about expectations here, my hope with AT was that the system would start to learn this and the old style of TR plan would evolve. Yes those old “5 days a week of sweetspot” plans have been manually updated but there is still a long way to go.
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Just asking, what do you want for your intensity days if not VO2 or Threshold? Particularly if doing only two days hard the rest easy/endurance?
Not picking a fight, or saying you’re right or wrong, I’m genuinely curious. Would you like base to be two tough Sweet Spot Workouts and then endurance? (Which would definitely make some sense to some people)
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yep - a base plan that builds tempo into SST and then various build plans much like the current ones, but with fewer intensity days per week etc.
Right now I have a custom plan from a coach that involves only endurance and tempo work until the end of Jan. Its more outdoor focused but has all sorts of combinations and permutations around z2 and z3 work before transitioning into threshold+ work from Feb.
It wouldnt work for an indoor plan and would likely need some SST to balance lower volume, but the key takeaway for me is that hitting z4 & z5 work in Nov/Dec is always a recipe for burnout long before the real work should be starting in spring…
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