My question - using TrainNow Is it possible to maintain your FTP by informally making sure your progression levels are maintained between AI detection dates?
Sometimes , I am sure like others, I get a lower AI FTP than hoped due to Work , Age (I’m 58 ) and life……
My FTP is currently 241 and I’d love to try to keep it at roughly 240W.
Eg if I manage to complete Threshold and VO2 max sessions at their current PL for a month , what happens to my FTP? Is it possible to do a DIY analysis of Progression levels to keep a constant FTP?
One sweet spot workout a week (or 7-10 days) should keep you close to where you are. That may maintain a good part of your FTP. For aerobic side, maybe a longer ride every two weeks. If you have to/want to choose one of the two, I would go with sweet spot.
Naturally if you significantly decrease training (eg off season / break) you will loose some fitness. How big the drop is depends where you’re coming from.
It’s hard to say for sure. Some athletes respond better to low volume than others, and would thus lose less fitness overall.
TrainNow can be good in a pinch, but it may be worth considering following a Low Volume plan instead if possible. A structured plan will have progressive overload built into it, which will help you maintain your fitness better than doing one-off workouts with TrainNow might do.
As @schmidt mentioned, if you’re decreasing your volume/training stress by quite a bit, it’s natural for some detraining to occur. That fitness will come back to you pretty quickly in the future, though!
Belated thanks for your advice. I’m probably going to start a new thread that shows my stats for last month where all my PL’s of note went up and my AI FTP went down….
Belated thanks for your advice. I’m probably going to start a new thread that shows my stats for last month where all my PL’s of note went up and my AI FTP went down….