I was wondering if there is any benefit from doing high volume one week and low the next?
This is not by choice but necessity as my job is very unstable as some weeks I work as lot and other less. I would love to keep the volume steady but its so random.
Am I better off just doing low volume consistently or throwing in some long rides when I have time? Do I lose adaptations if change the training too much?
What an excellent question; I’ve never actually considered moving back and forth between high and low! I work shift work and just do the mid volume plan all the time, but sometimes it’s pretty tough when I’m doing overnights… it would be far more palatable if I could do high most of the time like your inquiry suggests and low in an especially difficult work week! Looking forward to some more educated responses for both of us! This might even make for a good podcast conversation!
No you still get decent adaptions - this is the classic hard week/easy week stuff - certainly better than 2 LV weeks. I would do a week of HV with some zone 2 endurance and 2 hours SS sessions and then on the LV week up the intensity with some VO2 max work - which is pretty much how HV vs LV pans out especially in base. Just make sure that any easy weeks you put in coincide with the LV week.
More is more…i say always push for more unil you hit a wall on recovery. Then back down regroup and push for more again. I would start by maybe just adding additional z2 work before moving up to sweet spot and above
I would do the later - staying on a low volume plan and add in the long slow rides on the weeks you have time.
consistent “more” would be better, but if this is what you have to work with, so be it!!
just don’t bomb the system going from like 8hours a week to 15, you might just be crushed and then have really poor quality during the low volume which is when you REALLY need quality sessions since the volume is Low.
People think of plans as a 7 day cycle but isn’t training a 42 day cycle for CTL? not my area of expertise but training is continuous, so over a 2 week period if you can do more than the average of the 2, surely it is better than 2x LV weeks. Also since life always gets in the way better to do more when you have time so when you cant you keep the training stress up.
I’m sure there is some study or science someone could quote. I would keep the LV rides, but add on to the end of then e.g. Z2 so you get more benefits. That way you know you are still getting the intensity parts just doing more.
