My custom Build Plan

Training
1

So I decided to try putting together a custom build plan to do early next year, based on various factors…

  1. This webinar from Training Peaks which suggests 4 weeks of threshold work followed by 4 weeks of vo2 work. Thought it would be interesting to try this instead of the standard build plans which mix it up a bit more. Building FTP, TTE, and Stamina with WKO5 - YouTube

  2. Making Thursday’s workout a little less high-intensity and moving it to Wednesday. This is so I can then do a strength training session on Wednesday evening and be as fresh as possible in time for Saturday.

  3. Recognising that some of the best FTP gains are actually found at the end of SSB 2, when the hard over/under intervals and introduction to vo2 really start to push you for the first time.

So I’ve just collated some of the days from different plans, using how Chad has created a progression from week to week, and mixed them up a bit, with a few extra modifications. The 30/15s are my own custom workouts but are similar to Brasted with a bit more intensity. Would be interested to hear people’s thoughts!

(Assume a recovery week after each of these, and that Sunday’s session will often be substituted for long slow distance outdoors)

Part 1 (threshold, over-unders)

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Part 2 (vo2)

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2

I like the way you’re scheduling workouts/mixing up the load through the week, for sure! I bet this approach will be as good as any other.

For me, I don’t ever need a dedicated, intensive block of VO2max work. Seems like a few workouts over the course of a couple weeks is enough but that also seems like a real dividing line among riders. Some respond well to threshold training and have to work hard to train VO2max…some the other way round.

Bottom line: you gotta do what you gotta do. This looks like a pretty good plan!

3

Thanks!

Yes, for me I just like the idea of each block working on a particular zone. Currently I’m doing Z2 and Z3, lots of tempo intervals but nothing strenuous, just building aerobic base. Then I’ll start pushing into sweetspot in December, maybe using the last 4 weeks from SSB1. Then I start pushing my ability to ride at threshold for longer in part 1 of build, and pull up my power from above with part 2. In theory…