# Plan Builder too low volume?

**URL:** <https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/plan-builder-too-low-volume/60387>\
**Category:** Training\
**Tags:** choosing-a-plan, plan-modification\
**Created:** [June 30, 2021, 12:02pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/plan-builder-too-low-volume/60387 "2021-06-30T12:02:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 6

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**Author:** ![Sarah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Sarah](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Sarah)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/plan-builder-too-low-volume/60387/6 "2021-06-30T14:16:46Z")

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This is a common problem for more experienced athletes with more time to train. I personally think the current “high volume” plans are not high volume by any standards. You are unlikely to find a coach that will call 8-10 hours of training each week “high.” I made a post about this a few weeks ago

> [@Wanting an "ultra" HV plan option](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/wanting-an-ultra-hv-plan-option/59782):
>
> I don’t recall this being discussed in the podcast, but anyone else out there want to see an “ultra” high volume version of the training plans? I don’t think it’s uncommon for those of us who have more time to train and just love riding our bikes to be acclimated to far more than the 7-9 hours and 300-550 TSS per week. I find myself having to extend almost every ride to truly build my CTL and get the adaptations endemic to endurance riding for long events and the ancillary benefits to FTP. Week…

and there is a prevailing opinion that not enough people need a plan like that for TR to explore. I am not sure that I agree, but I don’t have the data.  
I have to nearly double the volume that is provided to me in TR to maintain my CTL. I generally add endurance miles which should not tax the system too intensely and I will strategically select longer or stretch/breakthrough interval workout variants to take on a little more load. To do this you need to be pretty diligent about listening to your body and monitoring your ATL, things can get out of hand. I find that if I am disciplined to making one day of total rest from training sacrosanct (typically Mondays), I am able to maintain a good ramp rate and shed the excess fatigue before burnout.  
The responses focused a lot on the plan providing the “minimum effective dose” of training to work relevant energy systems which I understand thoroughly, but at the end of the day, a reasonably structured 15-25 hour per week athlete cannot yield the same results reducing the volume to 10 hours a week no matter how well periodized the plan.  
Short answer, as @BCrossen stated, you’re going to have to supplement while focusing on maintaining the quality of those working sets.

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