# Recovery week versus tapering, intensity versus volume **URL:** \ **Category:** Training\ **Created:** [September 21, 2020, 6:23am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-week-versus-tapering-intensity-versus-volume/43147 "2020-09-21T06:23:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dredmitchell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/dredmitchell/32/12895_2.png) [@dredmitchell](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/dredmitchell)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 6:23am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-week-versus-tapering-intensity-versus-volume/43147/1 "2020-09-21T06:23:37Z")
Just finishing SSBLV2 and have the rest week before build. I understand the need to drop TSS and allow growth, but whilst tapering the advice from the TR team is to maintain intensity and drop volume. In the recovery week on this plan, volume is maintained but intensity dropped. Am I just overthinking this, or is there a reason for this approach? Is tapering and recovery fundamentally different? Particularly in a low volume plan? Either way Iโ€™m looking forward to some easy rides! ---
**Author:** ![onemanpeloton](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/onemanpeloton/32/69536_2.png) [@onemanpeloton](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/onemanpeloton)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 6:41am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-week-versus-tapering-intensity-versus-volume/43147/2 "2020-09-21T06:41:40Z")
The trainerroad blog is a great resource > **[Why Rest, Recovery and Tapering are Necessary to Get Faster - TrainerRoad Blog](https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/why-rest-recovery-and-tapering-are-necessary-to-get-faster/)** > > Optimizing rest days, recovery workouts and taper weeks translates to increased productivity during hard efforts. Know how to maximize your rest so that you can get faster and make the most of your training plan. ---
**Author:** ![dredmitchell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/dredmitchell/32/12895_2.png) [@dredmitchell](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/dredmitchell)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 7:03am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-week-versus-tapering-intensity-versus-volume/43147/3 "2020-09-21T07:03:16Z")
๐Ÿ‘ thanks for the link! ---
**Author:** ![AJS914](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@AJS914](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/AJS914)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-week-versus-tapering-intensity-versus-volume/43147/4 "2020-09-21T17:58:55Z")
> [@dredmitchell](#): > > Am I just overthinking this, or is there a reason for this approach? Is tapering and recovery fundamentally different? Particularly in a low volume plan? I think you are over thinking it. ๐Ÿ™‚ My guess would be that on an LV plan you donโ€™t need to cut volume, just the intensity. ---
**Author:** ![vanbc](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/vanbc/32/43206_2.png) [@vanbc](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/vanbc)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2021, 5:20pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-week-versus-tapering-intensity-versus-volume/43147/5 "2021-04-26T17:20:56Z")
Hello, In TR plans, recovery weeks (e.g. every 3 week in build) seem to all have the same duration of riding (as compared to a regular week) but no intensity, all zone 2 riding. I am curious about the difference between this approach vs recovery weeks where there is still some intensity, but the volume/total duration of riding time is reduced (e.g. half or 60% of normal duration of riding)? Is or how is a recovery week different from a taper week? I believe some places where I have heard of the reduced volume but still keep intensity is in reference to a taper week. I can see in some specialty plans this is what happens in the last week of a specialty plan (reduced volume with intensity), however, it is only for some specialty plans and not all (e.g. the century plan final week is all zone 2 vs the final week of the rolling road race). I get how a century ride is longer and lower intensity but there is still no sweet spot or even threshold in the final week. Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![mcneese.chad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mcneese.chad/32/15056_2.png) [@mcneese.chad](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/mcneese.chad)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-week-versus-tapering-intensity-versus-volume/43147/6 "2021-04-26T17:31:38Z")
@vanbc, I moved your post under one with essentially the same question. See the blog link in the reply above for great info.