# Recovery weeks on low volume plans **URL:** \ **Category:** Training\ **Created:** [January 15, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-weeks-on-low-volume-plans/9877 "2019-01-15T16:02:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RobertSims](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/robertsims/32/26170_2.png) [@RobertSims](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/RobertSims)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-weeks-on-low-volume-plans/9877/1 "2019-01-15T16:02:49Z")
Just throwing this out there as an idea and to generate discussion… On a low volume plan are recovery weeks needed/too long? I can only do the LV plans due to family and time constraints. I think body could handle MV plans but life doesn’t allow it. Therefore considering if I really need the recovery weeks in full then I already have 4 rest days a week anyway. Maybe do a semi-recovery week instead with instead of 3 easier rides, doing 1-2 harder ones and 1-2 easier rides (maybe front loading week with harder workouts to leave as 3-4 days at end of week with just 1 easy workout and 2-3 full rest days.) I just feel that I’ve stagnated a bit lately (my FTP last summer was 275w and now 280w so pretty mich identical…but have lost about 7kg) and wondered if only doing ‘semi-recovery’ weeks might be a good way to increase training load. I guess only answer is to try and see!!! ---
**Author:** ![Rainier](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/rainier/32/16152_2.png) [@Rainier](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Rainier)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-weeks-on-low-volume-plans/9877/2 "2019-01-15T16:15:22Z")
I have tried but it broke me up after two cycles. So rest week is for rest and I suggest keeping it that way. But if you want to try by all means try it and see if it works for you. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Doughnutman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/captain_doughnutman/32/7694_2.png) [@Captain\_Doughnutman](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Captain_Doughnutman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-weeks-on-low-volume-plans/9877/3 "2019-01-15T16:22:25Z")
I started TR in Sept w/ SSBLV1+2, specifically because it was my first crack at actual structured training w/ actual structured workouts. I removed all the recovery weeks as well as adding in a couple Endurance rides per week. Worked out fine. Point is, nothing is laid in stone. Experiment to see what happens, just be reasonable. You could probably do 4 rides a week almost indefinitely but to boost your FTP you’d also have to boost your volume and/or intensity. Once you start doing that then the need for a recovery week becomes greater. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![RobertSims](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/robertsims/32/26170_2.png) [@RobertSims](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/RobertSims)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-weeks-on-low-volume-plans/9877/4 "2019-01-15T23:53:12Z")
No way I’d quit on recovery weeks if on MV or HV, but I think likely possible on LV, especially as I’m only 36. Am going to try I think and see what happens - going to just do one easy ride in a recovery week and one sweet spot and one v02. See if I can break plateau I’m on. ---
**Author:** ![Bioteknik](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/bioteknik/32/7721_2.png) [@Bioteknik](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Bioteknik)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 9:51am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-weeks-on-low-volume-plans/9877/5 "2019-01-16T09:51:17Z")
You lost 7kgs, you are not plateaued at the moment. Your w/kg has gone up even if raw watts hasn’t. You can estimate what sort of ftp increase you would have needed to get to your current w/kg to put it in perspective. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Hallas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/john_hallas/32/1213_2.png) [@John\_Hallas](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/John_Hallas)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 11:25am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-weeks-on-low-volume-plans/9877/6 "2019-01-16T11:25:32Z")
If you are on LV because of time rather than the effort involved then it does not seem unreasonable if you have a lighter week occasionally but it does not have to be a full blown recovery. As @Bioteknik says you are generating more power anyway so you have effectively increased your FTP. ---
**Author:** ![HansHenrik](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/hanshenrik/32/18025_2.png) [@HansHenrik](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/HansHenrik)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 12:06pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/recovery-weeks-on-low-volume-plans/9877/7 "2019-01-16T12:06:53Z")
Supporting @Bioteknik and @John_Hallas. Unless you only ride flat crits and TTs, then W/kg is what’s important. It can be tough on your body to loose weight _and_ gain FTP at the same time. If you feel you can do more, then there’s usually a +1 version of the workout, or you can use the workout creator. I asked a question about this in an other tread, and the answer I got was that: as long as you can hit the next subscribed workout on target, feel free to add TSS by increasing interval length etc. My advice: let work by work and you may work harder, but also let rest be rest. You build fitness during the resting not the working.