SSB - low or mid volume if I want to do 4 workouts per week?

I am starting over with my training plan next week, so beginning with Sweet Spot Base I and II.
I’m not training for any events or races, just want to get overall faster, especially on longer and steeper climbs - so I guess raising FTP is a good general goal. Will probably do Sustained Power Build after Base.

I can do 4 workouts per week.
LV is 3 rides, MV is 5 rides.

Would you recommend I choose LV and add one workout per week (which one? Zone 2?).
Right now I’ve chosen MV and was planning to leave away the longer intermediate Sunday workouts.

Curious for your thoughts!

Either option is fine. I’d recommend leaving mid-volume, if you can do them all great, if you miss one not a big deal.

If you’re going to do MV, I would skip the easy Wednesday ride, not the long Sunday one. If you want to learn to be better at climbs, those grinding Sunday rides are very helpful.

In general, if you’re someone who likes to ride outside, race, zwift, etc., I would do LV and then add that extra “fun” ride.

4 Likes

I can do the rides during the week - but on the weekends i’ll be outside doing stuff - that’s why I can do only one ride on the weekend.

Would you then suggest to do the 1:30 Sunday ride on wednesdays instead of the regular easy wednesday ride?

I would do LV Base and one outside ride, if possible with a faster group on a good tempo pace.

I have just completed HV SS and General Build, my races are cancelled and going back to base, starting with LV and adding one outside ride

1 Like

No, I would not because then it will make the Thursday ride overly difficult.

Can you Do Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday? Or M, Tu, Th, Fr (or F, Sa)?

Yep, that I could probably do!

So what are you suggesting? :slight_smile:

When I do the MV I simply skip the 60-90 min endurance ride, leaving back the 4 “quality” rides. I commute 2x45 min each day so I think I’m covered in terms of the “short” endurance rides.

I do the WOs Monday (Long and Hard), Wednesday (Long and Hard), Friday (“Shorter” and Hard) and Saturday (Long and moderate). I.e. of the shorter WOs I schedule the one with the lowest IF on a Friday. Fridays and Saturdays are early morning WOs, while M and W are evening WOs.

I’ll revive this as I now a bit more detail to get into.

I feel like MV with 5 workouts a week is too much for me since I also want to do at least one or rather two strength workouts at the gym. I also thought about doing double-days, but that doesn’t seem like an option I can (want to) do during the week - possibly only on the weekends.

So my day would look like this:

Mon: Rest Day
Tue: TR
Wed: Gym
Thu: TR
Fri: Rest Day
Sat: TR
Sun: TR /& Gym

So, would you recommend to do a MV Plan, but reduce it to 4 (which day’s workout would you recommend to leave out?)

OR do a LV plan … but then, what should I add as 4th workout?

I noticed that MV and LV plans aren’t only different in volume, but also the 3 workouts that both plans have aren’t the same. For some reason I always thought that both plans share the intense sessions and then MV just adds more Zone 2 or easy workouts for volume. But it appears that also the harder days aren’t the same with both plans, which is why I’m not sure which plan I should choose when I can do 4 days per week.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

if you’re finding MV to be too much I’d go with the LV plan. Given that already has a fair bit of intensity I’d just stick to z2/active recovery for the 4th ride, but I think it’s worth mentioning that you might not even need to do that- more isn’t always better, and just because you have 4 days to ride doesn’t mean that amount is necessary or even optimal. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with the extra day if you feel the extra volume is necessary or even if you just want to ride more!

Thanks! How important is the progression of TSS?
say I now do 4 rides and just 1 gym day because I feel like it.
Then, in a few weeks I do just 3 training sessions and go to the gym twice.
Will the lack of TSS increase hold me terribly back?