Sweet Spot Progression

@AgingCannon SS90/105 3x35 is missing the second step in the warm up @ 70% FTP.

The ones that I will be targeting will be the ones below.

Will use the one to target Threshold for the first set and dial up the workout intensity on that interval, and then finish the last 2 @ SS at prescribed intensity.

With the aim of one day getting to this level which would simulate a pretty solid engine session out on the road with the bunches that I roll with.

Once again, thanks heaps @AgingCannon

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Thanks, @CH01. Fixed.

@AgingCannon for prez! :partying_face:

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@AgingCannon, I like a lot the workouts and progression you have established, I think I will try it on myself.
However, just out of curiosity (probably it has been answered in the forum) what is wrong with the SS progression of TRā€™s SSBHV1 and SSBHV2?
Thanks!

If itā€™s not first training plan ever, the SSBHV is based more on a training density than longer intervals. The longer intervals helps to build you more muscle endurance and also (in case of SST) the intervals should be longer to put more stress to your cells and provide more adaptations. Simply - Sweet Spot workouts in TR plans have too short intervals and too long brakes between them to provide full benefits of SST training (great example will be Hunter - 20 min intervals and 10 min brakes - it is not even suitable for threshold workout not to mention SST, the same with antelope +5 etc).

Of course it all depends where you are with your training and how type of rider you are.

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You could make your own Sweet Spot workouts in the workout creator app and make the intervals longer? @AgingCannon has made 22 of them in his workout group that range anywhere from 45 minutes up to 2 hours with varying interval length. They are brilliant!

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Wright Peak is a great one. 3 x 30min intervals @ 90-92% FTP is no easy task! Great training!

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And would what do you guys think brings better training adaptations, progress in interval length or training density?
How would you guys think SSBHV1 and 2 compare to
Monday - Z2
Tuesday - SS progression workout 1
Wednesday - Z2
Thursday - SS progression workout 2
Friday - off
Sat - Group ride
Sunday - Group ride
(I usually do not hammer group rides)
I think for me its much more sustainable long term this plan I have outlined.
Would love to hear any comments.

The sessions in the More Sweet Spot group have 3min recoveries between all efforts. E.g. 3x20min with 3min recovery valleys, 4x15min with 3min recovery valleys, 2x45min with 3 min recovery valleys.

Sessions of all different flavors in among the 22 that are currently listed. The major difference between those sessions in the More Sweet Spot group and TR Sweet Spot sessions are there are longer interval lengths in there and also the intervals have less rest 3min vs 5-7min on TR.

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Yes I have seen. This is nice base of the workouts - in my opinion they are a lot better than standard TR SST workouts.

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Hard to say. I would start by progressing length of intervals so that youā€™re accumulating MORE time at Sweet Spot. Take a look at the chart below to see what amount you need. Then I would consider density. Start out with a less is more approach until you figure out what kind of load you can handle. I still like 3 on, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off. Approach. 5 days of riding and 2 days of complete rest in a week.

Credit: Frank Overton (Fascat Coaching)

If you look at SSBHV1 there are 4 or 5 sweet spot workouts per week, and only one rest day. That is A LOT of work and potentially very demanding.

I think your plan looks good. Given you rest on Friday, your week really kicks off on Saturday, followed by 6 straight days of riding. Are you willing to work in another rest day if you need it? Whatā€™s worked well for me is 3 on / 1 of / 2 on / 1 off. Remember, you get faster when you rest and adapt.

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Many thanks for your detailed reply.

To be honest I have been handling SSBHV1 pretty well and did not find it too demanding physically. However mentally it really is not so nice because as you point out, every time you jump on the trainer you know you need to hammer some intervals.
I can handle maybe one or two blocks but I think it really calls for mental burnout in the long term.
That is why I would rather do a sweet spot progression with just 2 interval sessions per week which I find mentally more manageable and easier to keep focous.
The rest of the days being Z2 or group rides

Regarding the table you share (which again is very interesting), is it presenting the amount of sweet spot a rider of each category should be able to do or the amount that should be done per session?
Thanks!

Daily per session.

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It is hell lot then :slight_smile:

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Really enjoyed reading and re-reading this thread, and watching those Cusick webinars - very enlightening!

Now Iā€™m wondering how this all starts in his ā€˜baseā€™ phase, where itā€™s clear he is more focused on the use of Z2 endurance rides and long tempo Z3 rides/intervals before the move into SST and eventually max aerobic interval work? Obviously this thread has been about SST progression but how have people approached the base phase before that, the ā€˜extensiveā€™ early base as Cusick refers to it? It feels too early to move into the SST work and the weather is still good, so Iā€™m feeling the need for base :smile: My goals next year are GFā€™s and multi-day events, rather than races, so feel like itā€™s never too early to start working on a bigger base and Iā€™m not in any way time crunched these days, so why not do miles while the sun shines (and the winter stays away)ā€¦

Appreciate peopleā€™s thoughts on this.

Speaking for myself and for you based on your goals I would NOT start doing sweet spot work right now.

You have plenty of time for that, and it can be done effectively on a trainer when the weather dictates it. I find this time of year to be the absolute best for outdoor rides so I like your idea of taking advantage of that with long slow distance.

Sweet spot can be used to build a base, but I think given how much lead time you have you might be better off honing that base with a lower intensity focus and then start working in sweet spot as the season gets closer.

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thanks for your input - sounds like we are on the same page!

Iā€™m out of work for the foreseeable thanks to Covid, have loads of time and the UK weather is looking pretty good at least into Oct, so it seems like the perfect opportunity to log some big miles again.

Iā€™m thinking that 5 days a week starting at z2, with a couple of these sessions containing some z3 work, with a progression up to a couple of these days turning into longer z3 tempo rides.

Iā€™m just never quite sure how much z2 work you actually need to do in order to create enough training stimulus to gain a benefit once youā€™re already reasonably fit?

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I canā€™t speak to this. Itā€™s highly individual depending on your fitness level. A Cat 1 racer might need to do at least one or two 4-5 hour endurance rides per week, while a Cat 3 (myself) might see a lot of benefit from doing one 4-5 hour endurance ride every other week. Maybe someone else can chime in on what a minimum effective dose of Z2/endurance/LSD would be for a range of athlete types?

Lately Iā€™ve been trying to get in 2 long slow rides that are in the 2.5-3 hour range, and get in a 4+ hour ride once per month. It can be difficult with life/family. However, itā€™s likely all thatā€™s necessary given my focusā€“gravel races in the 2-3 hour range and cyclocross. I canā€™t speak to FTP improvements, but it has helped with durability and ability to ride a higher wattage at a lower heart rate.

If youā€™re a grand fondo athlete I would think that youā€™d probably want a couple 4-5 hour rides per month.

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I have a ride partner that I do a pretty steady 3-4hrs with each Sunday, and often a few hours on Saturdays as well. Iā€™ve been finding that helpful but Iā€™m inconsistent on the weekdays. Iā€™ll benefit from some structure Tues-Thurs and also making sure I manage recovery a little better.

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Wowee that is a lot of Sweet Spot work in a session once you get up the categories!

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