vo2 blocks, and not whatever TR serves up. 6x3min, 7x3min, 5x4min, 4x5min, 6x4min, 5x5min, full gas. Profit, build TTE, do more vo2, repeat until you get to your goal
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“Whatever elicits adaptations” which will depend on someone’s background, and enough recovery for it to work.
So…mid volume General Build for four weeks then eight weeks of Sustained Power build? Plus
Relatively easy lifting?
Edit, might need to be High Volume to get to 400 TSS. If it’s just eight weeks of sus pb I might be able to make it. Compliance is never going to be good though.
Edit 2, actually the plans have changed since 2020. Puts some uncertainty into a repeat performance. 12 weeks takes me to end of feb so doesn’t write off the season, so worth a go In hink.
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i’m personally skeptical of this strategy. i was stuck at around 290-295 for a while, and only over the last year have I managed (using my own approach) to increase 15w in ftp, so I have some idea what it takes.
Last year:
yesterday
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care to let us in on what you did?
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i worked with 347cycling coaching and he gave me more endurance volume and vo2 blocks. and yes we now refer to ourselves in the third person
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dont be coy! you obviously figured out something that works. what was your overall plan? what were you trying to accomplish each month/week/block
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lol, ok! it’s really about a simple approach, I don’t generally mix workout types in block (although I did do a block with threshold and vo2), i cycle through sweet spot blocks, threshold blocks, and vo2 blocks, mainly. I did a couple of anaerobic blocks but that was more to be race ready. do a couple of workouts per week, try to ride as much endurance as I can, and that’s about it
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Easiest way to get there…
Account Settings → Enter 300 in FTP and be done with it. 
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yea you definitely bring up a good point. since the ftp is a singular number what does that 300w need to mean? tte of 20min, 30min, 40min? Testing protocol? blackbox ai?
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Looks like you did a really good build volume-wise with SSB LV → MV, then SBP and off into the IM specialty. lots of sweet spot and threshold work with some vO2 on top.
So general build for you now?
You motivate me to join along, was it not that I thought to take up more running races next year…
Will you have some race goal as well?
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Looks like MV General starting 4th December.
I did some 3hr run weeks back then but no running in the three weeks up to the test, so I think I’ll back down maybe to easy once per week, or a few short runs per week. One long swim.
No race goals yet. I’d like a bike only event but 10TT doesn’t really inspire me. Maybe an Olympic tri later in the year.
I did several virtual tris in 2020 during SSB and Suspb so maybe some online races?
I did 4hrs at 195W two days after my 293 ramp, but two months later only 160ish watts at virtual Kona. And ftp dropped back to 260, so I need to think about sustainability.
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Wishing you all the best
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You might try this as a suggestion from my recent experience. I end up with something like 400-500 TSS per week.
Ive had alot of success recently with longer zone (you know what) 3-5hours on the weekends (around 70% ftp), and focussing on sweetspot/tempo (80-90%ftp) . I just did a ‘theshold’ workout and was quite impressed at my ability to hold the (somewhat lofty) power number for a 2x15min (100-105% ftp). Also, keeping a day completely off the bike and also one or two super easy days to keep the legs spinning and recover (<50% ftp)
A sample week would be something like this 8-12 hours but usually 8-9… Ill do threshold instead of SS/tempo every few weeks to test the legs. Been running this for the last 4-6 weeks.
M 30-60min recovery <50%ftp or off
T 90 min 60-70% ftp
W 90min with 20-45 min of SS/tempo intervals
R 90min 60-70% ftp
F 30-60min recovery <50%ftp
S 3-4 hr @ 65-70%ftp or with 20-45 min of SS/tempo intervals
S off or 3-4 hr @ 65-70%ftp
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What wkg is 300w for you so we understand how high of a goal this is?
I gained 0.5 wkg this year on TR high volume 10 hour weeks avg all year and up to 15 hour weeks. Added z2 around the structured workouts to get that volume. 5 days a week on bike and 2 days gym with dialed health plans, and quite consistent, good food, good sleep, not much alchohol.
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For me I finally got to 300 w ftp @ 167 lb ( legit as did 295 avg w for 56 min in zwift alp du zwift race, 326w for 27 min TT) came at 450-500 tss per week for 12 weeks which mostly was vo2 max x2, sweet spot x1 and remainder z2. That’s the limit of tss I can handle. About 8.5 h per week.
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I broke the 300 barrier (and 4w/kg) for the first time when I was in my early 50’s. I had been peaking around 280-290 for years prior. The difference maker was a significant volume increase and pretty good compliance on high volume plan tues/thurs workouts (but doing my own thing balance of the week with a big ride every Saturday. I remember the old sweet spot base high volume plan being a bit of a beat down combined with the extra volume, but it pushed ftp to new levels and I saw an even bigger increase in endurance. The volume definitely needs to be built gradually and consistently over the year (really multiple years), you have to find your balance of stress vs recovery. I’m in mid 50’s now and still peak at over 300/4w/kg each season, but just barely. The years have resulted in a few less watts and a few extra pounds @ racing weight, but I’m still holding on and I think there are still more watts to be had if I really applied myself. I don’t know if it’s realistic, but my goal is to still be over 4w/kg when I turn 60.
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Beautiful. so you trained your Physiology. simple and yet effective.
(insert nodding trapper meme!)
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There are a few interesting take outs from other riders on this topic, as far as I can see.
An increase in FTP is mostly related with increase in hours, particularly endurance hours. Which endorses the theory of z2.
OR, it’s a result of a block. Both on top of good sleep so on, on and on.
Now is where lies the rub. Reaching a high/target FTP isn’t as hard as it seems. The question is, would you like to just achieve this number in one session, or having this as a sustainable number?
A shortcut (heavy block) will get you in your target sooner, but not for long. A stable and slow progression year after year will put you around that number always, not only in 1 session. It’s like those crazy diets. Just eat lettuce and 1 egg for 20 days, it’s like magic, you’ll loose 10kg, and then after resuming eating like a human being you’ll gain 11kgs. It’s not sustainable.
BUT, I know nothing about science and will not quote a study from some Scandinavian PHD professor to prove that this is the right way to go. This is MY way to go, I’m just sharing what I feel.
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Whoa whoa WHOA!!!
That is NOT some “trapper meme”. That is Robert Goddamn Redford as Jeremiah Johnson, one of the greatest films of the early 70’s and I will not have him reduced to being some “random” trapper!!!
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