Hey,
I’m completly new to TR and I’m about to start my first cycle and I’m looking to get started with SSB mid volume. Are there any merits in doing two blocks of SSB II rather than doing one block of SSB I followed by SSB II?
Thanks in advance!
SSB2 is a little more difficult than SSB1 as a whole. I would follow the process and you will get great results. I made the mistake of jumping right into SSB2 initially as well, and I was toast after the first week. Indoor training, especially with ERG mode, is a whole other animal that most riders arent used to. Don’t worry about getting a head start, just follow the process.
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I’ve done that in the past when going into SSB with really good fitness and minimal break from the previous season (10 - 14 days break from end of season to start on next.) i.e SSB II x2. But generally, and even when I did it, its still probably better to follow the normal SSB I followed but SSBII then Build. When I did it I felt very burnt out about 80% of the way into the following summer.
I started SSB1 on 1/1/19, then jumped right into SSB2, then did 4-5 weeks of General build (all were mid volume) and have been riding outside since with no break. I take 2-3 days off per week but have not taken 3 days off in a row yet this year.
My plan for this winter is once again SSB1, SSB2, General Build, and maybe some specialty, all mid volume. I don’t feel like jumping right into SSB2 will be a good idea, even being used to the fatigue that indoor training brings.
Thanks for the input, based on this I’ll definitely go for SSB1 first.
Cheers!
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SSB2 is basically a “pre-build” block.
If you’re new and need to truly develop aerobic base, then don’t skip SSB1 as this creates the solid aerobic endurance that you then build upon in SSB2 and Build phase.
If you don’t have the strong foundation other things slowly start to fall apart, but more importantly if you have a good aerobic endurance foundation, the gains you get out of the more aerobic intensive and anaerobic build phases are much greater
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I’m not completly new to cycling as this is my third season. Do you have a way for me to asses if I have a good aerobic foundation? I mean good may mean different things to different individuals.
Aerobic decoupling. 
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For more info about Decoupling:
Also, I made a quick calculator on the “HR Coupling” tab of my TrainerRoad Resources sheet.
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Amazing, thanks. If I were to test my decoupling how long should the test be? Or is it relative to the type of riding I do?
It seems a bit open ended, but I think 1 hour or longer is useful. The first article mentions doing something similar to your recent training. So that could be a place to start. I have used Endurance paced workouts of 2-4 hours for my evaluations (you can see links to some in the calculation page).
Well this thread has gone off on a tangent. First do SSBI and SBB II and then test your “decoupling” to see if you are ready to move onto a Build phase.
Concur with Chad; 2-4 hrs. Drink plenty to minimise drift due to dehydration.
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Even if you assess that you have good aerobic foundation, depending where you are in your season it still may make sense to spend some time in the early offseason shoring up and building your aerobic foundation before starting the long path to build and specialty. Again, the bigger and broader your foundation the better the next layers will grow from it. And honestly, if you have the time heading into the fall between seasons who wouldn’t want to grow their FTP and aerobic base so they are starting from a higher point as you ramp up into next season.