HI folks my first post so apologies if this has been answered before. I am almost finished sweet spot base high volume 2 and am intending to start build phase general build programme.
My query is should i start the general build at low or mid volume or go straight in at high volume? The drop in TSS from sweet spot high volume 2 to the low and mid volume in the general build programme seems significant however perhaps that’s part of active recovery??
Any comments much appreciated
If you’ve properly completed sweet spot base 1 and 2 at high volume, and you can handle that amount of TSS, then the general idea would be that you stick with the high volume. The final week of the SSB2 plan is a recovery week, with much lower TSS, so you don’t need to scale things down to a lower volume plan to get the recovery.
If you’re struggling with the volume of the plan you’re on then I would definitely switch down to mid volume - the high volume plans are really too much TSS for the majority of people.
Also, if you are new to indoor training - especially the FTP testing aspect - then there is a risk that you might have been able to complete the high volume plan because you under assessed your FTP. It seems to take most people several FTP tests before they really learn how to get the best of themselves in such a test. If though you are happy that your FTP really was set correctly, and that you managed to cope with the high volume plan, then jump straight into the high volume base plan.
I’d largely agree with @paulrattew. You may well be able to manage the TSS numbers from the High Volume General Build but there is a significant difference in the type of rides between that and the General Build Plan.
The High Volume Base plans are purely sub threshold work, unlike the Low and Mid Vol Base plans which have a fair bit of work at threshold and above. Moving to the General Build with a lot of VO2 Max work is very different to type of work you’ve been doing. Not all TSS is equal and although there might be a drop in TSS numbers from High Volume Base to Mid Volume General Build, the type of demands on your body are very different and may well have a very different recovery trajectory.
I’d start with the Mid Vol plan and add to it with plus versions of rides or an extra ride on one of the off days if you’re coping well with the stress.
If you finished hv1 and 2 sweet spot base you should do high volume build. There are also a few plans in build as you know. Sustained powerbuold is one of my favorites
Hi Paul thanks for the very detailed response I really appreciate it. I have been using TR for just over a year and am working of the FTP from the ramp test. I am coping OK with the TSS at the min and feel OK to move to the high volume on the build phase however I might move to mid volume as I have a few exams in work to complete and the drop back will allow me a bit more time to study!
Once again thanks for the help
Shifting down to the mid volume sounds like a great idea then. The major problem I have with the high volume plans isn’t so much the TSS but the time commitment. It’s sometimes just difficult to get the balance quite how you want it - I’d rather do a lower volume plan, and add in extra off plan sessions if I get the chance, than have the pressure of a higher volume plan on the other bits of my life.
Many thanks