Next week is “rest week” for me at the end of SSB Low Volume II. Under my old training product I would get a complete week off every 5 weeks. In TR next week is an active recovery week. Would it be better to do nothing and have extra sleep rather then get up and go to the gym and do the active recovery ride? Sleep or low volume ride?
I think rest weeks are very individual. Personally I need to do some active recovery otherwise when I start again the first week is horrible
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personally I would never do a full week off…it kills me to see my CTL drop off!..my recoveries are 5 days usually (I’m self coached and find I don’t do enough volume to justify a weeks recovery). I tend to have one or days off completely and then some very short easy rides (easier that prescribed on TR).
In your case where you have to apparently get up early and to to a gym (not sure that is the optimal way to train) then you might need to weigh that up…perhaps just do a 1 or 2 recovery rides or do another activity like walking
I would definitely go for the rides if you can, it keeps your legs more used to the work and makes overexerting yourself when you get back to the real work less likely.
But if you feel like you are genuinely not getting enough sleep, you should catch up on your rest.
I am in a TR recovery week as well. I’m doing the prescribed rides but nothing more. I am staying out of the weight room. I am not maintaining a caloric deficit. I am sleeping as much as my body will let me. So far I am happy because I can feel myself charging up. Come the Ramp Test I’m gonna have the fire in my belly and the strength in my legs to give it hell.
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It depends.
I did SSBLV1+2 without any recovery weeks, just went straight through. I was fine. In Dec I did HVBuild and really packed in the hours. My 5th week was an actual recovery week (vs the TR Endurance week), super light volume and intensity.
Pay attention to your what your brain & body need. I wouldn’t stay off the bike entirely, even doing easy spins to keep your body used to the work and your position on the bike.
This week is my rest week after finishing SSBII MV (plus a little). This past weekend I felt completely spent, I scheduled some easy riding all this week, I like to keep the legs spinning and just lower the intensity way down. Still tired, but usually by the end of the week I’m feeling ready to get back into it again.
It’s very individual as others have said.
Whether you do the rides TR prescribes or not, you should probably get something in. If you got deep enough in the red to need a full week off doing SSBII you may want to consider another round of base before moving to build.
Fitness only increases if you increase strain. The idea of TR rest weeks is to maintain some strain while allowing your body to recover without losing more fitness than necessary.
Thanks for all the feedback. I don’t feel shattered, it was more a question around what others do. I will probably try and do at least one ride. I have to travel so may well do some yoga as that will be easier to fit it.