My main goal for the early season is to raise my FTP back up to where I think it should be… basically looking to get back above 4 w/kg. Currently at around 3.88 so it feels within reach.
I have done SSBMV1 and SSVMB2 and currently 3 weeks into General Build MV. I am absolutely getting fitter but unsure about going into a ‘specialty’ plan as I don’t have any key events coming up and want to keep grinding away at that threshold number for a bit longer.
My idea is to schedule Sustained Power Build MV right out of GBMV. I feel like this may keep the focus where I want it, on threshold. Then after SPBMV I can move into a specialty plan.
What I did last season was I completed a MV build, spent a few weeks mostly following the HV Sweet Spot plan, then went back into another MV build. Spending the extra time focusing on sweet spot after a build was partially a break from the really hard work but also I feel it reinforced my FTP gains out of build.
Likely I’ll follow this idea again this season. Might be worth trying similar if you have time?
Would not recommend back to back builds either. I would suggest doing another circle of Base and Build. If you feel good you could directly enter SSB 2. Or you could try a shortened SSB 1+2 approach:
My worry with this approach is that VO2 has traditionally been a limiter - I have typically just done lots of sweet spot indoors - so I have been enjoying the variation that SSBMV2 and GBMV have given me and don’t want to just go backwards and lose all that progress. I feel like I have a ton of room to improve there and am trying to increase FTP while also being more ‘well rounded’ and able to perform well in different zones, not just sweet spot.
So going back to SSBMV1 seems like turning the clock way back. Maybe that doesn’t matter.
If VO2 is a limiter, then maybe you want to still include 1 VO2 session per week (much like GBMV and Sustained Power MV have)… and spend the other training time on sweet spot (or, if you repeat SSBMV2, then you’ll have the VO2 work).
I can only speak from my experience, back to back build is too much intensity for too long for me; often they recommend against it on the podcast also.
If you don’t have any specific goal event to worry about, then I don’t think you’re wasting any time or losing any ground by bringing in a round of sweet spot between build phases.
Back to back Builds are doable. Make sure you are mentally fresh. I find by the end of the Build cycle, the mental fatigue is way worse than the physical fatigue, especially if you also did a preceding Base cycle. If that means taking an extra recovery week in between, then so be it.
We very rarely recommend back to back Build Phases. These tend to be too stressful for many athletes and can lead to unfavorable levels of fatigue.
The best way to continue growing your fitness without overextending yourself is through the use of a Re-Build Phase. This means that you will complete the full Base>Build>Specialty progression, and then move onto another Build>Specialty sequence of your choosing.
