I’ve been using trainerroad for four seasons now. I’m completed multiple full seasons using the mid volume plans. This year I had a bit more time on my hands so I decided to try the high volume plans for base. I couldn’t keep up with high volume for build so I went mid volume. Now I’m back to having more time so I’m going back to base. With that being said here is the question/s that I have:
If I end up dropping the hours to something in between mid volume and high volume, where does the sweet spot only approach not make as much sense vs the high intensity mid volume approach? High volume is on average about 9 hours a week and mid volume seems to be about 6 hours a week. What is a good weekly TSS to gauge at what intensity you need your day to day training to be?
Would it be better to go with the mid volume plan and then add workouts on top of that when I want or to subtract workouts from the high volume plan? That is really the gist of what I’m asking.
Are there any advantages to going with the HV vs MV plan?
Is the idea that if you can handle the HV load then there’s potential for bigger gains?
Or is the advantage with HV is it has less intense rides and you are making it up with volume instead?
Winter is here so I will be stuck indoors until usually mid to late March. I know I can handle MV, just wondering what the advantage would be if I shuffled my schedule around to make time for HV.
Mostly that, but it depends on which plans you’re talking about. For example, Sweet Spot Base High Vol (SSB-HV) contains five days of sweet spot work, one Z2 day, and one day off. SSB-HV-1 has 1 to 1.5-hour rides during the week and 2-hour rides on the weekends, and SSB-HV-2 is mostly 2-hour rides. Whereas SSB-MV-2 has VO2 and Threshold work instead of Sweet Spot to “make up” for less volume.
Sustained Power Build has generally the same mix of workouts between mid and high volume (i.e. 1 VO2, 1 Threshold, 1 Over/Under, 1 Sweet Spot). In the high volume plan you spend more time at threshold than in the mid volume plan on a per-workout basis (i.e. week 1 HV has Wilhelm +5 (35 minutes) vs MV that has Red Lake +8 (30 minutes)) and most of the high volume rides have some Z2 at the end to extend the total workout duration toward 2 hours.
The high volume plans have less intensity and more volume. The mid volume has less volume but more intensity. If this is your first time using TR I would try the mid volume plans first. Last year I did the high volume plans and it’s quite a lot of trainer time. I found that the biggest issue for me ended up being the boredom and slog of being on the trainer. If you recover right and fuel properly you could probably do the high volume just fine but it take a lot of commitment and a lot of entertainment for those two hour rides.
Theoretically you should be able to get closer to your genetic potential with the high volume plans over the mid volume plans because you will have a higher overall training load/stimulus but you will have to stay on top of your recovery and fueling to see those benefits.
I seemed to respond well. My spring numbers were the best they’ve ever been but all of my races were canceled. It was my first time using the high volume plans and I think I got to a point with them that I either needed to go even more volume or add some intensity. I know from personal experience that it seems like sweetspot only gets me so far, for example if I do two full SSB back to back I won’t see any improvements in FTP after the first block. I didn’t get a chance to do that with the high volume SSB however. At any rate, my numbers were the best they’ve ever been but I didn’t do any racing. If you are thinking about it then I’d recommend maybe trying mid volume first and then switching to high volume after that. It’s pretty easy to add volume to the mid volume plans but just extending each workout by 30 mins at Z2 as you get into the work. You have no idea how tired you will be if in week 5-6 even in a mid volume plan if you are nailing all the workouts.
Thanks for the feedback. I come from a higher volume background, but as suggested I first did the sweet spot base mid volume, and then ended up adding in some easy volume and a few zwift races to it, and nailed all the workouts.
I agree, those last 2 weeks of mid volume 2 really did build up!!
I decided that instead of trying to do a build in December - February I’d continue with the benefits I am seeing by jumping up to sweet spot base high volume, and am in my second week of that so far.
I plan on having a massive aerobic base by the time I REALLY start building which will suit my style particularly well as I really tend to be a sustained power athlete with triathlon, time trials, and being a breakaway specialist type of rider!
Next season should be fun, even if we don’t get to race much, just to beat up on my buddies at the group rides, hahaha.
I do a hybrid of about 8-9 hours/week. I did HV base 2 years ago and was ok with it - could not cope with the build so dropped to MV. Last year I did Mon - gym Tue - zone2 Wed/Thr - 75min SS Friday rest Sat o/u and Sunday SS or zone 2 outside. This year with no gyms open and the fact that I rode 15-20 hours zone 2/week in lockdown on my own…I’m doing Mon - rest Tue/Wed/Thr SS for 75mins Fri zone 2, Sat o/u Sun SS. Did that for Base1. Now on Mon - rest Tue vo2max Wed zone 2 Thr - 95-99% intervals Fri zone 2 Sat o/u Sun SS. So a combination of slightly less intensity than MV base 2 but more volume but less than HV base which really is boring…working ok so far!
PS - I run 20-30mins 2-3 x week as well for bone density as well (because I’m old…well 52…and I have run 2:47 for a marathon so it doesn’t take much out of me!)
I’ve done mid volume plans the previous 2 years. I started SSB HV in November 2020 and it has been amazing. I have set numerous all time power PRs and on my ramp test this past Tuesday I’ve already matched my highest career FTP… and it’s only the end of December in the Base phase! I much prefer the lower intensity of SSB HV over mid volume. Maybe I’m a special snowflake or just a good responder to SSB volume. Whatever it is, high volume for the win!
FYI, 44 yrs old, 2.5 yrs structured training (3.5 yrs cycling), 302 FTP, 80kg/177 lbs. I’ve been purposely over eating throughout SSB HV and I’m a few kgs over race weight. However I have 4 months to loose 2-4 kgs (5-10 lbs). That being said, I don’t really care as much about my weight as I do about my performance.
Side note: I"m doing the modified 13 week SSB HV plan that has an extra week of recovery. The weeks end up bing 5, 4, 4, and I’ve just started the last 4 week block. Which ends up being a double edged sword. Yes I get an extra week of recovery, but I’m training with a higher FTP because I have an extra ramp test. Next year I think I’d do the normal SSB HV because as the weeks go on the workouts actually become a bit easier towards the end of the training block.
Good stuff…I liked SSBHV when I did it - although I don’t have time for 2 hour SS efforts after work now. That said build killed me in 2 weeks - got the flu and my weight crashed…could of course be coincidental - but reps@108%FTP in a 2 hour session…hideous Be very careful if you take on SPBHV or anything similar.
Thanks, I’ll be sure to be mindful of the Build phase. It will be Short Power Build for me (I’m a MTB’r), so we’ll see how that goes at the end of January .
Be very careful if you take on SPBHV or anything similar.
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