Just throwing this out there for discussion…seems like there are often discussions on this board about how to improve performance at VO2max, or how to improve sprints, or how to improve TTE @ threshold.
Would anybody find useful a host of TR 4-week plans to target a certain intensity zone while doing at least the minimum effective training dose in the ‘other zones’? In other words, 4 weeks of threshold work…with just enough VO2max & endurance work to keep those ‘zones’ topped up.
Maybe that’s a bad example. Sustained power build is sort of that.
But what about a 4-week VO2max booster plan?
I’m 100% sure TR have considered such a thing & elected ‘tuh not tuh’…what do forum readers/posters think? Good idea or bad?
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I was trying to push the idea of user’s custom blocks for a some time. If I could compose the block myself, save it and reuse it later this would be sooo good. Then you should be able to share blocks as you can share workouts. This way you could design your vo2 max block, sst or threshold progression blocks.
And since then the most useful functions of TR calendar - copy, clear and push weeks are gone, there is basically no tools to plan your training by yourself.
I do not need blocks composed by TR, especially if you are thinking in blocks of training you have enough knowledge about training to compose this thing by yourself.
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One of my weaknesses is TTE at threshold so I would like to see a TR training plan targeted to improve it.
I’ve seen past threads about TTE, but I would prefer something from TR without having to build my own plan.
Well, for sure I love what folks on the forum might suggest for a training block! (I love the forum even though I antagonize it all the time) but for this specific idea I’m more interested in what is TR suggestion for a good VO2 booster block or a good sprint booster block.
Just for a case where there is a few weeks in my calendar where I could throw in some sprint work…but would like to do it in a fashion that doesn’t let my threshold slide too much. Or something like that.
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Yeah. That’s what I’m talking about! I know what a lot of other people think about such things…I want to see what TR can do for me, though.
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Sure, and in no way was I discounting your specific post and request. In the one reply I made above, I merely addressed a solitary (and slightly Off Topic) concern from the reply that I knew had at least some relevance to an existing feature request.
Honestly, I like your request and it’s one that has been mentioned in various places for several years. TR has mentioned Training Camps and Training Blocks on more than one occasion, with targets just like you mention (VO2 specifically and likely others).
That said, this is likely better set as a “Feature Request” which would push it into the “TrainerRoad Software” category rather than “Training” where it currently resides. I left it as is to see what others posted before doing anything. We could get @IvyAudrain to comment and let us know if she has a preference WRT what makes the most sense in getting this idea into TR’s hands.
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Yeah…I’m 100% sure TR have kicked this idea around. Because they are sharp and this idea is maybe a little obvious. Just curious why it hasn’t been ticked off & thought, hey, maybe there isn’t really that much interest from the user base. So, though I’d test the waters.
Because, let’s be honest: there are other services that offer just this. So do you really want a current user to look for a VO2 booster series…not find it…and look at some other service? That’s what some in the biz call a ‘vector for customer leakage’. If it was me, I’d plug those leaks where it’s easy to do so.
Now here’s where I’ll defer to your superior wisdom & experience!
Good. I’m sure too, making some assumptions on TR processes I’d say they have a huge backlog of potential improvements.
Same, this is what I want. While I might start with a TR block as a template, it would be modified. And I’d want to save my block and be able to reuse/modify in the future.
There are so many things that TR could do, and we can second guess what should be done, however TR is going down a path that it alone is charting (with or without Feature Requests or other suggestions).
I didn’t think of it this way but I like the idea. What if we could save a ‘jarsson block’, then create a group, then share the block among group members? That would be cool. Then I could just steal your 4 week VO2max progression and chortle quietly to myself…bing, bang, and on to the puking.
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It seems clear that TR are focused on a ‘system’ approach eg Base-Build-Specialty and dont seemt to want to introduce micro blocks or ‘boosters’ for some reason. They appear to be totally hooked on a Plan Builder centric plan design rather than encouraging an adhoc approach where people can select from individual building blocks. They would probably claim Train Now delivers that…
I think there are several great areas where a standalone micro block would be a great resource, so maybe one day they will deliver?
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Sorry - my mistake 
Copy and moving week works. But without “clear” and push (it was available after disabling AT, now it does not work for me even with AT disabled) the functions are not so helpful.
For example:
I now have some pretty intensive time at work. I had a plan for 4 months ahead, but needed to push all my plans and insert 3 weeks of easier work. Earlier it was couple of clicks, now it was quite a tedious job - doable, but irritating because it was easier before
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I understand this from a mainstream perspective. Most of people do not want control, they want to follow a plan and do not want to think about what to do. On the other hand, many of “older” users of TR learns more and more and look for more control. So we have a strong dichotomy between user bases.
TR chooses the automatisation route, as it appealing for the biggest pool of users - they are running a business. But it is hard not to push for some functions that could be useful for this smaller pool of users. So basically we need “TrainerRoad Advanced Mode”
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In theory AT should be an ideal vehicle to sort this out. It should know exactly how poor you are at certain zones and be able to produce a 4 week plan for you given certain prompts
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I think that AT could be left behind in this case or added way later. I do not want any automatisation in choosing my block or workouts - I know what I want to do, I know every workout because I have manually done them in workout creator. I just want to be able to save the block and share it with other users. Involving AT introduces complications and many times users that do a block of certain work are following some idea from other coaches or users.
Well I agree, but let’s not give AT more credit than it’s due. I just did a workout wherein I held a certain power for 14 minutes that I had never before achieved. So an all-time-14-minute power record. I held that same power for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes, 35 minutes, 40 minutes. Big, big all time TTE power records.
When I was done with the workout AT said, ‘No adaptations needed!’. Shortly after my workout concluded two other services notified me my threshold had increased. So here is a case where TR AT is not ‘on the podium’ among competitors. Which is to say I’m inclined to agree with the other services that my threshold has increased & disagree with AT that no adaptations were needed.
I suspect AT would be similarly not-yet-up-to-snuff at predicting and executing a sort of flood the zone approach to improve VO2max or Sprint power.
I did say ‘in theory’, but wholehearted agree that it’s far from a reality at present, and probably never.
I’d appreciate a VO2 / suprathreshold heavy 4 week block in the plans or the ability to save your own block of workouts. I’d settle for being able to having workout ‘favourites’ saved as part of my profile so that they are the same over the different platforms - that would help!
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Not sure I agree with that theory given TR’s focus on a) lack of maximal efforts (except for ramp test) b) Erg mode by default, c) plans that appear to tradeoff volume for repeatability, and d) inside workouts. You also are making assumptions about how TR is using ML. At the moment ML evidence is pointing that it is currently being designed to adapt workouts within a TR skeleton plan with a coaching goal of making smoother progressions within the framework of individual training blocks designed by TR coach(es).
I think one point that @jarsson and I are making is that not every athlete agrees with the coaching decisions made to construct those blocks.
just a few random thoughts based on what I appear to be seeing, and what I’ve seen in my own data across 4 different 2-year training approaches.
Yes although never say never.
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I really like this idea. I’ve just modified the first three weeks of SusPBMV to be an intensive VO2 block, I’d really love for that to still be attached to AT to see the recommendations.
Same with Threshold and SS, though the problem there is the TR SS catalogue doesn’t go high enough in general it seems for AT to be able to keep the progression going.
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Yes, I would love to see sweet spot progression and threshold progression plans. I’ve hunted through the workout library to try to find all of the suitable workouts, but its hard to cobble together a decent progression in either.
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