The title pretty much says it all. I’m grasping at straws a little here as well as the two plans were done on different trainers but I’ve just restarted SSB1MV and here’s the rub, I’ve just completed the first workout which really wasn’t that challenging and I do feel stronger but that last ramp test sucked, I felt worse at the failure point during my last ramp test but my heat rate was 9 BPM lower at the same point in my previous ramp test.
I was expecting a much bigger bump due to the focus on VO2, sweet spot and threshold.
Other than a week off during 2 and restarting the previous week my compliance, rest and nutrition were pretty much dialled in and aligned with 1.
Any thoughts and suggestions would be welcomed as i need to build my understanding and tighten the nut on my discipline as my goal event is 7th June .
If you’ve switched trainers then that could very easily account for a chunk of watts. Having a mix of good and bad test days accounts for a bit more. Progress is also rarely linear (and FTP is only one measure of progress anyway), a whole multitude of things can impact how well you respond to a block of training including training history, sleep, stress, nutrition, etc.
And at the end of the day you still gained 4W! It’s not like you lost 20. Be consistent with the training, stick with the plan, look after yourself off the bike, the progress will take care of itself.
In the past as I started structured training most of my biggest FTP gains came after SSB1. My first year on the trainer I moved up from 232 to 261 after SSB1 and then from 261 to 270 after SSB2. Both mid volume.
As I’ve gone through the progression a few more times and my base over the years grows, the jump isn’t nearly as much. Each time after SSB2 though, I’ve certainly noticed improved fitness, it just hasn’t necessarily directly been an FTP gain.
Now, based on your test it seems like something could have been going on there, but I’d stick with your tested FTP for a bit perhaps and see how those workouts go. If things are too easy, nudge up manually after or just consider retesting if it would give you piece of mind and it fits into your plan.
Regardless, feel proud of that 40W total increase. That’s MASSIVE and a huge win.
Nothing wrong with a 4 watt gain…especially since your hr was lower…could have just been a subpar ramp test performance. Why are you doing base over? Seems you would progress into a build program.
Too many other factors in play to be certain of any one thing, but it’s not surprising that after a 36W increase your next increase was markedly smaller. Especially if you have history of training, usually fitness will come back quickly and then you’re back to the grind.
sounds about right to me. Particularly if you were trained prior and this the first phase of base was getting you closer to your prior peak. I took some time off, gained 15 watts during base 1, but typically see low single digits each phase.
Even so…I would do base 2 or maybe make a hybrid of base 1 & 2 and build…I see no reason to do just base 1 and lose all the v02 max he gained…maybe the OP thinks he will see the biggest gain in base 1 because of his prior 36 watt gain?
Was thinking the same thing…if he took the test in base 1 on one trainer then took the test after base 2 on another then its comparing apples to oranges.
Are you using a power meter, smart trainer power or virtual power? Power readings between different smart trainers will be different and typically a big difference going from virtual power to smart trainer or power meter. Agree with above that it’s probably apples an oranges.
Agree. I did this last year after new baby. I worked through most of a build and then went back to base. I did the first week of SSB1 as a bit of a break, then did a bit of a mashup of SSB1 and SSB2 workouts - all VO2 max from the old SSB2 progression and picked and chose threshold/over under workouts. I did that for about 7 weeks total then started another build and progressed well from there.
May have missed it, but just to be clear: Did you just do the sweet spot base MV 1 & 2, or did you get into build as well? Build is where you… build… SSB is about cultivating the base strength to get into more specific build and specialty. It’s common for people to grow their FTP during SSB just as a function of riding a lot more than maybe they did previously, but SSB isn’t an FTP builder inherently, per the podcast.
Actually, the guys have said the opposite many times. FTP may grow most during SSB, then build develops fitness further toward the desired end, specialty sharpens for A event.
Most anecdotes I’ve read here people experience the biggest FTP gains in SSB. That’s also been my n=1 experience… 33 watts in SSB last season, 7W in build.
This year, 20W in SSB1, bet I’ll get 5-10 next week from SSB2… if I get 10 more all year I’ll be happy.
I mean, I don’t know the ep number or whatever, but I am quite confident there was a long discussion exactly centered around “People definitely grow their FTP in SSB, but that’s not what it’s aimed to do. It’s meant to cultivate a base fitness, and people grow their FTP as a result, not an intent.” I could be wrong though.
I did Reinstein today, during the first set I upped my cadence by 5rpm to trigger more stress on my body, 2nd set, upped the resistance by 5 % half way through which I dialled back to 2% as my mind was writing cheques my body was having trouble cashing and completed the last set at the same level so I’ll me more open to increasing resistance in future which in my eyes underpins the ramp test being accurate rather than an underperformance by me.
After digesting the above comments and reading though other content on TrainerRoad I’m becoming more settled in continuing with my current strategy.
I’m returning to cycling after a 18 month lay off and my first winter of structured training so I don’t see it can be detrimental to re do 1&2 as a bigger base will mean a stronger foundation and I’ve realigned my expectations to repeating my 36 watt gain which means I’ll take any increases from where ever I get them.
