Have to agree with this.
My n=1 experience with focusing on these longer block SST efforts for the first time ever, my confidence in holding power has gone WAY up. Mentally I’m not phased when I see a 20min @ 100% effort, and even if it was a 40min effort I know I what I can hold. Just having that confidence will certainly give me more arrows in my quiver because it will give me more options to how I otherwise used to race.
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As a long time lurker here, I’d like to finally share my experience with the SS progression and the guidance many of you have given in this thread. Note, I’m 49y, train ~7h per week, ride a lot outdoors, MTB only, single track in the redwoods and long fire road climbs (Santa Cruz, area)… and TR user since 2018.
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Oct 2020, stopped my SSBLV plan and made a SS progression based on the collective wisdom above.
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Over 5 weeks, I did 3x18, 4x15, 3x20, 2x30, and 1x60 90%FTP, all indoors. Added Z1/Z2 outdoor rides.
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The next 4 weeks: 2x35, 2x40, 2x45, 1x90. Added Z1/Z2 outdoor rides.
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Oct FTP test => ~280W, Dec FTP => ~285W (both KM Baseline test)
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Dec, I loosely followed Sustained Power Build LV, added in some floating VO2 from Short Power Build, and some outdoor HR-threshold climbs 3x 12-15 m (no PM on my MTB)
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March, FTP test => 302W (ramp test), will confirm with KM test. But felt good with a 3x10 threshold/O/U (95%/110%) workout.
My opinion of doing the SS Progression:
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Super happy with the results from this extensive/intensive experiment for my base training.
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Felt amazing to ride 90m at 90% FTP.
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I could have progressed much quicker to 90m by cutting out 2 weeks of 60m TIZ and maybe progress to 1x120m.
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I needed to be more accepting that my FTP wasn’t going to increase much during the SS progression. This is an investment in base fitness, right?
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Bonus, lost 5 lb along the way and a ate like a horse!
Thanks everyone!
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FTP definitely could rise during a progression, but it’s individual. I’m curious if other folks have seen FTP increases coming out of a dedicated SS block. Historically I have seen 3-5% increases, but what really increased–and what I think is the biggest benefit–is the increase in durability, ability to ride at a higher percentage of FTP longer, and muscular endurance.
What kind of %of max Heart rate are you guys aiming for during these sweet spot intervals?
I didn’t see a true increase/PR, but I hit the FTP I was at in September (my all time high) prior to my crash and injury again in three months with a TTE 25 min longer than Sept.
Now coming out of an FTP block and VO2max into recovery, here’s guessing I’m going to see some progress. Even on my Z2 rides this week I’ve been pushing 70-75% of FTP with relatively low RPE and my HR is much lower at that effort.
That said, my legs are still pretty trashed now five days into my recovery period.
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Ok, so I’ve been perusing this thread a bit and am more and more intrigued. I haven’t read through all of it yet so I apologise if my question is answered above.
Is there a list of the SS Progression Workouts?
Specifically 2x (or 3x) 45min or longer?
My new Plan Builder plan (XCM, A Race 25th October) starts on Monday and I’ve just gone through and changed a weekly SS workout to match the progressions mentioned (4x12, 4x15, 4x20, 3x25, 3x 30) but can’t find anything beyond 30min easily.
Any tips/advice appreciated.
Thanks.
Go to the app and ask to join the team Log In to TrainerRoad “More Sweet Spot!” Team
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The most compelling argument I have heard is SS training recruits fast twitch fibers and converts them so they behave more like slow twitch.
Low cadence Tempo does the same thing and has less central stress.
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Thanks!
You are right about striving for durability with this training approach. It sure delivered on that front. Looking back on my numbers, I think my FTP increase may have been around 3% during the extensive phase. One of my tests was closer to 290W with a TTE of 35m. I went with 285W thinking I over paced the test. And 1x90m was hard but physically manageable at 285W.
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After an initial bump up in (DEC) FTP from my first 6 weeks SS progression, my FTP was unchanged 10 weeks later after a full progression on the DEC FTP. Both test were 45 Mins long KM style.
A week later I did a 75 minute e-race an average the same watts as the 45 minute test, setting pbs in everything from 45 mins to 10 mins.
I am hoping that, as mentioned above, the SS work is an investment in base that will give rewards in an FTP block. From a confidence point of view, longer SS intervals, mean you are not fazed in long ftp efforts or races.
In addition, after 4 months of z2, tempo and sweetspot work my vlamax was unchanged (o.61) in an inscyd test. This was a concern as I did not want to lose that ability.
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So during your SS block (5+4 weeks) did you do 1 SS workout per week? Other rides just Z1/Z2 ?
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Interesting regarding the vlamax measurement, have to admit that the whole talk about converting fast twitch to slow twitch fibres makes me a bit nervous, as much as I’d like a higher ftp, I don’t really want to lose any fast twitch abilities.
I was concerned about this also. I have seen this with other people also. Despite medico / sweetspot training, FTP and vo2 max has improved but Vla max has not reduced.
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By the way, I’m not clear on what’s actually happening when I’ve heard people refer to “conversion”.
Do fast twitch actually convert to slow twitch? (I recognize there are fast twitch IIa and IIx, and hybrid muscle fiber types also, but in the interest of keeping the discussion simple, I’m just referencing the two types).
Or do fast twitch stay as-is, and what improves is 1. Your ability to transport lactate from fast to slow twitch fibers and 2. The ability of slow twitch to process that lactate.
And in this latter case, VLaMax would remain unchanged, but rate of accumulation of lactate (and resulting acidosis) would be reduced.
The end result is the same - muscular endurance increases
A big change I’ve noticed post-Vo2 block is my lower heart rate. It’s been messing with my head, honestly haha. I’m 2.5 weeks into a SS/FTP extensive phase post-Vo2 and my HR is significantly lower at the efforts. FTP is about the same. Feeling much, much stronger though during all things aerobic
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Stroke volume changes coming in
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Today 2x20 SST Over/Under every 3min 30s
I think i can do next time 2x30 with longer overs.
% based on FTP 290w. It was a outdoor ride, so sometimes in 30s i have to take a corner.
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Generally, I planned for one SS workout on the trainer and one hard MTB ride or SS/THR TR workout per week. My Z1/Z2 time was spread out over the week and mostly on the MTB and some TR Z2 workouts. Here’s a summary I put together of how my SS Prog actually panned out. The TSS for my hard MTB trail rides was estimated from HR TiZ data. Not sure why I ended up doing so many combinations of SS90/60’s. Maybe it was because as a SSBLV guy, I was scared to go beyond 60m on the trainer 
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