Been ramping up my training volume for the last couple months after a long off season. Never really took rest breaks at all last year instead I tried to keep pushing harder and harder resulting in burnout and inconstancy. Learned my lesson and wanted to incorporate more rest days/weeks. My question, is there a certain percent of weekly hours you cut back on during rest week? Do you drop volume or intensity or both?
Both.
Lower intensity, in my opinion, is more important for pure physiological recovery, but lower volume means more hours to do other things, which is good for relationships, other parts of you life, etc.
40-50% reduction in average training volume over the course of the most recent block, plus no efforts SubLT and above unless completing a TT as a performance test.
Total training load 55-70% with a bias toward dropping cycling load about 50%, running volume about 30% and swimming about 30%.
Note, the cycling load drops, but volume does not decrease as much.
As a general rule, I try and get my overall TSB back to 0 to +10 by the end of the week.
The exception, is that I also factor in any other lighter weeks I’ve had for taper or race recovery into that as well and may make a light week closer to 70%. I think it just depends. I try and manage my PMC for each sport independently and adjust recovery and harder weeks accordingly. Ultimately there’s that “art” part of it.
For example since I’ve had to stop running for an injury, I’m trying to compensate by cycling and swimming more and adding in a little walking. But at some point my legs are just totally trashed. I was doing a sufferfest video this morning and my level 9 effort was pretty pitiful. I felt like I was attacking, but my power meter said otherwise. 120% was about all I could muster out of my legs. I think my level 10 made it to 130%. My 5 hour ride Friday afternoon should be really fun.
I drop running and ramp up swimming. overall volume is maybe 70% but most of it is swimming, giving the legs a rest. as for biking, 3-4 days easy
Total volume is cut pretty significantly. I cut back on running and biking sessions and just keep things in zone 1/zone2. I keep the amount of swim sessions the same since I need work the most there, but cut back on total volume and focus on technique. I also do a “de-loading” week in the weight room. For instance, I’m doing 16 hours this week. Next week is a recovery week, and I’m doing 8.5 hours. 3 hours swimming, 2 riding (winter trainer ride- otherwise I’d do more light riding than running), and 3.5 running. In the gym this week I maxed out on squats, deadlifts, bench, and military press. Next week I’ll only work up 65%1RM x5 on each lift. Nothing that would cause any sort of adaptive response. Just keeping the body moving. I always feel great after a recovery week.
Recovery week? What’s that and why were you trying to do more than you were capable of doing?
jaretj
Agree.
“Been ramping up my training volume for the last couple months after a long off season.”
Rather than “binge training” you’d be better off being more consistent by avoiding long breaks in training and maintaining a level of work your body can handle, and slowly increasing the training load.
I reduce volume of running and cycling by about 1/3, swimming by maybe 20%, no fins to give my ankles a break. I try to maintain the same intensity.
Total training load 55-70% with a bias toward dropping cycling load about 50%, running volume about 30% and swimming about 30%.
Note, the cycling load drops, but volume does not decrease as much.
As a general rule, I try and get my overall TSB back to 0 to +10 by the end of the week.
The exception, is that I also factor in any other lighter weeks I’ve had for taper or race recovery into that as well and may make a light week closer to 70%. I think it just depends. I try and manage my PMC for each sport independently and adjust recovery and harder weeks accordingly. Ultimately there’s that “art” part of it.
For example since I’ve had to stop running for an injury, I’m trying to compensate by cycling and swimming more and adding in a little walking. But at some point my legs are just totally trashed. I was doing a sufferfest video this morning and my level 9 effort was pretty pitiful. I felt like I was attacking, but my power meter said otherwise. 120% was about all I could muster out of my legs. I think my level 10 made it to 130%. My 5 hour ride Friday afternoon should be really fun.
I would say I’m closest to this, though I still hit 3 days of masters. I mellow out on the run as well as the bike. Rest on the 4th week for me, and build to kill on week 1-3.
In a build period, I schedule 2 hard weeks and a recovery week (although its generally only about 5 days), then start the cycle again. It allows for adaptions in your body and you will ‘bank the gains’ made during your training weeks. The comment made earlier about the quality time with your wife, girlfriend (or both??) is very vaild, I really enjoy the weeks of having evenings at home. It resets the mind and takes the pressure off the time apart. Remember its just a hobby…
Interestingly, since I have started using performance manager it is really easy to see that after a 2 week hard block, the TSB gets right down to -40 or so, and a recovery week will allow the CTL to level and the fatigue to drop. I normally get back to -5 to -10 during the recovery.
I tried to base it on 50% time of the previous big week (so after hard week of circa 12 hours, try to schedule 5 to 6 hours), all low intensity (nothing more the 75% MHR, 0.75 IF, 7 out of ten, whatever you want to use). Keep you ego in check and don’t get annoyed at women on shopping bike coming past you!
I am leaning more and more towards a 9 day “hard” 5 days “easy” cycle.
What does this equate to?
Train hard and long every weekend. Monday to Friday one week stay on structured training of sorts (at least try to hit the plan, all workouts and certainly all intensity sessions). Mon to Fri the following week de emphasize training, focus on work and family and do whatever workouts fit into life, with no plan to do anything hard. If I fee good, perhaps one hard workout only middle of that second week.
I think this works out really well from a practical perspective in terms of managing life and also training and getting a solid mental break. Sometimes, the hardest part is not the workout themselves, but moving life aside to hit the workouts. Only having to do that every second week makes it a lot easier.
Dev