THE TRUTH About Base Training
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- čas přidán 2. 08. 2024
- Here by popular request, is a masterclass in base training for endurance athletes. In this video, I give you the understanding of why we do base, when we do it, and how it’s done. I hope to imbue you with the understanding of the importance of doing your base training correctly to build a strong foundation for your entire season. Doing this wrong has proven to be detrimental to the performance of athletes time and time again. Despite all the training trends and hacks that come in and out of favor, traditional base training has stood the test of time and scrutiny and is worth taking the time to do it correctly.
Get your first purchase of Lactigo for 20% off using my link (coupon code is EIP20 if it doesn't automatically populate): www.lactigo.com/EIP20
Additional Resources:
Books:
The Cyclist’s Training Bible: amzn.to/2X0pmFF
The Triathlete’s Training Bible: amzn.to/3mD5ctX
80/20 Triathlon: amzn.to/3BvOpzm
80/20 Running: amzn.to/3uX9JeJ
Run Less Run Faster: amzn.to/3iOfUNn
Triathlon Running Foundations: amzn.to/2YzxIVd
Triathlon Bike Foundations: amzn.to/2YDjfYl
Triathlon Swimming Foundations: amzn.to/3iNExJX
Videos:
The overload principle explained: • The OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE...
Fitness explained: • Fitness - The MASTERCL...
Research:
What is Best Practice for Training Intensity and Duration Distribution in Endurance Athletes? www.researchgate.net/publicat...
The Road to Gold: Training and Peaking Characteristics in the Year Prior to a Gold Medal Endurance Performance: czcams.com/users/redirect?even...
Comparison of Reduced-Volume High-Intensity Interval Training and High-Volume Training on Endurance Performance in Triathletes: czcams.com/users/redirect?even...
Training for intense exercise performance: high-intensity or high-volume training?: czcams.com/users/redirect?even...
Intervals, Thresholds, and Long Slow Distance: the Role of Intensity and Duration in Endurance Training: www.researchgate.net/publicat...
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0:00 Teddy
0:42 Does it matter?
2:49 One size fits all?
3:34 How does Base Training fit in?
4:52 Why do I even need a base?
6:29 How does base impact my performance?
16:05 But, what are the physiological benefits?
26:33 What’s better, sweet spot or zone 2?
30:00 What does the structure look like?
33:46 Closing thoughts
Additional Resources:
Books:
The Cyclist’s Training Bible: amzn.to/2X0pmFF
The Triathlete’s Training Bible: amzn.to/3mD5ctX
80/20 Triathlon: amzn.to/3BvOpzm
80/20 Running: amzn.to/3uX9JeJ
Run Less Run Faster: amzn.to/3iOfUNn
Triathlon Running Foundations: amzn.to/2YzxIVd
Triathlon Bike Foundations: amzn.to/2YDjfYl
Triathlon Swimming Foundations: amzn.to/3iNExJX
Videos:
The overload principle explained: czcams.com/video/PvqZo-rHBtU/video.html
Fitness explained: czcams.com/video/erRufY93050/video.html
Research:
What is Best Practice for Training Intensity and Duration Distribution in Endurance Athletes? www.researchgate.net/publication/46403553_What_is_Best_Practice_for_Training_Intensity_and_Duration_Distribution_in_Endurance_Athletes
The Road to Gold: Training and Peaking Characteristics in the Year Prior to a Gold Medal Endurance Performance: czcams.com/users/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEdHaGFZM0xfOFFobjVpRE16Q3psZi1WQjZvZ3xBQ3Jtc0trNDJzNkVOVHF5eElRSWV5VjNYRFBlNzU5WUpmdXVsc09fUlFQNXBXajlGYnUyRGhzUW5OZkx6RXpaT3Z2NThTTUQ5dUR6MVNjMTZlM1V2V1BwZDBnZGxzNmNVai04MXE4Yk9pNlRmNXFmcmlVZmgyYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fjournals.plos.org%2Fplosone%2Farticle%3Fid%3D10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0101796
Comparison of Reduced-Volume High-Intensity Interval Training and High-Volume Training on Endurance Performance in Triathletes: czcams.com/users/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2hpc0MzOFhod01WWmplXzgwbm5Sdlc1RTVzQXxBQ3Jtc0tsUUo4WXhUMXNEemo3VVhKV285dkU3R1BfVnRjeUZ4ZWF0c2hxWmpSVFZmdXhuTGtpMFd5MWRDb3Z2US1MaWY3dF8wb204dVJjZ2JNZU82NkY2TmxPdDVNWGhVX0JXb2lITWRqQlpXMWhBUnFPeUs0NA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fjournals.humankinetics.com%2Fview%2Fjournals%2Fijspp%2F14%2F2%2Farticle-p239.xml
Training for intense exercise performance: high-intensity or high-volume training?: czcams.com/users/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbTRWWGlkSjNaVFpKUmtOV0V3eHdJRG9lUU8tZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuaURhMWNCVkJBSG1qaWRGbC02THlvRndhdU92T2U5NkdzR25VM19ISlJUSWNMbTltdnk1bmtyQUFMV2ZYZXZHR1JodHpwRFA0bVVlS0pwNDBmM1Rfd0ppVm5VWTRXUDZ2b1NZMjZGT21BYTlhcC1tRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1111%2Fj.1600-0838.2010.01184.x
Intervals, Thresholds, and Long Slow Distance: the Role of Intensity and Duration in Endurance Training: www.researchgate.net/publication/233855836_Intervals_Thresholds_and_Long_Slow_Distance_the_Role_of_Intensity_and_Duration_in_Endurance_Training
Phil Maffatone's book is another great one!
I’m a fan of Fast After Fifty by the guy who wrote the Training Bible. Taught me how to deal with a 60 yo machine that’s starting to show significant wear on the entire build. Some over-simplified nuggets that changed my jam: three, not two rest days a week, 2-3 day training blocks. Priorities changed - I still get a kick out of a podium, but longevity and consistency now rule the day.
Wow, amazing content. Subscribed! Thank you
This was an excellent video - thank you. I appreciate the science based content and references and though I have been training for years, I learned from your content and will apply to my upcoming off season training. Great content and well done!
Very well explained & informative🔝🔝🔝
Absolute spot on👊🏼💪🏼
Great video and love the sponge analogy. I am back to cycling after the mid 90's. Many principles apply to other activities.
very nice, thank you...i used your video to plan my 11/1/21 - 5/1/22 offseason...
Great stuff !! :)
Thanks soo much !!
Great videos!
Instant subscriber. Thanks for the video.
Very good!
Great explanation 👌
Great video Sarah! Love the new opener! Ride on!
Thanks a ton!! 🙏🏼
This makes so much sense. I always try to mix in intervals to break up steady state because constantly working in zone 2 just feels too easy, and when it feels easy I feel like I’m not improving. I think we are conditioned to the idea that you have to suffer to get stronger. This is probably why I end up overtraining so often.
You're not alone to be sure! It's hard not to get bored, especially if you have a long indoor season. I find a little cross-training helps to break up the monotony 😉
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic does it always have to be LONG when during pure zone 2 sessions? I wonder if a 1-2 hour zone 2 ride can still bring adaptations to our body during the base phase?
Thanks!
Great explanation!! Thanks and congrats
Thank you so much!! Glad it was useful 🙂
Love the new intro.
I just wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have been riding for over 30 years and feel like I am just discovering the science of training. Your videos are clear and concise and greatly appreciated.
Awesome fun video that slowly builds into an in-depth detailed overview of how this aerobic capacity build takes place in the body. 👏
Doesn't make it less boring, but might help to not get too impatient with it 🤣
Hello Sarah, you have nailed the most important period of the cyclist's annual plan which can shape the coming year's performance. The foundation building period starts with base and it is key to unlocking the potential to improve and achieve a new level for the new year. However, not all of us have the same amount of time available to follow a strict training plan so it is also necessary to factor in flexibility to adjust the plan and assess goals depending on how we come out of such periodization.
Fantastic explanation of what an be a minefield!
Love the starts to your videos 😂
This is one of the best base videos I’ve ever watched... great content but also great method of presenting many ideas and their nuances in a very simple and effective way. 👍 subscribed for more! Thanks
Thank you for the generous compliment! Glad to have you on the channel!
That's next-level training video-making, Sarah!
Thanks!! 🙏🙂
Superb explanation. You're fantastic at explaining these subjects
Thank you so much! 🙏
Not to mention the knowledge you have, your communication skills are incredible.
Someone give this woman an oscar.
thank you so much
Forgot to mention it last time, but I like the new intro. And it also seems like you’re stepping up your editing lately 👍
Thank you 🙏 definitely helps to have a bit more time with off-season and between videos.. 😉
In ye olde days before the likes of HRM or power or Zwift the end of the racing season was followed by the social season . Steady long club runs and maybe an evening social ride. Come January it was getting the miles in with harder club runs, reliability rides of 100 plus in all weathers. Early season hardrider hilly time trials were used to get the racing legs back. Then when the better weather came you were pretty well ready. In more recent years came training camps in places like Majorca or Italy.
You got my attention for the 30min Sarah , chapeau , well presented with a strong fundamental base of knowledge , I'm a fan of periodisation 80/20 I ride daily , even than the 20 portion is negotiable on perceived effort , but as a beginner cyclist my greatest improvement came and still is my go to workout , top of Z2 Heart rate and a constant pressure on the pedals , no free wheeling people's , find some open loops in the hood and just ride , gradually building time over the year , eventually get some punchy routes in on it don't go over top Z2 HR by 5bpm , learn to control that HR like a valve , boring yeah but rewarding .
Probably one of the biggest "mistakes" I see in beginner riders, that want to train to see maximal improvement, is spending too much time trying to ride in groups where they are constantly either hammering or coasting. Sometimes 3-5 times per week. Far be it for me to judge how people want to enjoy their time on the bike, but I think many of those folks think that is the best route to make them stronger/faster. Focusing on that hight Z2 work is unbelievably effective. People don't realize that disciplined time at 70-75% of FTP with consistent pressure is not in any way "easy." When people give it a chance and find their HR drop 10 beats or more for the same effort, it's usually enough to sell them on it... but they have to give it the chance 😉
Wow that was a great new opening! Maybe Teddy was just overwhelmed and needed some quality Turtle Time because that was really good. Oh yes, base training and taking time off to rebuild. Back in the day people around me used to race bikes all summer and then speed skate all winter. I don't think they took much time off. I did notice that the people that were really really really good did not try to be the best in both sports. They have to have taken a rest period. The sponge analogy was excellent. I would try it myself but I'm not a trained professional like you are. Excellent video
Watch out for those sponges! They'll get you every time! Teddy was NOT IMPRESSED with the sponges. I had to get them out of the house right away. He started attacking them through the plastic 🤣 Totally right on burning the candle at both ends though. Now that we have research that shows that we are not, in fact, robots that can just go crazy all year long, I think more people are backing off that idea and picking a priority. You can still participate in a lot of different things for fun, just pick a priority and find some balance.
Everybody has some training methods. Except me. I started back riding after taking 20years off. Am 66 now and got a Pinarello F10 and a Wahoo kickr and bought the Wahoo SYSTM training program. Has been great for me. But again I have never had a structured training program before.
I've never hit the thumbs up button before despite hundreds of youtubers begging me to. But you... That sponge metaphor deserves more than a like! Thank you so much. You answered a problem I needed help with!
I really appreciate that, I am so glad you got value out of it!
Yaaaaas ❤️❤️
love your vids Sarah! Question- I’m about to start my first TR personalized plan & im trying to decide if I want to start with mid volume sweet spot base or the experimental polarized. I have a decent aerobic base but of course it can always be better.
As a relatively new cyclist, I’m more dish sponge than giant peanut 🤣 I guess size is important after all 🤔 but your ability to entertain & inform by the bucket load is refreshing! Thanks as ever for your interesting & motivational content.
Thank you so much! You had me laughing out loud at the dish sponge 🧽 🤣🤣🤣
this is the best channel in the world
Hi Sarah, Is it Z2 HR & 70-75% Power? All new to this. My hubby and I joined a club and was forever chasing, high temp all the time and I ended up fatigued so we ended up leaving the club and are now just concentrating on us and more base training 🙌🏻🚴♀️🚴🏼♂️ thank you so much for your vlogs. I’m learning so much
Hi 🙂 Z2 can been anywhere between 55%-75% of FTP. Keep an eye on heart rate and judge your breathing and RPE. If you're trying to ride at 70-75% and your heart rate and breathing seem a little labored or unstable, that's normal while you're developing. Bring the power down more toward the middle 60-65%. High zone 2 can be challenging even with experience, especially for longer periods of time or if you are fatigued. You don't need to be up there all the time. It can be helpful to do some sessions where you ride blocks at different levels of zone 2. You could break out 10-20 minutes at a time where you might be at 70-75% then back it off to 60-65%. If your HR and power don't match up now, they will with time, you don't have to force high zone 2 to get there, it's a big zone 🙂
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic thank you so much. I’ll take everything on board 🙌🏻🚴♀️
Hoping you are ok? Missing your videos. Take good care.
amazing video, as always. I have an inquiry regarding the SST vs Z2 question: as a high schooler, I don’t have time for much more than 4 rides per week. I recently used TR planbuilder to set up a plan that will take me through May-ish of next year. It starts me immediately with 3-4 rides/week, mostly in different iterations of sweet spot base blocks. Do you think I should go ahead with the SST base philosophy because of my inability to train at high volume? Or should I just be riding z2 as often as I possibly can for a couple months?
Thanks so much! I would say if you have a decent base of fitness already, the SSB program will probably be pretty effective. It's definitely helpful when you are time-crunched and able to recover a bit in between. Plan builder is a little better than stacking the programs manually as they tend to move you in and out of blocks in a more sensible way. The biggest thing is paying attention to how your feeling. Being in school adds its own level of stress, if you're feeling tired, irritable, or that you're struggling to fall asleep, then just drop those sessions down to endurance, you're still getting a solid benefit. If you find that you have extra time around holidays and such, make those extra sessions or ride extensions Zone 2.
The mid volume plan or a modified high volume plan for sweet spot is much more achievable and sustainable for most than the high volume plan out of the box. They talk about this on their podcast often, the high volume plan is really targeted toward a small percentage of people, and it gives the training a bad reputation.
Also, adaptive training is another measure of protection. It prevents you from doing SST workouts that are too much of a jump over your current capability. It basically junks the canned plan and individualizes it. I think they even modified the core plan from last year with that data. I used AT during the summer and its pretty slick. I'm going to be using it for base this year and doing a block of sweet spot based on a placeholder "event" in May. Looking forward to not getting hammered with Tallac +3 before I'm ready 🤣
If you haven't turned AT on, I would give it a shot, still open beta, but it is solid. I do ignore the adaptations sometimes, but its usually pretty sensible. 😉
Thumbs up for the sponge
🤣 The sponge and I greatly appreciate it!
love your videos !!! Fantastic way of explaining things. Quick question. As for a beginner working on the base would you ride 6 days a week zone 2 ( power meter ) hour a training or you would rather do 3 training 2h long ? Thank you kindly for your videos.
Thanks so much! I know this wasn't one of your options, but I might do a blended model. 4 days of training (to get more touch points on the bike) do two of them for an hour and two of them 2 hours. If you have an opportunity once in awhile to make one of those long days longer - like a 3 hour session with the other three days short - those long days will push those endurance adaptations. As you progress you flip one or two of your short days to an intensity day 🙂
Thank you kindly . I read already two books that you recommended in your videos. One was written by the lance coach and second one is about training with power meter. Great books but there is not much knowledge for people that are completely new in this sport.or I don’t know how to use them for this purpose . That is why I like your videos.
@@phfloors not a problem. It takes a little context, but it comes together to be sure 😉
Most distance runners in school have 3 seasons in a year- XC, indoor track, outdoor track
Correct, school is generally a time for athletes to find a discipline to focus on. Athletes will not peak in all three disciplines. As such, one or more of the disciplines may be used for preparation or development for the primary discipline, or performance is sub optimized across the entire year to maintain serviceable competitive fitness.
My man Teddy!
He was very jealous of the sponge... they had to be removed from the house.
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic why do you not have merch? Like a hoody that says "hello endurance nerds!". I'd buy it.
Dude, keep making videos. You've got a gift for explaining things simply. Plus, there are like ZERO women in this sport doing what you're doing.
35 minutes of my time, just like that. You're a genius... :-)
🙏 thank you for the generous compliment, glad you found it useful!
Sponge handling performance bar none 👍🏻🏅
Great information. Now I’ll never be able to think of myself by anything other than a sponge! 🧽 😳
Now we all need to find a starfish to be our best friends. 😅
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic or. Squid (ward)
Another great video and would like your view on my training. I’ve spent 18 months in Z2 training with high TSS and volume. Seen big gains but levelling off. Have switched to TrainerRoad mid volume SS Base & Build which is less hours and more intense but concerned about losing benefits of Z2 as hours training far lower and a lot of time is now in tempo and threshold. Should I supplement with more Z2 by adding on to end of some of the SS sessions? Thanks Ian
If you're already a high volume athlete, adding Z2 to mid volume is a solid - and even recommended - approach. Chad Timmerman himself (plan designer) recommends this approach over the high volume model in the platform. I don't know that you'll necessarily lose aerobic capacity in a specific sense, but generalized fitness will decline somewhat with a drop in load. How much? It really depends... Adding in intensity will drive up other energy systems to be sure, and that is likely to make you faster, potentially for fewer hours trained... But, there does come a linear relationship of volume to performance above 10-12 hours a week in a well-structured program with good recovery. I wouldn't necessarily look to level-set your volume right out of the gate e.g. if the plan is 7 hours and you usually do 11, add 4 hours of Z2 - that would be a pretty nasty bump in training load. I would do one of two things, level set for TSS which would be a modest reduction in volume that you could add a little to each week, or, add rides or extensions by feel. If you're not recovering, back it off. Usually, the 30-minute extensions after a workout aren't too problematic, it's adding those extra sessions that could cause some overtraining.
I'm thinking if you have good data around TSS, you might look at the former. See what TR is throwing at you compared to where you are and make up the difference if there is one 🙂
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic great advice which I’ll follow. I certainly don’t want to lose aerobic capacity as I do many long events often back to back. I’ve found muscular endurance has been the limiter which is why I’ve started with TR but don’t want to sacrifice aerobic endurance though.
Really appreciate your help and your CZcams posts are fab 👍👍
Hi, if in my base training plan there is a 2 hour zone 2 ride should l : a) finish the ride with a normalised zone 2 power, b) finish the ride with an average zone 2 power or c) spend the duration of the ride in zone 2, for example if it’s a 2 hour zone 2 ride I might end up riding for three hours but when i look at the time in zone chart, 2 hours were spent in zone 2?
Also, please do a video on the build phase.
Is Teddy in base season? I thought so, he seemed Zoned in.
Thanks Sarah, this was super helpful. Quick question, how long do you need to spend in Z2 to get the benefits? I work out 4x week with max limit of an hour per workout due to scheduling. Is 1hr at Z2 all that effective at building base, or would I be better served by doing shorter rides at higher zone?
You'll adapt to 1 hour at zone 2 pretty quickly. It certainly helps to have touch points, especially at a higher percentage of zone 2 (closer to 75%), but on a low volume plan, you're really optimizing for efficiency. You'll get more benefit from higher sustained intensity like sweet spot or threshold intervals as you have more built-in recovery. As you move closer to the primary season you want to perform, you start increasing/changing the intensity to something that mirrors your goals. If you find that you have an open couple of hours on a random weekend, that's where you plug in a longer endurance ride, as tempting as it might be to go out and attack every segment or test your fitness, you'll get a much more valuable stimulus that way. 🙂
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic thanks Sarah, so given my current schedule, I'd get the most bang for my buck by doing 3 x interval workouts and 1x longer endurance ride?
@@grey_fox7 that's a pretty fair approach. Just make sure you're flexible and willing to back off if you feel fatigued. No harm in switching to an endurance day instead of intensity if you need it
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic thank you so much, really learning so much from your channel! And really appreciate how you engage with your audience!
have you looked at zwift academy run, or the running component of zwift academy tri? workouts are wishy-washy: short and lacking intensity. no training effect. like trying to cook dinner on an easy-bake oven.
I have looked at both, and the target intensities for those workouts are specific to the demands of the events. Distance running and long course triathlon. They sre pretty typical and effective for those disciplines. The length of the workouts are truncated to promote adherence of a wider audience but the formats are not altogether problematic and are scalable to higher volume plans. Distance running on a treadmill is pretty terrible and forcing people on a treadmill for hours is not going to entice very many participants.
Great video, as always. But let's be honest, is all about the hair. Great red hair. Awesone new profile pic. 👩🦰😻💪
😜
What about Z1? You can not do 5-6x a week just Z2. Is it ok to do Z1 ride every 2-3 Z2 sessions? And what is your opinion about 3h ride in Z1? Would you count it as endurance ride because of its length?
Good questions.
To start, if your zones are properly set, you can absolutely do 5-6 days a week of straight zone 2. That is the idea behind the training, the capability to recover quickly from such a low intensity zone allows the athlete to accrue pretty substantial volume at zone 2. This type of effort does not need protracted periods of recovery - as long as a person is adding volume to their current level intelligently e.g. not going from 8 hours a week to 15 hours per week overnight.
A good plan will periodize around introducing a volume increase each week and a deload week once every 4-5 weeks where number of sessions is constant but the volume is reduced in order to shed general training fatigue. For an athlete who is locked in at a consistent volume, progression is typically made by increasing the percentage of FTP that comprises their sets. They may start at 60% and begin introducing blocks or entire rides that push up to the top end of their Z2 - 70-75%. 1-2 days off per week (which could be replaced with short recovery rides based on preference) is more than enough to mitigate muscular fatigue that could interfere with the sessions (again assuming the athlete is not jumping into a volume that is inappropriate for their ability level). If an athlete is including strength training, these sessions need to be placed after any intensity days that may be included later in the base season and might elicit the need to introduce a rest or recovery day afterward to maintain freshness in the legs - one of the many permutations I mentioned making it difficult to lay out a blanket "optimal" plan.
In terms of Z1, Zone 1 is too low in and of itself to induce significant physiological adaptations, there is certainly a place for Zone 1, but it is really only for recovery. Generally speaking, if you're not doing an interval session, you want to spend 10% or less of your ride time in Zone 1 - with the exception of a recovery ride that should not exceed 1 hour of easy spinning on primarily flat terrain. Unfortunately, doing a longer ride in zone 1 really won't yield any endurance training benefit. If you go for a 3 hour ride because you enjoy it, or are taking time with family, this is not meant to discourage that. But, if you are trying to get an endurance benefit, you are better off dialing back the duration and increasing the intensity to place you in your mid to upper zone 2. Most often, you will want to introduce a short recovery ride after a long weekend or block of riding or after the strength training I mentioned. They will keep your muscles loose and a good warm up for some stretching or yoga, and the blood circulation from riding EXTREMELY EASY will help you shed physical and mental fatigue.
Many athletes get tripped up on traditional base training because they feel the missing variety is problematic, either because they are bored with the low intensity, or simply don't think the stimulus varies enough to possibly be right. The research is pretty clear on this and is why after decades coaches and pros continue to return to this model and discipline to it can be highly effective.
But, to repeat what I mentioned in the video, the training is very individualized. Someone who, for example, works a very stressful or physical job, may not be able to do 5-6 days per week at Z2, even if they could make the time. There are physiological impacts that can't be measured that will make that type of training more difficult. That person may have to look at a format of days that will maximize their performance or reduce the number of days spent training in general. An athlete that only has 4-6 hours per week to train may need to introduce some intensity a little earlier in the base phase, or add some extra sessions of intensity as they approach their build phase. At the end of the day, each person needs to find a plan that works around their life and balance the best they can with what the science indicates is beneficial.
@@EverythingIsPhotogenic Thanks for really detailed explanation. When I check my training plan I have there sessions with Z1 zone, but are combined with harder work. At least once a week I have session called "Steady Ride" and it is described as Zone 1 on the flat and Zone 3 on the hills. It is mainly to increase volume and load without much stress.
Thanks again and keep up great work you do!
I'm happy to give you a thumbs up Sarah 😚😈
Could you make a video for only 6 hours a week base training?sweet spot?
It's something I will try to get to, but time is always pretty elusive 😉 But it does depend a little on how many days comprise those hours. If you can use those 6 hours any way you wish, ideally you would get a blend. Ride 4 days a week - maybe Tuesday and Thursday are 1 hour sweet spot sessions and on your weekends get in some longer Zone 2 rides - 2 hours each, or even another 1 hour sweet spot on a Saturday and a 3 hour Z2 ride on a Sunday. Nothing replaces that long ride in terms of benefit, so if you can squeeze it in, it is worthwhile. As you progress through base, those Tuesday/Thursday rides turn into higher intensity days as you approach build.
If you are really constrained during the week but have weekends at your disposal, this is a little less ideal, but you would want to put either a high intensity or sweet spot session during a short ride during the week and go heavy with endurance on the weekends. Again, those long rides are exceptional at building that aerobic base.
If you are on a model where you can ride more often but less duration per ride, maybe 5 days of riding, you might want to do an alternating model of SST and endurance e.g. Tues/Thurs 1 hour of sweet spot intervals, Wed/Sat of one hour high zone 2 (70-75% of FTP) and a 2 hour session on a Sunday (The specific days don't matter much, just put a little distance between your harder rides with either your endurance days or rest days).
You could certainly do all 6 hours of Z2, and get a pretty solid benefit, but the meat and potatoes of endurance is certainly driven by volume. That is why SST is a very solid option for low to mid volume athletes. It takes a beating because people think that it is scalable, for most athletes it's not. The only thing I would mention - and I know it's probably obvious - is be VERY cognizant of your work/life/training balance. People who work stressful jobs are not tracking that physiological stress as a metric, but it is there. If you just don't have the ride on the day, scrap it or even do something else. A lot of lower volume athletes dump strength. I get it, it sucks lol and it's not necessarily as convenient. Most people don't have a full gym at home and going to another location to do the work chews up time that you could have just jumped on the bike or on a run. But strength sessions do help. If you can squeeze them in here and there, or some bodyweight exercises while watching your favorite shows those help too. 😁
Thanks so much!i need to add these long endurance rides on the week ends.Not so easy to do indoor though !
@@matlindell5022 isn't that the truth!! If you use Zwift, the fondo rides and tours are a great way of getting those done. A little less boring, you're working toward a completion/unlock, and there is always some sub group you can settle into that is going the pace you need to stay at endurance 😉
I'm calling my cat 'madam' now because you called your cat 'sir'.
🤣 it's only proper.
You paid the cat tax!
Meghan Trainor Road™
🤣🤣
Wish I had found you years ago! Glad I have. I don’t use Zwift, so I’m picking through your videos looking for applicable fitness content that I can use or adapt.