I just finished the Beginner FTP Builder 6 week program and am thinking of doing the Build Me Up plan starting in the new year. The 6-week FTP Builder looks very tame compared to BMU (the most difficult interval in FTP Builder was 12 min sweet spot followed by a 5 min FTP segment). I knew this going in, but decided to do it anyhow for the cadence work and to get used to a structured plan since I had never done one before.
I do worry about how taxing the BMU plan is going to be, and am very interested to see if I can actually get through the program given the comments in this thread and my cursory look at the program 
@Daniel_Morgan1 thatās close! You only need to shave off a few seconds per corner, Iām sure you can get it!
@SeattleSauve I wouldnāt worry about it, just do it. If itās easy and you just coast through itās probably not doing much for you. Iām taking the fact that Iām struggling at times as a good sign thatās itās doing something, hopefully good!
Thereās no reason not to try it, if itās to hard you just lower your ftp. Seems to easy you increase it. You need to struggle every now and then to change and improve. Iām glad Iv started it as itās given me something to focus on in the poor weather and with the cadence changes Iād never normally pedal like I do on some segments so itās good in that aspect of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone
Well Iām glad that (week 7 is now over). I ended up skipping Giza to try and allow my legs to recover. It partially worked, they felt better, but not 100% recovered, and I did most of the last 2 (cucumber and spaded sweetie) workouts, but ended up turning the intensity down in probably the last quarter of each workout. After this Iāve decided to back my FTP back nearer to my original than the one I updated to after week 4 (about 1/3rd of the way between my original and the updated one).
Now planning on 2 full days off before starting the lower load week 8 and will combine the pedalling drills workout with my soccer day to allow a full day off in the middle and then another 2 days off before week 9. Iām hoping this will mean I can go into week 9 feeling fully fresh and no pre canned excuses for failure!
Another bonus, for me anyway, is that due to the holidays I wonāt have any soccer in the next 2 weeks where there are 5 workouts so I can get some real rest mid week this time, the downside is I may be about to explode from excessive turkey!
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@David_Stark yep, that is definitely a tough week and turning your FTP down again is the right thing to do. Enjoy week 8 and psych yourself for week 9.
In other news, after my enforced week off after my knee warning shots I started week 10 again with Baffling Beau and it was fine - felt easier than Circus certainly, I really think that the week of enforced rest (just a bit of gentle MTB with kids at the weekend) really helped. Obviously not great from the training point of view as the whole point is to train under fatigue conditions, but it still felt good to do anaerobic intervals without feeling totally wasted at the end.
Week 2 starting for me today with Red Unicorn (yay). Iām trying to do this plan and a 10/20 mile iTT every Sunday. Iām full of good ideas
BMU seems to be as much about building mental resilience as fitness - it is very progressive, so you get a chance to build both up gradually. It is taxing, but certainly not impossibly so.
@Nick_Strugnell good to hear the knee feels better.
@James_Zwift for the first few weeks I was doing additional rides and playing soccer and didnāt find it any problem so the TT will probably be fine. As the plan moves on and you get 5 workouts a week I think it will depend how quickly you recover if you can still do it. As you may have seen from my earlier posts I eventually found the workouts plus my extras too much, but you never know until you try! Good luck with the TT!
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@David_Stark I have concluded I donāt like unicorns. Wow, that was tough!!
Totally procrastinating today. I normally ride around 2pm (I tend to start work at about 8 and finish at 7). I really should be getting on to do Mishmash but I canāt face it right now
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Thatās one of the reasons I ride first thing in the morning, my brain isnāt awake enough to procrastinate!
Iāve never been a morning rider. Iāve always found my legs havenāt woken up and Iām a bit short on power.
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Hi there,
I also do the Built-Me-Up plan and IāM quite happy with it. Right now Iām in week 4.
But a short question from me:
I know that all workouts per week can be done in every order I like to do it. But Zwift recommends the right order of the workout. But my question is: What is the ārightā order?
When I go into the Zwift software and enter the training plan, I get one order.
In the Zwift Companion app there is another order.
And I think when I start the software and my workout is shown at the start, that there is another order ā¦
So what is right? Iām a bit confused ā¦ 
I choose the workouts based on my preference and try not to group the two hardest ones together.
I donāt think there is a ārightā order. Iād always try and get the hardest one out the way at the start of the week.
Thanks for your answer!
This is from the official Zwift FAQ:
Q: Can workouts be completed in any order?
A: Each week, a portion of the workouts for the plan will become available. As workouts become available, you can complete them in any order you choose; however, you will get the most out of our plans by following the designated order.
Iām also mixing up the workouts that they fit best in my family and work life. Just was interested in the ārightā order. 
This is very interesting! Thank you!
Feeling it this week, done malevolent yesterday and thought that looked hard although I only felt it the last few mins. Decides to do mosaic today and Iām halfway through and dying here the first interval broke me
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Finished that one and found that really tough today, fingers crossed circus is a bit easier
Just finished Yellow Unicorn this morning and it about killed me in the third hard interval set. I find my HR skyrockets on these practically to max and I just canāt keep going, especially at high cadence. Legs donāt feel too bad, but HR goes crazy. Is that how others feel as well? I feel like I have crappy lung capacity generally and that contributes - but wondering if Iām an anomaly or this is how most people feel
I am new to Zwift - been using it for just a few days and have done a FTP ramp test and then decided to do the BMU.
I noticed that there are no rest days - Week 1 looks like 7 days of hard work (which Iām okay with).
Do we actually do these day after day or do you build your own rest days in to the plan?
I found the instructions do not really cover the āhow to useā the plans.
Thanks
