Training Plans to avoid

Having done the ‘Build me up’ plan previously since Dec I’ve just done and completed the 6 week beginner FTP program. At the start of the plan my FTP was 213. After 6 weeks of religiously following the workouts and working hard not only did I not see any improvement…I saw a reduction from 213 to 210 :frowning:.
I can only assume this plan is one to avoid!

Most plans in Zwift have too much training load and not enough recovery time. For example, a normal training plan would include 3 weeks of workouts (maybe 5 days a week) and then a recovery week before continuing/repeating. The plans on Zwift don’t know the concept of a recovery week. And a lot of the single workouts also don’t make a lot of sense, actually (although I think the GCN workouts are generally good as well as L’Équipe de Tour Training Club).
youtu.be/xmVZshpLaqs

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5% difference in FTP is just noise. You may be tired from the training.

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Oliver,
I tend to agree with your point about a lack of recovery time…at 52 yrs of age…I know how important recovery time is.

Gerrie,
A reasonable point although I did rest for 48 hrs before doing the ramp.

Cant remember the last time I had more than 48 hrs off the bike…a recovery week seems crazy.

Recovery doesn’t mean don’t ride at all it means take it easy. So a recovery week can still include rides, just go for easier rides. Just google bike training recovery ride and you’ll find a bunch of tips.

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Check out Dylan Johnson’s channel at Youtube. He is a successful ultra distance MTB and now Gravel racer. He also was a coach at Carmichael Training Systems. Jim Carmichael authored the book “The Time Crunched Cyclist.” Dylan has videos were he shows suggested training plans in great detail.

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I try to remember that as amateurs, our hard days aren’t hard enough and our easy days aren’t easy enough.

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I like his content, and he is very science based. He recently criticized trainer roads plans as well for having too many intervals and not enough recovery rides. Dylan is a firm believer in the 80/20 rule, 80% of time training should be easy, 20% should be hard intervals (I’m over simplifying here, individual goals and base fitness need to be accounted for of course).

Overall, most training plans on zwift and trainer road over train you and never give enough recovery time.

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I did the ‘beginner’ FTP and the easier to do ones and they were hard towards the end but I got them done

I’m currently 3 or 4 weeks into ‘build me up’ and I kinda hate it. Due to work commitments I usually do 3 hard workouts on Friday, sat and Sunday and today I decided half way though a 1 hour 45 minute workout that it was too much and felt like it wasn’t doing me any good. They are just too all over the place. I’m 51 and want to improve a little over time. The training plans plans don’t really help. They’re a bit depressing

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I would caution against the CTS time crunched plans, they are intense and might not work for all.

For the OP I’m guessing without seeing your training data you were fatigued.

Also valid point mentioned before, recovery might be doing a very easy short ride.