# Training load progression



## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

I have been looking into different approaches to devising an annual training program and while most books (the usual suspects) give a lot of detail of what to do in each session there is a distinct lack of info on the overall patterns - for example, what should be the training load progression from one week to the next and from one block onto the next (prebase – early base – midbase – etc). A figure of 10% seems to be the guideline for time but then the intensity is also increasing (or decreasing in case of tapering) so is there any scientific figures out there I don't know about?


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

You need a coach.


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## 2ndPlace (Sep 17, 2008)

all the "coaches" are gonna say "you need a coach". and for all practical purposes that would be the best way. 

pay iliveonitto to give personal advise.


for those who cannot afford this or are too cheap or just want a second opinion, non-professional adivice from experienced riders can suffice.


10% or precieved baby-steps is fine for progression. many variables come into play here. life is rarely linear. you get sick, holidays, life in general.
progression as well in what? speed, fitness, strength.....

your requirerments will determin that. remembering that 3 weeks progression and one week rest/stalling is recomended. train/recover/train/recover. if you have read enough books, these facts should have already been covered. most riders use races to peak and reset for the next.

after the race season, complete time off and start a base training over to reset and build a strong foundation to work hard again on progression. 
IMO progression is mainly happening spring to fall in small steps, year after year. newer racers will see more improvment in the beginning year round. unless you have some "breakthru" like better nutrition or lighter bike or magic potion this is how progression goes after a while of keeping at it. last year i had a nutritional improvment and am reaping benifits still.

you will eventualy reach a genetic ceiling where you hover more or less around the same level.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

2ndPlace said:


> all the "coaches" are gonna say "you need a coach". and for all practical purposes that would be the best way.
> 
> pay iliveonitto to give personal advise.


I don't get paid for "advise [sic]." How old are you, anyway?

toonrade: You're asking for a lot of advice and a lot of structure. You can find this information in one of two ways.

1) Go to the library and read every book on the subject or
2) Hire a coach. 

It sounds like you've exhausted the first option and if you don't have it by now (or don't want to commit the time to more reading), you probably should get a coach. They really aren't that expensive and are usually worth every penny. If you need suggestions for finding a good coach, I'm sure many people here are happy to help, including me.

But, there is no formula that works for every person. It depends on your genetic ability, experience, previous training, and many more factors. This is what a coach is paid to figure out and help you with, among the actual coaching plans and advice.


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## 2ndPlace (Sep 17, 2008)

iliveonnitro said:


> I don't get paid for "advise [sic]." How old are you, anyway?
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

As a practical matter, "total life stress" is the real constraint for most of us. Regardless of what your body is potentially capable of adapting to, you still need some reserve to be useful at work, keep the family happy, etc. If you're young, single, have no job, then you can train a lot harder. 

In general, your personal training load pregression is something you (perhaps with a coach) gotta figure out; the rules of thumb are just rules of thumb (and I'm suspicious of nice round numbers like 10%, anyway). 

The way many of us figure it out is by training hard until it all catches up to us. The early signs of overtraining start appearing. My goal in a given training block is to challenge my body; do all the right things (eat, sleep, train smart) and pay close attention to how I feel when doing a workout. Since I have a job and family, I tend to err on the side of more recovery. 

Hope this helps.


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

Lots of replies but no answers!

I'd like to think of myself as a trainee coach and was hoping to compare notes with some of you guys but somewhat disappointed at the quality of the feedback - sure everything is dependent on everything but there is always a starting point that will be built in to the basic plan which you would asses against the cyclists progress on a continual basis. Inerestingly it has never come up on this forum (well atleast not to my knowledge) or indeed any of the "recommended books" which is a big ommision as its the single most important parameter one would design a plan around.

For what its worth I tend to start my plans on 25% during early phases of training and gradually go down to 5% during the latter weeks of advanced training - i would however like to compare notes & details with anyone who uses similar methodology so PM me if not comfortable with sharing it on the forum.


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## 2ndPlace (Sep 17, 2008)

toonraid.

if you are say 25%, like you are going to increase mileage by that amount weekly, that might be too much, too soon.

example;
100 miles per week, next week 125, next week 156.25, next 195...etc

even increasing in intensity watts wise would be a big load very quickly.
things like joints and and ligaments do not like quick ramp ups like that. you might be able to do it, but further down the road, you might have injuries or complications. better safe than sorry as creaky said.

this is just my opinion from a racer that was pushed too hard at an early age by over zealous coaches. 


i like to see a steady build in milage from mid base thru mid racing season. 5-10% depending on the riders past history. getting to an amount roughly twice the longest race, unless you are doing endurence racing.

intervals should be light and start ramping up 3 months before the first race in blocks of over lapping strength, speed, spin and max. to me LT training should be done sparingly in the begining of late base and increasing slowly to full bore workout load two months before first race.
racing very close to my LT is my style(steady push), so i work on that alot. it also give me more headroom, if i need to back off and take a rest and not get dropped.
you can do LT as a seperate block or a longer one like me.

5-10% increase is still the plan here and you will see good stready growth year to year. there is no magic quick get fast pill sorry to say. it can be done, but at a price.


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## moab63 (Aug 7, 2006)

*Here us the deal the are many factors*

to consider.
How long have you been riding, youtr longest ride ever, your shape now, your goals, amount of time to ride , ect.

And increase of 10% every few weeks might be ok, but that does not account for intensity, hils rest and so on. See training is a progressive overload, so it has to be maintained so you can keep improving..

It takes the body several weeks to adjust to increases and everybody is different, so you have to try it, and see how you feel.

From personal experience, you will feel fine the first week and the second week is going to hit you hard, then two or three weeks later you will feel fine. 

I know that the are no real answers here but it was that asy everybody would be a champ.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

toonraid said:


> Lots of replies but no answers!


Sounds like a fertile area for your phd work. Get back to us when you publish, mmmkay?


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## Alex_Simmons/RST (Jan 12, 2008)

Do some reading on impulse-response models. Such as TRIMPS.

Better still, become familiar with the use of a power meter in training to monitor and manage your workload progression. If you use the concept of a training stress score (TSS) and the way such daily scores feed measures of longer term and more recent training loads, you will be amazed at how well that helps with this very question.

For example, during phases where you are focussed on building your general aerobic engine (improving endurance and power at threshold), then increasing your Chronic Training Load by between 3-8 TSS/day per week is the maximal sustainable workload increase over the course of a training cycle.

Have a look at my blog for some thoughts on using this approach to track workload.


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## toonraid (Sep 19, 2006)

I think I may need to elaborate - I am talking about "training load" which is a product of training time x training load. I am using zone number as the multiplier which I know is not the best method but it seems kind of accepted in most quarters - e.g. 120 min training in zone 2 = a training load of 240, 120 min training in zone 3 = a training load of 360 and so on.

The plan is not for me but for some guys who are cat 1 racers in early 20s - the challenge is to build them up from zero (in off-season) to their chosen peak event which is a week long tour in 5 months time. The challenge is to build up the hours and intensity in 22 weeks, in reallity by the time we factor in some recovery weeks we will end up with only 18 or 19 weeks to play with.


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## Alex_Simmons/RST (Jan 12, 2008)

Then you would find the use of a Training Stress Score very helpful then. TSS is a function of duration and intensity. The relationship with duration is linear but it is curvlinear with intensity. Suggest reading here:
http://www.cyclingpeakssoftware.com/power411/defined.asp
http://www.cyclingpeakssoftware.com/power411/performancemanager.asp


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