I’ve been cycling on and off for a few years and struggled with some injury setbacks when trying to get properly structured (Achilles pain).
I have now, however, made it through SSB 1 - Mid vol. and lost some weight over the course also.
October 1st 206w and 1.95w/kg
November 11 247w and 2.45w/kg
I’m still at 101kg and would like to get down below 90kg over the next few months.
My lofty stretch goal is getting myself to 4.0w/kg - we’ll see how that pans out as i’ve never weighed less than 90kg in my adult life.
The wife is also encouraging me to get out and race rather than spending all my time on the trainer watching Ardennes re-runs. So, I’ll likely be signing up for a local summer crit series and pinning a number on for the first time in the coming weeks.
I am 49 and fairly new to cycling with around a year of intermittent casual weekend mountain bike rides before starting TR in June. I was also doing a little casual running and weight training so I started TR with some basic fitness, but very little cycling specific fitness.
June 2018 - Start Sweet Spot Base 1 LV - 136W (2.15W/kg)
Sept 2018 - After Sweet Spot Base 2 LV - 157W (2.49W/kg)
Nov 2018 - After Short Power Build LV - 157W (2.49W/kg)
I’m pleased with the 15% improvement overall, but was hoping for a better result in my ramp test yesterday because I do feel that I’m getting stronger – maybe a bad day.
I don’t have any events planned, so looking at repeating Sweet Spot Base LV and Build LV with the possible addition of a short Wednesday recovery ride and/or Sunday ride outdoors as and when I feel up to it.
OK so just finished SS base 2 - low volume but also been on LCHF diet and lost fair bit of weight (11 lb / 5kg over 6 weeks), and very pleased with this morning ramp test. Felt I’d got stronger as workouts last two weeks or so felt ‘easier’. All FTP come from ramp test
20 August - Start SS base 1 (low volume) - FTP - 275W, weight 187 lb / 84.81 kg giving W/Kg of 3.24
1 October Start SS base 2 (low volume) - FTP - 278W, weight 182lb / 82.54kg giving W/Kg of 3.37
13 Nov - End SS base 2 (low volume), about to start sustained build - FTP - 291W, weight 171lb / 77.55Kg giving a W/Kg of 3.75.
Very pleased with that (given weight loss, I’d have been happy keeping FTP steady!). However do feel I went so so deep in this monring ramp test, more so than in previous tests, and had music on, and did about 4 cups of coffee prior to test…so increase may have just been through just gutting it out more…but then did feel stronger in the workouts in last few weeks of base 2.
Plan now is sustained build for 8 weeks, then back to SS base 2, build (probably general since want to do TT and local summer CX series), then specialty (not sure which yet!) ready for the summer.
Been cycling for about 5 years now and racing a bit last few years so not exactly untrained so very pleased with the results. The diet and weight loss have m,ade big difference - not been this weight since I was 17 (now 36!)
Sept 29: 20 Min FTP Test 135w (That day i felt pretty bad in the test)
Oct 2: Ramp Test 163w-I started SSB Low Volume 1
Nov 13: Ramp Test 185w I couldnt complete my SSB because my kickr 18 was broken so i have to stop training almost for 2 weeks. I think my best numbers are in this level, i hope i can really improve because sometimes i feel very stagnant in this level.
My A race is in March.
Oct 3: Ramp Test – 227W (-7%) 68.5kg - 3.31 W/kg – unsurprising drop given I’d been mostly off the bike since July - was probably a bigger drop given I trained to a peak for start of July.
Nov 13: Ramp Test - 242W (+6%) 67.7kg - 3.57 W/kg – Completed SSBLV1. Claimed back all the losses in one training block – very happy with that. Thanks to consistency and the calendar actually working for me. (Why am I suspicious it is exactly the same FTP as March?)
Plan is SSBLV2 - Sustained Power Build - Century
A “Race” - 400km Audax end of April
I’m one of those pretty lucky one that gain 50+ watts within a year, and I have about 2 more months to go till it’s officially a year
January 220
November 275 3.79 kg
Ive been using TR for like 2 years, really super focus this year.
I really want to hit that arbitrary 300 watts by summer and hopefully 325 the year after.
Any thoughts from experience rider how much slower the gains you have after big jump in a year? I don’t think I’m close to genetic potential yet at all.
Here is my anecdotal experience. I started on Aug 1st, and have completed SSB 1 and 2 low volume, and I’m about half way through General Build. I’ve increased 53 watts from my original FTP test, that’s 39%, and I’m averaging a very consistent 6% per month.
Your history. Were you ever more fit than you are now? If so, big gains til you hit that point. Then it might slow unless…
You are a biological anomaly and can absorb the stress and keep building without normal amounts of rest.
Otherwise, fuel and rest are your best friends.
Just finished a ramp test. 211–>217. Approx 2.8% improvement over 6 weeks of SSB LV1. Small gains but probably about as much as I could realistically expect given it was low volume and general life is hectic right now.
Also ramp test at 655am might not be my smartest move!!!
If this is the time you do your workouts, then it is a smart move…
I do my workouts at 04:30 in the mornings (Weekdays) and 07:00 on weekends. All my outside rides and races will be 06:00 or 07:00 starts, so I also do Ramp Test early mornings…
Our club spins start early morning. Races are usually mid morning. And with family life being as it is I’m trying to shift all my workouts to before work instead of after.
7% increase in FTP and 10% increase in W/kg (managed to drop 2kg in the process) after six weeks SSB I LV (add in a few weekend rides with the club during the period, I think I skipped 2 planned workouts due to my kid being sick and one long hard ride falling the morning after my workout.
Interesting forum seeing everyone’s progress, I myself have never done a structured program, just rode the bike when I could with the club runs. But next year I want to be better than what I’ve done in the past. which in our local club I’ve always been positioned in the slow group for APR club races but find I’m a little better when the routes go upwards because of my light weight…so like many I’ve moved from Zwift (great tool for racing) to TrainerRoad for a structured program to follow and believing if the program allows myself to get out what I put in then I’m giving it a good go.
Only started my training block Mid September and with my available days I had to select SSB 1 Low volume.
Ramp test Pre SSB1 was 198watts @ 65kg 3.04w/kg
Post and Pre SSB2 LV increase by 7%FTP to a new FTP of 212watts @65kg(weight not changing) 3.25w/kg
Currently in the Middle of SSB2 LV and hoping for more improvements like the last one…
Any suggestions on which program to follow after SSB2??? I’m edging towards Sustained Power but not sure
