Since we have provided access to our Club Training Plans free of charge, I have been really pleased by the number of riders taking up the opportunity to sample our training methods during these difficult times. One of the questions that we get asked a lot is what to do when life gets in the way and workouts are missed. The specific answer to these questions is highly nuanced and much will depend on:
- Your fitness level and training history
- What stage in the plan you are currently at
- The reasons behind missing the workouts
As a simple guide, assuming that you are generally fit and there are no major medical problems, I would advise the following:
- If you miss 1 or 2 workouts, then you can simply slide the workout sequence forward and continue as planned. If you stop thinking about your training in chunks of 7 days, then it is easier to see how you can just slide the days forwards by a day or two and not miss any training.
- If you do need to slide training along by a few days, then don't stack workouts you have missed with ones you previously planned for that day. You can't 'make up' by 'doubling up'.
- If you miss a week of training due to work or mild illness, and you are in the base building phase, then generally you can rewind to the start of the penultimate week of completed training and start again.
- If you miss a week of training due to work or mild illness, and you are in the build or peak phase, then generally you would complete 5-7 days of muscular endurance and aerobic training before starting more intensive training again.
- If you miss more than 1 week of training, then things become more complicated and I would seek our advice to help make this decision as a lot depends on where you are in your training cycle. If you miss 2-3 weeks due to an illness like a heavy cold or flu, then it is likely that you will have to rewind by 4-8 weeks to rebuild fitness.
- As a rule of thumb for your first workout back after a forced training break, it is a good idea to do an easy aerobic spin followed by a steady state tempo workout to see how you feel. Think about your perceived effort, which should be around 5/10, and also look at your heart rate. If your perceived effort and heart rate are all higher than normal, you might also need to adjust your FTP downwards and complete a block of aerobic training to rebuild your base fitness.
If you are in any doubt, then please feel free to email me for some guidance.
Keep well, stay safe and smile!
Rob Wakefield / Founder and Level 3 Coach
rob@propello.bike / 07779136840
www.propello.bike
