Fatigue Dependent Training Plan Design

Fatigue dependent training plan design is a method of prescribing workouts and designing training plans to match an athlete’s expected fatigue in order to optimize training/ physiological adaptations/ power output.  

The hardest workout with the highest wattage occurs first in a block when the athlete is the most 'fresh' followed by a less difficult workout requiring lower wattages when the athlete carries more fatigue and is less able to go harder.

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Three Day Block Example: Sweet Spot > Tempo > Zone 2

On day one of a training block, the athlete is freshest and can produce the highest wattages, therefore sweet spot work. By day two, some fatigue has set in, so the plan calls for tempo intensity. Come day three, with even more accumulated fatigue, the workout prescription shifts to lower-intensity zone 2.

Example 2 week Fatigue Dependent Training Plan Design (from the Sweet Spot Part 2 Plan/Phase)

In this 2-week, mid-week training plan example the athlete rides sweet spot when they are coming off a rest day and are able to generate higher watts easier. Then tempo, and the finally defaulting to zone 2 on Thursdays.  You’ll notice the second weeks follows the same pattern (Sweet Spot on Tuesday, Tempo on Wednesday and Zone 2 on  Thursday) but there is a gradual progression of more sweet spot & tempo in week 2.

Zone 4, 5, & 6 Intervals and Fatigue Dependent Training Plan Design

Interval training plan design benefits immensely from matching an athlete’s wattage to their fatigue. The method prescribes the highest wattage interval workout on day 1 of the block following a rest day and then a lessor wattage interval workout on day 2. For example:

Week 1: Zone 6 on Tuesday and Zone 5 on Wednesday

Week 2: Zone 5 on Tuesday then Zone 4 on Wednesday

The Weekend!

Here is an example weekend with the longer harder day on Saturday and then a shorter, easier Zone 2 ride on Sunday. 

Here is another example where the athlete only has 2 hours to train both Saturday and Sunday.  The Saturday ride can be progress to harder group rides as fitness increases. 

Group Rides During the Week

Group Rides on Tuesdays or Wednesdays fit in with our training plan design methodology the best because rest days can be designed in the day before.  It is not uncommon in the heat of the summer group riding season for masters athletes to have Monday and Tuesday off followed by a hard group ride on Wednesday.

Group rides on Saturdays also work well because Fridays are generally rest days. 

Fatigue Dependent Training Plan Designed Plans & Phases:

All CoachCat training plans & phases follow a fatigue-dependent methodology, making them more feasible from both a psychological and practical standpoint. Although they’re still challenging, aligning with an athlete’s natural fatigue promotes better improvement while balancing work, family, and other life demands.

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