Easy Week principle - who's doing it and how are you implementing it?

[mikhou]

Just a quick question. When people post their plans for a cycle, they typically don't mention the Easy Week principle from TB2. I'm just curious how many of you are using it and what that looks like for you. Thanks.

[Green2Blue]

Glad you brought this up! I honestly haven't because I just completely forgot. But I'm absolutely implementing it this coming block.

[grouchyjarhead]

Not currently using it, but when I was I kept it simple.

I typically alternated every week my endurance activities, so Week A was certain exercises and Week B was other exercises. On the heavy (90-95% weeks) I either trimmed the mileage or sets in half. So if I was supposed to do a 12 mile ruck on what fell on a hard week, I'd do 6 instead. If I had to do so many hill sprints, I'd only do half.

[Train_Hard_Live_Easy]

I use it........

It coincides with my Heavy Strength week [90%]..... so whilst my Strength work is not easy, My conditioning work is made 'easier'.

I listen to my body..... if it feels the effects of the strength session on the day before, I may opt to do an active recovery session [45 min easy Ride or cardio session.... or some easy BW movement just to get the body moving.

If the body is feeling good, then the session may become a little harder, but I may use a lighter weight or do a lesser number of rounds.

Simplistically, I play with the variables of the session..... intensity and / or volume...... lessen the intensity of the session through less weight being used, or a simpler variation..... volume - either reduce the number of reps or rounds or time [ie, 5 reps instead of 8, or 4 rounds instead of 6, or 15 minutes work instead of 20 -25+]

A session I enjoy is, using either a rower or AD, and the following timing protocol..... 30s Hard Work / 90s 'Rest'...... during the 'Rest' I may do reps of an exercise [5 - 8 Goblet Squats, or 10 - 15 Pushups....I pick one and stick with it for the duration].... I will then do this for 10 - 15 rounds [20 - 30 minutes of total time]

Now, during the 'easy' week, I may well leave the 'Rest' as Pure Rest.... work hard for the 30s and then simply rest for the 90s..... and do 10 rounds of this....... I still work HARD on the 30s, but I ensure my recovery is thorough. [Hard is maybe a 7 - 8 on a scale of 1 - 10 where 9 is an 'Oh Jesus' moment ]

I hope that makes sense

My training log shows the sessions in detail that I have completed [Beginning of Sept and beginning of Oct are the 90% weeks]

[Barkadion]

I do use it and I find it very helpful. Basically, I am trying to do 50% of my regular session. I also try to listen myself. Meaning..
I will keep 2 easy (50%) HIC sessions if I feel good. I will keep only one easy HIC (50%) session if I feel wasted.
And I would cut E session off easy week.
That's my experience so far.

[WallBilly]

Like Bark. I'll do 5 hill sprints or apex hills instead of 10. I might skip an HIC or the E as well.