Why I Didn't Ride My Bike for 2 Weeks (to Get Faster)

Why would you want to take a break from training? To get faster. I get into the science on why taking a season break may actually help you progress your fitness.
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[@chowzisiong7800]

At the risk of sounding cliche... wise move. Many people think that discipline is about doing more. But sometimes to get better, discipline is also about doing less.

[@hellopsp180]

Discipline is about self control, and self restraint. Sometimes it means pushing yourself, but other times its pushing away the urge to keep training.

[@danieltscharnuter4794]

I had 4 weeks off due to a patella fracture. Guess that means I'll be getting twice as fast as you. 😎

[@spectre256]

Backwards-hat Dylan really coming on strong this episode

[@KOMHuntTV]

7:19 Now... that is a *GREAT IDEA FOR A CHANNEL* 🤩😎👏

[@PierreAlainMaire]

Who would do that ? 😂👍🏆👑

[@raphaelbartolome2265]

bro, i just wanna say your face looks amazing. its crazy how clear it is compared to your earlier videos. im still going through the whole acne phase (college blows) so i appreciate anyone who keeps up the fight against acne

[@jeffreythree]

Strange watching this nodding my head because I do this while my running friends are all bragging who's 100+ day run streaks are the longest on social media.

[@PatrickvonMassow]

"Uhm ... yes!" - "No", LOL. Never argue with BHD 😃.

[@ElonMuckX]

Nobody says No to BwHD!!!!!

[@stevemurray710]

I'm 67 years old. I love to hear that rest is the key. I only seem to be able to do a 53 mile ride on Sunday and a 5 mile run on Wednesday. I feel like death in between, I just lie around watching KZbin and tell my mocking wife how important recovery is.

[@sealcycle2020]

"You can't overtrain but you can under recover" Graeme Obree

[@ChauffeurCarsEssex1]

love this channel.

[@trbeyond]

I’m always amazed how terrible I feel when I take a week or two off and equally amazed how quick the fitness comes back after a break.

[@TheMerckxProject]

Welcome to what those of us who discovered racing in the LeMond or Indurain (or even earlier) eras always did. You ride until lack of daylight in late September forced you to shut it down for a few weeks until you worked up the motivation to join the gym for 4-5 months during the winter. 😎

[@tgoods5049]

Dylan, once again my hat is off to you for fabulous performance cycling expertise. I’m just about to start my own two week break and this video is just what I needed to rest comfortably knowing I’m doing the right thing for my long term fitness.

[@dougduchateau443]

This video is a nice mix between the science based arguments and your personal input on the topic as well. Thanks!

[@rafaelfranco7041]

Thanks Dylan, just what i needed to hear after a really bad ride. I mean i was too tired after the ride and debating what to do next.

[@stevecrabb1]

Another great one. Thanks. I Broke a femur last weekend so a video on recovering from a big injury or a long layoff would be very interesting.. If your looking for inspiration. Another one would be a comparison of training software like TR, Xert, Sufferfest etc.. Keep up the great work, still streets ahead of the rest.

[@patrickfisher2013]

Priceless information and as always, so funny. Thank you.

[@morganma80]

Just what I needed to hear👍

[@sharpcsc998]

Excellent review as always.

[@Ultegra10SPD]

Look forward to your work in ‘21. Ideally ill be back on the bike, not hurt, and lifting (if only bc im doin more home improvement but not too much that the wheels come off again like this yr). Stay safe and have a good holiday. -U10

[@unclepauliestl]

Gospel Dylan!! Keep speaking it 👍

[@kevinc1315]

You hit a homerun with this video! Great job!

[@jasonmccartney4167]

Always top notch info Dylan, thanks 👌👍👍

[@waynesmith4589]

Excellent video as always Dylan . I think your most important one so far , very good !! Problem is most cyclists are hyper active by nature and find rest weeks etc so difficult , much worse than a hard week , i personally find rest weeks mental torture and because of that i've dug some seriously deep fatigue holes which ironically cause me to take 3 weeks off anyway so.................

[@saynotothegreatreset]

Loved the the little dig @Tyler.

[@facediaper09]

Lol

[@mrnobody9821]

Tyler is a different kind of animal though. He has to do things the way he does or he wouldn’t have the time in the day to train the way professional athletes do. He’s not professional and he runs a day job and a family plus release KZbin content. He’s mad, but fair play to him for managing to do it.

[@oceanman4282]

I missed it. Time code?

[@CBMaster2]

@@oceanman4282 5:15

[@oceanman4282]

@@CBMaster2 I think it was 7:20 but thx

[@JoshuaParks]

Unfortunately, I’m one of the ‘my “season” never really got started people’ - I did get 1 good ‘mega block’ around June and that fitness carried me through some nice social rides. But no need to take a break, since 2020 has been a break in and of itself. Still, this discussion is an important one. Thanks Dylan...maybe you should take more fortnights off = more videos for us!

[@JibbaJabber]

'Tis the season to be lifting'

[@Supergremlin781]

Good job Dylan.

[@petayV8]

This video just popped up after I'm taking a 1 month break for the first time in like 6 years. Glad to have confirmation it wasn't a bad idea

[@ronm7114]

Adaption is key: U have starting point from where u reach and reach. U keep reaching from that point until your body says: u know what, im done with this. I cant reach anymore. From there u rest: the starting point can move to the reaching point. Once recovered ur starting point moved al the way up tho where u reached. This is now the second time i do this and im actually tired in my legs all this time while doing absolutely nothing (figuratively speaking)

[@Knud451]

Thanks. I really needed to hear this. I'm one of those who can never take rest periods and thinks that I need to train full gas all year round.

[@superstrada6847]

Family events, travel & work obligations are always competing with my training. Sadly my fitness seems to move mostly sideways (on my PMC). The only thing left to do is retire (from work) to get more time to train (not possible)! Thanks Dylan for the video.

[@LarsRR]

I have found out for myself, that I need a rest week more psychologically than physiologically. I usually get into the „end-of-season slump“ after the time is shifted to winter time, which usually makes it impossible for me to ride outside after work. That confines most of my riding to the turbo, and with not races to train for, usually my motivation dwindles into no-man‘s Land. I really need 2-3 weeks of in early December to keep my hungry for bike riding.

[@MZ-oz5ms]

Hey Dylan, again a good video. I suggest you fix your handlebar tape. The exposed section under the shifter is annoying:)

[@giacomomerli9191]

1:32 article of infamous Dr.Ferrari and Dr.Conconi, the knew a thing a thing about hemoglobin

[@Cypress1983]

*crossfit athletes have left the chat*

[@CycoWarriorx]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🙌🏽

[@virtualadventures1695]

Hey Dylan, have you covered breathing? How to breath in different situations such as different heart rate zones, stages in rides/race, training vs racing, long vs short etc. Cheers. Loving your clips as I prepare for my first 100k

[@acem82]

So, I was hoping for a study with a control group, but I see there seems not to be one. I wanted to be proven wrong. I don't take a "break", not really. I train for 8 months (pretty much like everyone says I should do) and then take 4 months of about half volume and 60% the high intensity I would normally do in the training season. That sounds insane, but there are a few things that allow me to do this: 1. I have (functionally) infinite motivation to train. What I mean is my body will give out long before my mind. Actually, even 3 months into the "off season", I'm chomping at the bit to increase the volume and intensity. 2. I have never successfully "peaked" in my life (my dad is the same way). If I train more, I get stronger. Taking a full break seems odd when I'm still gaining fitness. (There's more to this, but this post is too long as it is.) 3. I am somewhat shocked at how quickly most training plans expect me to increase volume and intensity during the training season. I increase both very slowly and my body seems to adapt fully. Also, it's not really necessary to increase these quickly when I'm in really good shape in the off season. Which brings me to #4... 4. I'm 3 months into the off season and I'm hitting PBs in every power zone. Potential reasons: 1. I got my power meter in May, and I've never seen power in the off season. It's possible I "peak" during the off season and lose power when the volume and intensity rise again. I kind of doubt it, as I'm doing the same thing I did last year, and my power kept increasing as the season went on. 2. I'm a genetic freak. 3. Normal people don't have the motivation to train like this so people don't do it. In reality, I'm not doing anything "new", I'm basically doing what Merckx et al used to do and compete in 6 day races in the off season. Maybe they were on to something, or maybe I'm really, really weird. Either way, I'd really, really like to see a study on this and see if this full break stuff is scientifically sound or if it's an example of group-think.

[@MaximusGlutaeus]

Top vid as usual. One point however is that you made it sound like the lifting and lower intensity rides should be incorporated after the mid-season break rather than the end-of-season break. Maybe differentiate between the two? It's a small gripe I know.

[@luizmcmesquita]

Another great video. Congrats on the channel as well. I'm learning a lot here. What about the diet during rest periods? I imagine that it is allowed a break on the diet as well. But should it be during the rest period or is it better while training?

[@MultiSingletrack]

Hey Dylan, Enjoy the videos I was wondering if you would do a travel video documenting your away race logistics. Do you drive/fly, hotel/camp, ship your bike, food on the road etc.

[@billinhouston3291]

Good idea.

[@XEinstein]

Hey! Why has YT stopped recommending me your videos? I just today realised I used to enjoy watching your training advices and wondered why I hadn't seen any for a few months. Looked you up and noticed I missed a bunch of your videos. Darn YT

[@Piklzzz]

the biggest gains I got in the last two years were when I had to go on a busines trip for 15 days and our hotel's gym didn't have anything, just a treadmills, so I ended up doing just some lazy runs from time to time, and when I got back home I saw my whole power curve just straight jump up like 10-20 watts, crazy shit

[@CowneloAlvaroid]

It was the RUNNING that added those watts my guy

[@mhagen4748]

Great vid D. These breaks helped me a lot over the season. You had mentioned your "numbers" will increase. Do you have any testing protocol to track these. Examples of maybe when to test FTP pre and post break (i took a test my 2nd day back and was expectedly low) and any other metrics that would be worth looking at (5 sec power etc.). Thanks!

[@marckohler9994]

Great video as usual! I would be very interested in a video about sweetspot training. Do you recomment it? How do you do it? When in your season do you use it? Thanks!

[@jerrydixon9865]

He is absolutely correct, I was training nonstop for like 10 weeks never really taking off a day because I was young and stupid when I was involved in a crash during a race. I tore the skin off from the top to bottom of my body and didn't touch my bike for like 10 days. On the 11th day I rode in a local organized ride and my fitness had gone through the roof. After this I never looked at training the same way again.....

[@clrbrk9108]

Great timing to hear this. I have been training hard and consistent since April, originally for a marathon event in November that got canceled, but I found another in mid December that so far is still on. I'm either going to take 2 full weeks off immediately after the race, or I'll do a week of recovery rides after the race then take a week or 2 off. It depends on how drained I feel. What are your thoughts on recovery rides after events? Necessary or not? Thanks!

[@sytsedijkstra]

Hi Dylan, Great video once again. I have a question or next video suggestion about recovery and food. Does 'healthy' food post ride makes you recover more effectively then 'unhealthy' food? I think most people rather eat a pizza with chicken and a cheese crust over 2kg of broccoli and a lean filet of fish. Does it really matters what kind of protein-fat-carb you eat?

[@goldenretriever6261]

I broke my collarbone a month ago and took three weeks off. Probably a good thing as I never take time off between cycling and xc skiing. It was actually fun to not worry about riding the bike.

[@dpstrial]

Last year at this time I did six weeks of very low intensity training, which was too long, giving me a slow start to the season. This year I will keep it at two weeks.

[@sandrost4243]

Strength athlete here, agreed. There are a number of studies that show strength athletes that take off completely or do another sport entirely for fun (essentially active rest) for a three week period, twice a year, leads to better overall gains. The hardest part is the mental aspect, it feels so wrong to take weeks off. 😬😂

[@Cookefan59]

This concept is the Gods Honest truth. Just finished a 10 day break after a reverse triathlon and had an absolutely gorgeous brick ride and run this morning. Never felt better. Have three more triathlons this fall and then it’s on to boxing. This concept of taking breaks becomes more important as you age as well. Now in my 60s, I look forward to the breaks and recovery weeks because I come back in much better shape and do well at races. Also, decreases rate if injuries. Listen to this young man. He will help you stay fit as you become an older man!!

[@markankone9362]

Super compensation

[@Di2huffy]

DJ turn it up!

[@kimrice394]

Was just having a mental battle of Don’t be lazy/Take a break the other day, even knowing it’s beneficial. It’s OK😉🤣

[@ernie12man]

The struggle is real.

[@williambob111]

i just did the same after watching a vid of yours that was about a year old.

[@cbyod]

Can you do video with BHD as the coach. So you reverse the rolls. Might make for a funny episode.

[@icewallowcum856]

Did the same think, slowly started training again and 2st running i did hurt my knee somehow. So ye im back to recovery

[@KOMHuntTV]

I'm struggling with a bakers cyst on the knee... Can't wait to get back training. Wishing you a speedy recovery

[@MaxRothFitness]

I’m 5 weeks off so far after a torn tendon in my hamstring.. guess I’ll be fast when I’m back 😉😂

[@Obey1136]

How did that happened?

[@GOLTEB]

Having breaks from riding is honestly hard, since riding is a form of stress reliever alone time for me but there are times that my legs are so burntout that it aches even at the first 5mins of riding.

[@broesph]

He’ll yeah! I’m doin that right now...

[@shkreliacademy5176]

Do a video on your hair and skincare routine

[@eduharms3364]

Will do a 2 week break from any activity as i am going backwards rather than going forward

[@b_runs99]

Hey Dylan, I don’t race but I love riding and find motivation quite easy. But I work at Costco, which is kind of a physical job, especially with an 8 hour shift haha. So when I want to take a week off, it’s not really a week off cause I’m at work running/lifting heavy things. In what time frame would you recommend taking 1 week off the bike? Like every 4 weeks? Every 3 weeks? I just wanna make sure I’m not destroying my body, which I don’t think I am. But I would love to hear your input? (I am 21 years old btw) If you don’t really have one that’s totally fine too 🤙🏼 thanks for the great content.

[@davidking3699]

curious what you think about diet whilst also in the fitness holiday... A carb loading week? or lean protein, some fasting or what else? what about supplements during this rest period, or tapering off from race season diets / supplements?

[@henriklarsson7835]

Sounds like a wise and simple approach. I’m curious. How long is a normal period of training then resting?

[@HandfulOfHypercubes]

Is it ok to have a recovery month-two instead of a rest week? I decided with my coach to try to stay at 300TSS/week (very low for me) for 5 weeks instead of doing a complete rest week, because I feel like I really need some time outside for mental health (covid times). Will the effect be the same if my CTL becomes low enough (in my case from 110 to 65)? I don't need to hurry as I am not planning to race that much next year. Your video made me rethink my strategy... Btw I had low hemoglobin concentration for 3 years straight and I read that might be from increased plasma volume, not from decreased total red blood cell mass - it's an adaptation to exercise. This is what a sports doctor told me and after 3 months off bike this year because of an illness (I still don't know what it was, it was like a long infection with months of muscle pain, but in January, so most likely not Covid) the HGb values returned to normal... Now I am starting to think that I might have been ill because of chronic overtraining!

[@emmanuelnocete135]

This is a sketchy topic for me, since we don't have seasoned races, they're everywhere and almost always present. How should i approach an "off season break" or a "mid season break"?

[@mattiasandersson3444]

"The bodys "supercompension allways work. First deeep downtrained and then rest a week with just spinin your legs easy 2-3 days, after those 2-3 days you have temporly gained your performance. I have used that plan 25 years and it has allways work very very well every time👍👍👍👍 .

[@romanholzer6866]

Is it better to train Base Training in the upper part or in the lower part? Some say you get more explosive when do base training super low...

[@ltonetto]

So, you're saying that dropping my road/tt bike for a cx season isn't a good idea? Gyms where I live aren't an option atm, but I've been doing some elastic bands at home and I'm indeed feeling great.

[@MrBJPitt]

I follow this advice - involuntarily though.... I've had 3 years in a row that involved 3 trips to the operating theatre and time off the bike... #traininggoals

[@KOMHuntTV]

😳😢

[@MrBJPitt]

@@KOMHuntTV I see it as titanium frame upgrades

[@mrnobody9821]

Oh I love the theatre!! What shows did you see?

[@PhiyackYuh]

@@mrnobody9821 he saw orthopaedic surgeon conducting surgery on his knees 😂😂😂 rotten tomatoes views 10/10

[@andreassiegenthaler9545]

If you‘re not able to lift weights due to low back problems, what are your thoughts about high torque efforts (tractor pulls) on the bike as an alternative? Greetings from Berne, Switzerland

[@mikewilson0]

Ugh. Here I am after more than 4 full weeks off due to an injury followed by an illness. I’m losing the last bit of decent weather!!! After this I’m never taking time off again!

[@raphaeltiziani7476]

My coach told me after 4-5 days completely off the bike I could go running a bit. And then after total 14 days we started to train bike agian. What do you think about that?

[@Kudla_2]

How do you handle the increase in energy or lack of fatigue that helps drive sleep cycles during this period? I’ve found that a reduction of training volume appears to alter my circadian rhythm making sleep and overall recovery difficult during non-active rest periods.

[@mrnobody9821]

I’ve just managed to borrow 130kg of plates and I’ve bought a wall mounted gym. I’m going to start a new compound exercise routine to build my strength as my sprints have gone from legendary tier watts to limp drip piss watts :(

[@andrx074]

So deciding to have recovery or rest weeks and filling the time void with swimming or gym sessions was not my best idea?

[@novanis5229]

Hey I am just out of my covid quarantine. Had Corona with medium symptomes and will at least pause for 3-4 weeks. Looking forward to do further medical checks before starting to train again. So looks like it will be about 4 weeks off the bike in total, so two more weeks. How much will be lost during that time or can I do anything to minimize the loss without exercising?

[@MrCoyotekiller21]

So how would you handle peaking if you have a race series of 5 races over 10 weeks. So every two weeks. Should you aim peak in the middle?

[@cameronALR6]

What’s the best protocol after a mid season break? 10:50 You mention the offseason here but not midseason

[@isaacyoung1868]

I tried to take two weeks.. but couldn't help but get out for a hard day half way through.... Sigh... but viewer beware, don't stress about it too much. It's just a hobby

[@samuelmundula2216]

Dylan, what are your thoughts on the Maximal Overload as proposed by Jacques DeVore? Of course DeVore rages on about how good it is but I haven't seen any study on the topic, would you happen to know? The principal is sound, especially if you're getting a cyclist who never went to the gym before into the gym. I dropped my MO workouts with the gyms closing in March and saw a massive increase in FTP with bike-only work, but not sure if that's standing on top of the MO work I did last winter or if that's because I focused more on bike work.

[@Mclovinthedank]

I did this in the middle of the summer because saddle sores...

[@sc0608023]

Dylan, what's the handlebar of the bike in the background? Looks sweet!

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Enve road bar

[@LarsRR]

11:23 - the dude in the background squatting 405 for reps clearly isn’t a cyclist. Track sprinter maybe 😂

[@yvestrembleau2396]

I think it's Silent Mike. Look up Silent Mike on KZbin. He does powerlifting

[@UltimateTuner10]

I just took a 9 day break after 2 years without any breaks at all (I did take recovery weeks as needed) and my heart rate is like 10% higher than before I left. I don’t feel like I’m blowing up but I’m literally a zone higher in HR for any interval I do. How long until this normalizes again?

[@michaelbouwkamp6200]

Should you cut out saunas and/or ice showers during the 1-2 week break?

[@stevencole7331]

At almost 60 I ride 3 days a week with 6 hours on the bike . Tried 4 days and I did not like it . Lost motivation and desire quite quickly and some knee pain . The last 2 weeks I only had one ride per week and yesterday I went for a ride and felt really good Have a neighbor who goes for a ride maybe one or 2 times a week and he is always fast . Maybe motivation is the most important part as heavy training can reduce motivation When you look at athletes of all kinds getting injuries maybe from over exercising .

[@AstroSquid]

Does temperature affect calories burnt during a ride? Example 30 miles in cold weather vs warm with the same effort, will the cold weather riding burn more calories?

[@jeffreythompson6282]

Can you comment on the timing of taking the break right after you peaked? It seems like putting that peak fitness to more use first would be better - I mean to time the break when your very fatigued rather than relatively fresh. Actually I would guess freshness dictates the nessessary duration of the break.

[@richardmiddleton7770]

Holding onto a peak can be disastrous. Don't wait for your performance to decline before you take a break. Knowing when you've peaked is key and takes years of experience.

[@Watch_ur_kicks]

What about max 1h spin in recovery zone ? Is it also harmful if u don’t take day off ?

[@DanielHernandezBC]

You are assuming that having somewhat lower hematocrit levels is bad and you need to reset it and make it higher, but our bodies lower it on training season for a reason: it is better for performance, as the blood circulates faster through the body. Take a look at studies showing this, kind of related to how effective is EPO (not much)

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

Good point.

[@10ktube]

I need to peak 52 times a year, BHD you kill me.

[@milan-qw6zu]

Is taking rest after the season not normal in america?

[@BulletJS]

just finished 13 days off and did my first easy ride today. question - @ 10:39 did you mean to say "offseason" not mid-season?

[@GeoffreyDean33]

I wonder if taking time off is advisable for someone in their 60's. As performance dropoff quickens with every year, I'd think it harder and harder to get back where you left off.

[@Sara-df8xp]

I have been doing long steady ride for 2 to 3 week, I been riding +600km a week. But unfortunately when I went to the gym I suffer from serious intense dome due to the lock down and so on... I haven't been able to train with weight. It's been 2 weeks of no bike and the third week was not ridding but insatnd I prefer to go to the gym to regain my gym fitness back but am also a bit sad, because am so worried if I will lose all my endurance base ride? Am I back to zero? Does the two to three base ride will go in vain?

[@oscartassinari8397]

I workout around 9-12 hours during summer season. And the off-season here in Norway is 5-6 months so then I do 4-8h a week. All year it’s around 4-5 workouts a week. No demanding schedule. Do you recommend the same rest week for me or is it just for hard core workaholics?

[@griffin2952]

It depends on the intensity of your workouts

[@giorgitadumadze8490]

i do 1 day ride one day off on bike in week some time 2 day ride and after off is it ok?