# Rest week(s) between programs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Training\ **Created:** [March 19, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457 "2021-03-19T17:00:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robert\_Watt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/robert_watt/32/2852_2.png) [@Robert\_Watt](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Robert_Watt)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457/1 "2021-03-19T17:00:45Z")
Hi everyone. What are people’s opinion on how long I should go between training plans? (i.e, should I take a week off? Two weeks? Charge right into the next plan the day after my 4DP, in full Sufferlandrian berserker mode?) As background, I am in the final week of the 12-week All-Round Road program, which has been going great. I do my 4DP on Sunday (in two days). The snow is finally starting to melt here in Ottawa, and I am looking at following it up with the Mountainous/Hilly Gran Fondo plan (also 12 weeks), since it will add some outdoor rides, as well as adding more distance. But I am wondering if I should take a week or two in between the end of my Road program and the start of the Gran Fondo program, with just some easy rides and yoga/stretching, in order to avoid risking burbnout or over training. Having said that, most of the programs seem very good at “easing” you into them, so maybe a rest week or two isn’t necessary. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![CPT\_A](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/cpt_a/32/15342_2.png) [@CPT\_A](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/CPT_A)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457/2 "2021-03-19T17:46:35Z")
FWIW - in my limited history - I finish a program with the FF prep week, do FF on Sunday, then take the week off before starting something new with fresh numbers. ---
**Author:** ![JSampson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/jsampson/32/3148_2.png) [@JSampson](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/JSampson)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 7:08pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457/3 "2021-03-19T19:08:03Z")
@CPT_A @Robert_Watt This question has been answered before in the forum but I just can’t seem to find the thread. I seem to recall 1 to 2 weeks and you can certainly add in some on the bike active recovery during that time. ---
**Author:** ![Robert\_Watt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/robert_watt/32/2852_2.png) [@Robert\_Watt](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Robert_Watt)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457/4 "2021-03-19T19:11:49Z")
I would have thought it would have been addressed before, but I did a search and couldn’t find anything. There were certainly a couple threads along the lines of “what plan should I do next” though ---
**Author:** ![JSampson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/jsampson/32/3148_2.png) [@JSampson](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/JSampson)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 7:24pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457/5 "2021-03-19T19:24:55Z")
Here is one where someone asked about back to back plans. I feel like I saw another but might just be imagining things. Anyway - hopefully that helps! > [@Recommendation for back to back 12 week training plans - Belgian Waffle Ride and the like](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/recommendation-for-back-to-back-12-week-training-plans-belgian-waffle-ride-and-the-like/4676/2): > > Hi @AdamS! One thing that I might suggest is to have an off week, or at the very least 3-5 days completely off and just easy rides the other days) in between 2 different 12-week plans…so starting 25-weeks out is my first suggestion. That being said, there are a few different options that could work for you for the first 12-week plan. Specifically the Metric Century and Century plans would both work quite well, as would the Mountainous/Hilly Gran Fondo plan. Both the Century and Mountainous/Hill… ---
**Author:** ![Peteski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@Peteski](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Peteski)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 11:29am UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457/6 "2021-03-20T11:29:18Z")
I often wonder about this too. My take is that these plans have enough built-in recovery to be sustainable indefinitely. But if a plan ends with a FF then I would take it easy for the following week before starting a new plan. At the end of my last All-Purpose road plan I took a couple of days off and then did a few easy endurance rides before starting a new plan the following week. It all depends how you feel. Personally I don’t enjoy complete rest weeks. I much prefer to continue riding, but without the structure and intensity. Much like a typical recovery week during a plan really. ---
**Author:** ![Robert\_Watt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/robert_watt/32/2852_2.png) [@Robert\_Watt](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Robert_Watt)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 11:58am UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457/7 "2021-03-20T11:58:23Z")
That’s kind of my thinking too. I think any new program will generally start easy and ramp up, so I could probably launch right into one. But I will probably take a week “off” (and just do some easy unstructured rides, rather than doing nothing), and then start the new program a week later (with the new 4DP numbers) ---
**Author:** ![Pierre\_Chalmet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/pierre_chalmet/32/2248_2.png) [@Pierre\_Chalmet](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Pierre_Chalmet)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457/8 "2021-03-20T14:16:07Z")
I totally agree. All 4-week plans I followed ended with a rest week. The 12-week all purpose plan have multiple rest weeks buit-in. If we keep in mind a rest week is a reduced volume & reduced intensity week, and not a week off, then I believe you can launch into a new plan as soon as the previous one ends. ---
**Author:** ![alchurch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/alchurch/32/428_2.png) [@alchurch](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/alchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457/9 "2021-03-20T14:51:16Z")
I am not sure I would find a training block finishing with FF ,followed by a week off would be very helpful for me. I think I would adjust it to finish plan, 5 days off prep week and FF then go with those new numbers. In practice I grind myself into the dust over months, have a short break and be raring to get the show on the road again ---
**Author:** ![Chris254](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@Chris254](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/u/Chris254)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://wahoox.forum.wahoofitness.com/t/rest-week-s-between-programs/9457/10 "2021-03-20T16:48:02Z")
The last two weeks of all purpose road looks like a long taper. How are you feeling? I would let that dictate whether I start straight away into another 12 weeks.