My 2 cents as a very amateur rider that would like to get competitive… I started indoor training with Zwift a year and a half ago and got burned seriouly after some stellar progress in my first month. FTP went from 120 to 150 in 4 weeks and then dropped to 100 for MONTHS.
I then tried all structured training APP. SF was very enticing with the 4DP protocol. I did try it. I did try their app and couldn’t get my head around the HAMMER TIME text in videos when I was doing 110 watts intervals it sounded so ridiculous to me.
I tried Traineroad and liked the sober progressive approach.
I tried XERT but didn’t see any added value compared to Trainerroad.
To be frank none of this mattered. Would I have optimal training session with workouts better suited for my power profile? Perhaps, I don’t know and I dont care.
All I know is that the FTP approach got me stronger, faster and more endurant. And it shows all around my power profile. I was at a point where any riding would help me. My problem was trying to chew too much too soon.
Last ramp test gave me 136 FTP. A 5 min power of 165, a 1 min of 182.
Now the workouts at VO2max gives me intervals at 163 watts. I should be able to nail them at 165. But I dont really know for sure.
I usually do my workouts on TR but from time to time I will just load Zwift and Trainerroad and follow coach Chad instructions. One notable case was Palissade where I finished all intevals at an average power of 143-146 instead of 138.
This is where I think Trainerroad could be improved by giving me message next workout saying “Whoah Didier we noticed you crushed Palissade 5% above the prescribed workout intensity. Would you like to keep this intensity for the next workouts?”
Or the reverse “Didier we noticed you struggled with Spencer which might indicate you have a VO2max closer to FTP than what we usually prescribe do you want to lower intensity of VO2Max workouts a bit to better reflect your power profile?”
I am finding the 20 minute test may be my favorite after doing the 8 minute for many months and trying the Ramp Test quite a few times. I am pretty good with pacing my effort.
Some have gone months without maximal efforts and eventually have their max efforts fully predicted. You need max efforts to prime it but after that, if you have complete and accurate data, can rely on the prediction model, i.e. by using Xert’s “No Decay” feature. The feature is off by default.
I read and looked at SF’s “staggering difference in accuracy” piece last week. The one think that struck me was that the “staggering accuracy” issue really started at the one-minute power level, and was mostly “staggering” at the 5-second power level.
I then looked at the training plans I’ve done on TR, and those ahead of me. I was indeed staggered - by how little impact 1-min power and 5-second power evaluation accuracy had on the programs. 90% of the workouts are concentrated around FTP (on which SF does not seem to indicate a debate), and the rest is mostly VO2Max, where we’re having a debate around 5%, well within the tolerances of what we can drive, what we can measure and what we are indicated to adjust.
Which part of which training plan would be derailed by an incorrect estimate of 5-second power?
Let me add a statistician’s hat for a second: describing a normal curve’s position vs a set point by a statement such as “MAP targets based on FTP are inaccurate for 44% of athletes” is not exactly solid statistics. In fact, 99% or more of athletes will be mis-evaluated; only the ones whose MAP is exactly 120% of FTP wouldn’t. That does not make it significative.
I just discovered that feature! I was so pleased to learn that even though I haven’t done much training for the past 6 months, I’m as fit as I ever was.
you can run it on an IOS device (believe it will work well even on old devices like an iphone 4) @baronbiosys?
You can run on an android phone but i sometimes find it is a bit buggy. I run it on my ipad and the player is really good, has all the features you’d want ncluding those that TR don’t offer (details of upcoming intervals, skip interval - forward and backwards, erg mode on/off) it’s really good.
iOS and Android are supported. Latest Android has many improvements to stability and overall experience. iOS app runs great and even runs on a 4S, as @Chester_Grimpeur said. Both support Remote Player.
Garmin is only needed if you want real-time analytics such as MPA, breakthrough alerts and other Xert metrics while you’re riding.
Yes, but you’ll need to export the workouts in ZWO format and load them into your MacOSX Zwift id folder. You lose the dynamic SMART and curved intervals but otherwise are very similar.
Alternatively, you can watch Zwift (or Youtube or other app) while using the Remote Player on your Mac while you work out. You’ll need a phone to run Xert for that though and will get SMART intervals.
Armando, I found that FTP was rising with training load to some unrealistic levels – it was saying 355w about a month ago, and other data points didn’t seem to back that up.
I reset to the default decay. The current FTP value may or may not be accurate, but I figure once the weather sorts itself out and I move into Build from Base, everything will sort itself out. It’s been on the money when I’ve fed higher intensity efforts into it.
It uses your historical patterns to increase signature values with training loads. If they are increasing too rapidly, look for long, unrealistic gaps in your training history. These can result in large jumps in your threshold for example, without having a commensurate increase in training load. This will then skew future calculations.
And in a cyclist’s search for optimal, you’ll never stay on your “optimal” plan for very long because you’ll move to something else, always chasing a “more optimal” plan.
