Hi all. Fairly new to TR and about 8 weeks into my training plan. Just getting to grips with adaptive training (ISS and IF etc). Then I noticed that the pic from TR on strava has changed to include progression levels. I have done some digging and reading up but still dont really get it.
What do these progression levels mean? For example if my sweet spot is at 5.9 / 10, what does it mean? Also, I am following someone who is a very experienced racer on strava, and noticed his levels are lower than mine, obviously he is much stronger than I am so what does that mean?
If someone could explain it to me like im dumb (because I feel it ) that would be amazing!
Progression levels are the âdifficulty levelsâ of a given workout, compared to other workoutâs in the same zone. Example: A 4.0 Sweet Spot workout is slightly easier than a 5.0 Sweet Spot workout.
Your friendâs FTP is higher than yours, so thatâs why heâs faster than you despite lower progression levels. If his FTP just raised significantly, that would force his progression levels down, because you canât just jump into workouts at a higher FTP with the same progression level.
I think the best way to think of them is to NOT spend much time thinking about them - progression levels only mean something within the TR training system and are part of how the adaptive training engine selects appropriate workouts for you.
Your response is certainly well-intentioned, but a little off the mark. Progression levels (PL) are not workout difficulty levels; they are a measure of the athleteâs performance. They apply ONLY to the athlete, a grade, if you want to call it. They range from 1 to 10.
Workout levels (WL) express the relative difficulty of the workout, and also range from 1 to 10. And this is where much confusion arises despite TRâs excellent explanation of the difference. Many folks refer to âprogression levelsâ when they actually mean âdifficulty levelsâ when talking about a workout. But, weâve already established that PLs only apply to athletes
Finally, difficulty levels ((DL)âachievable, productive, stretch, breakthroughâobviously apply to workouts, not athletes. Quite obviously!
There are those in the forum who take issue with PLs because they arenât a standard concept used outside TrainerRoad. As such, I reference the Matrix scene where Neo meets the train conductor in the subway. He says to Neo, âI built this place. Down here, I write the rules.â Adaptive Training is TRâs subway, and PLs are their rules, irrespective of our personal opinions. Much confusion would be avoided with proper use of the terms, which, in turn, really helps our newest athletes.
Progression levels do two thingsâŚthey keep users more engaged throughout workout progressions and they give users a way to place a given workoutâs difficulty with respect to that userâs own ability AND the relative difficulty of other workouts.
A lot of times I would find myself really engaged during threshold workouts but kind of going through the motions during VO2max workouts. Progression levels keep me more engaged during all workouts, all week long. It gives me a framework to keep âachievableâ but consistent progress in all types of workouts. Not just the type of workout Iâm preoccupied with.
Also, if I want to dial things up a little bit and use that âAlternatesâ drop down, progression levels serve as a guide so I can pick a workout that is definitely more challenging but not over-the-top-make-my-eyes-bleed hard. This is actually the number one thing for me. I get a systematic sorting of a given workout type with respect to the workout I want to replace and with respect to my own current state of fitness.
As an analogy, Imagine weight lifting, you can do 20 reps with 5 kg but 8 reps with 10kg. Your friend is working with âheavier weightsâ = FTP so âlower repsâ = progression levels
) that would be amazing!