Zwift Academy 2023

Training
1

The 2023 academy is coming up and being truthful I could do with a bit of fresh motivation (aka kick up the arse) so plan to pay for month of Zwift and follow the plan.

I’ve got a plan running ATM I’m trying to work out the best TR solution:

  • Put a time out annotations in the plan
  • Ignore TR and leave the plan going
  • End the plan and build a new one after Zwift ends.

I thimk annotation of the plan is probably the best option but open to ideas.

2

I’m thinking like you.

I will ride my TR plan until the Zwift workouts come out then draw then into the plan to see what it looks like. Someone already saw the workouts on YouTube (Benji Naesen). They were able to add extra days in between the Zwift ones so it may be possible to just make custome weeks to keep you on track TSS wise until the academy is over.

3

i think people need to keep in mind zwift academy is not a training plan, it’s a series of workouts designed to identify talent

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5

But hopefully it’ll reignite my indoor riding so if so could be great for me.

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Any comments on the workouts?
Zwift Academy 2023 | Indoor Cycling Training Program | Events

Its all over the place, and i am really struggling to see if there would be any benifit at all doing these instead of a TR plan. Would it raise FTP in youre eyes?

The only reason i can see doing this if you are struggling with motivation, but on the other hand, its just workouts as in TR, and a couple of races?

Change my mind?

8

They arent workouts. They are there to identify various powers and durations to get a power curve to identify promising riders.

However, if it motivates you to get on the bike and ride with more consistency than you have been then there will be benefits from just doing them. If you are already happy with the TR plan then I wouldnt do these. If you are using TR and Zwift (with Zwift controllable trainer unchecked and TR controlling the trainer) then you can still select the workouts and will get credit for completing them even if they are nothing like the workout you actually do

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9

That’s exactly it. I fully expect to improve less than a TR plan (which if you look at Zwift plans are much better) but they will be better than finishing work and watching YouTube or playing War Thunder.

Once I’ve done the 6 Zwift workouts I’ll be back to a real plan and throw in some racing while it rains non stop.

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3 workouts in and have a couple of preliminary conclusions:

  • My mojo is returning
  • Racing is more fun than you’d expect
  • Zwift workouts are definitely not a patch on TR. They all seem to be just a massive fucking beasting

I’ll be back to TR plans with random Zwift racing I think.

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Having recently done Build Me Up (mostly just for the lolz) I agree.

I can’t lie. I absolutely loved it, in all its glorious ridiculousness.

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:wink:

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I’m doing Zwift Academy as well. After a solid year with TR low-volume in 2023 concluding with Big Sugar 100, I was staring at SSB2 starting over and I just couldn’t. I ride indoors to stay in shape to be able to do bigger events (like Big Sugar), and so I probably only rode outside about 10 times total so far in 2023.

Zwift has put some fun back in riding inside, so I’ll be zwifting for a few months to stay motivated. The academy ‘workouts’ remind me of Sufferfest. If I kept up with these, I would probably be overcooked and burnt out within a few months.